Category Archives: Science

Middle Earth: Why We Need to Turn Our Map on Its Side_

Though he never actually crossed it, the Greek mathematician Pythagoras is sometimes credited with having first conceived of the Equator, calculating its location on the Earth’s sphere more than four centuries before the birth of Christ. Aristotle, who never stepped … Continue reading

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The Coke Ad That Could Destroy All Other Products, Especially Coke_

As a child of a successful advertising copywriter and professor (the late, wonderful Jim Albright — he named Funyuns!), I don’t have a problem with all advertising. But my dad always spoke about the importance of keeping your integrity and … Continue reading

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It’s 2013, And They’re Burning ‘Witches’_

Belief in black magic persists in Papua New Guinea, where communities are warping under the pressure of the mining boom’s unfulfilled expectations. Women are blamed, accused of sorcery and branded as witches — with horrific consequences. “They’re going to cook … Continue reading

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Portland, Oregon, Says No To Fluoridation_

Residents of Portland, Oregon, voted down, yet again, an effort to add fluoride to their tap water. With 80 percent of the expected ballots counted, Mayor Charlie Hales “conceded defeat,” the Associated Press reported. Portland is the largest U.S. city … Continue reading

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Cloned Human Embryo Study Comes Under Fire_

A week ago, scientists from Oregon Health and Science University and the Oregon National Primate Research Center announced that they had successfully used human skin cells to clone embryonic stem cells. In the few days since the researchers’ work came … Continue reading

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$25 Gun Created With Cheap 3D Printer Fires Nine Shots (Video)

When high tech gunsmith group Defense Distributed test-fired the world’s first fully 3D-printed firearm earlier this month, some critics dismissed the demonstration as expensive and impractical, arguing it could only be done with a high-end industrial 3D printer and that … Continue reading

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Physicists Create Quantum Link Between Photons That Don’t Exist at the Same Time_

Now they’re just messing with us. Physicists have long known that quantum mechanics allows for a subtle connection between quantum particles called entanglement, in which measuring one particle can instantly set the otherwise uncertain condition, or “state,” of another particle—even … Continue reading

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Unexpected Artwork by Physicist Richard Feynman_

In addition to being a world-renowned physicist, Richard Feynman was also an amateur artist, one who was fascinated by the power of lines and forms. He felt that his appreciation of art was deeply connected to his love of physics, … Continue reading

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Got A Wound? Science Says Rub Some Dirt In It_

The colloquial medical advice “rub some dirt in it” appears to have some merit. Researchers at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute have been experimenting with different clays, and it appears in research presented in the journal PLoS ONE that they’ve … Continue reading

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These Self-Assembling Nanoflowers Are As Beautiful As They Are Tiny_

A nanorose may not smell as sweet as an organic one, but the red petals on this micron-scale flower are unquestionably just as beautiful. At Harvard University, materials scientists have perfected an underwater chemical reaction that results in these gorgeous, … Continue reading

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