Category Archives: American Scientist
In the News: Agency Angst
from American Scientist September-October 2011 If it turns out that free will is an illusion, we’d only be losing something we never had. But believing in that loss makes a difference. Also in this issue’s news roundup: One day on … Continue reading
In the News: Peacock Mystique
from American Scientist July-August 2011 If peahens (Pavo cristatus) tally eyespots on their suitors’ tail feathers, they do a sloppy job. Also in this issue’s news roundup: Cave bears and ancient art, “six-winged” insects and more. Read more pdf
Dying Generously
from American Scientist May-June 2011 Suicide is an evolutionary conundrum. Single-celled organisms regularly kill themselves in reaction to stresses they might have survived, but it’s not obvious why natural selection permits such volatile behavior. Read more pdf
In the News: Shivering in Europe
from American Scientist May-June 2011 Early humans lived in Europe for 700,000 long cold years before they mastered fire. Also in this issue’s news roundup: Grapes need to have more sex, methane monsoons on Titan, and more. Read more pdf
Bats Gorge During Exercise
from American Scientist March-April, 2011 Like marathoners nursing packets of sweet energy gel, foraging bats have to nourish their hard-working muscles on the go. But recent experiments reveal that flying bats can quickly refuel not only with sugary foods, but … Continue reading
In the News: Honeybee Cooties
from American Scientist March-April 2011 For bees and wasps, flowers may be as germy as a kindergarten sandbox. Also in this issue’s news roundup: The Vikings might have taken a Native American woman back to Iceland. Data collected in the … Continue reading
In the News: Time Flies East to West
from American Scientist January-February, 2011 This issue’s roundup looks at how an Australian culture represents the passage of time, how fear changes ecosystems, the reason that some birds have trouble watching where they’re flying, and more. Read more pdf
Speaking for the Data
Book review in American Scientist January-February, 2011 Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter. Nancy Baron. xxii + 246 pp. Island Press, 2010. $55 cloth, $27.50 paper. Explaining Research: How to Reach Key Audiences to … Continue reading
In the News: Spiders Versus Plants
from American Scientist November-December 2010 In this roundup, we learn how spiders and plants compete for food, how bacteria sniff each other out, how dog brains got contorted during domestication, and more. Read more