Chemistry

Search for Past Life on Mars: Possible Relic Biogenic Activity in Martian Meteorite ALH84001

Hal Harris | Thu, 08/01/1996 - 01:00

search-past-life-mars-possible-relic-biogenic-activity-martian-meteorite-alh84001.jpg

How can little green men from Mars not be a "Pick of the Month"? This article has received a huge amount of notice in the popular press, and you've almost certainly heard about it by now. If you click on the highlighted word "Science" above, and you have a personal or institutional subscription to Science, you can read the complete text of the paper for yourself, online.

The Enigmatic 'Battery of Baghdad'

Hal Harris | Thu, 05/02/1996 - 02:00

enigmatic-battery-baghdad.gif

Did ancient Parthians know how to make electricity with batteries? An object discovered in 1936, during excavation of Khuyut Rabbou'a, near modern Baghdad, has raised speculation that they might indeed have.

Maintaining Diversity in Science - Women and Minorities '96

Hal Harris | Tue, 04/02/1996 - 01:00

maintaining-diversity-science-women-and-minorities-96.jpg

In the social sciences, 1995 may turn out to be (the figures aren't available yet) the year in which as many women earned Ph.D. degrees as men did. But in the physical sciences, the ratio is still about four to one.

Digital Diffraction

Hal Harris | Mon, 04/01/1996 - 00:00

digital-diffraction.jpg

I've always thought that optical transforms were a great model for the determination of crystal structures using X-ray diffraction, and I've used the ICE (Institute for Chemical Education) kit for this exercise many times.

James Dewar, His Flask and Other Achievements

Hal Harris | Fri, 03/01/1996 - 00:00

james-dewar-his-flask-and-other-achievements.jpg

The Dewar flasks that we use for storage of cryogenic fluids such as liquid nitrogen, oxygen, and helium, and which known outside the laboratory as "thermos bottles" were invented by James Dewar, who was the first person to liquefy hydrogen, and was nearly first in the nineteenth century races to liquefy all of the other gases.

The National Science Education Standards

Hal Harris | Thu, 02/01/1996 - 00:00

national-science-education-standards.jpg

Well, the final version of the National Science Education Standards has finally arrived. If you are involved in curriculum planning for your school or district, or if you want to study the document in detail, you can buy a copy for $19.95 + 4.00 shipping from the National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Lockbox 285, Washington DC 20055 [1-800-624-6242].

Silent Sperm

Hal Harris | Wed, 01/03/1996 - 02:00

silent-sperm.jpg

In the novel "The Children of Men" by P. D. James, set in the year 2021, mankind is faced with extinction due to the worldwide sterility of human males. Is there a basis for fear that this is actually happening? Or is the reported decline in sperm counts, over the past half-century, even a fact?