What If You Could Unscramble an Egg?
Hal Harris | Fri, 11/01/1996 - 00:00
Robert Ehrlich teaches physics at George Mason University. This is the third book by him that I have read recently.
Physics
Seven Experiments That Could Change the World: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Revolutionary Science
Hal Harris | Fri, 08/02/1996 - 02:00
I picked up this volume because its title suggested that it would encourage hands-on science activities that are essential to good teaching and effective learning. Unfortunately, I discovered on reading it that the author combines a deep antagonism for the scientific "establishment" with credulity for numerous fringe ideas.
Search for Past Life on Mars: Possible Relic Biogenic Activity in Martian Meteorite ALH84001
Hal Harris | Thu, 08/01/1996 - 01:00
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.
Longitude
Hal Harris | Mon, 07/01/1996 - 01:00
This book is a nearly ideal choice for summer reading. It is small and short, it tells the fascinating, true story of John Harrison, who may have contributed more than any other individual to the establishment of the British Empire. Working alone, the self-taught Mr.
Schroedinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality: solving the Quantum Mysteries
Hal Harris | Wed, 05/01/1996 - 01:00
When I teach the quantum chemistry part of our physical chemistry sequence, I usually carve out one or two lectures to talk with my students about some of the wonderfully puzzling aspects of quantum measurements.
Maintaining Diversity in Science - Women and Minorities '96
Hal Harris | Tue, 04/02/1996 - 01:00
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
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
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
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].
Observation of Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Dilute Atomic Vapor
Hal Harris | Sat, 07/01/1995 - 01:00
Other articles describing this result appear on pages 152 and 182 of the same issue. The Bose-Einstein Condensate was also named "Molecule of the Year" by Science in its December 22, 1995 issue.