The Detection of Underground Explosions
A seismologist suggests that underground nuclear explosions can be detected and distinguished from earthquakes by seismic records. He proposes criteria that might accomplish these aims
Features
Superconducting Magnets
Magnets have now been made with superconducting coils through which current flows without resistance and heating. This indicates that it is possible to build very large magnets requiring very little power...
Computer Programs for Translation
A simple model for sentence construction, devised as a first step toward mechanical translation, is beginning to show why English and other languages are so ingeniously complicated
The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis
The carbon atoms of the carbon dioxide assimilated by plants traverse an intricate cycle of chemical reactions. The immediate products are not only carbohydrates but also amino acids, fats and other compounds...
Ishango
The men who lived at this site in Africa more than 8,500 years ago appear to have been inspired inventors. They independently devised the harpoon, and may even have created a number system...
"Floaters" in the Eye
They are the spots that most people occasionally see before their eyes. The authors propose that floaters are usually diffraction patterns cast on the retina by red blood cells
The Schooling of Fishes
What influences make a fish join others of the same species to form a school? The question is studied partly by observing the developing behavior of young schooling fishes in a special laboratory aquarium...
The Analysis of Brain Waves
By rapid averaging and other procedures, electronic computers are helping investigators to extract much new information from the complex recordings of the electrical activity of the brain...
Departments
50 and 100 Years Ago: June 1962
Science and the Citizen: June 1962
- Letters
Letters to the Editors, June 1962
- Recommended
Books
- Mathematical Recreation
Mathematical Games
- Amateur Scientist
The Amateur Scientist
- Departments
The Authors
Bibliography
