Flywheels
Advances in materials and mechanical design make it possible to use giant flywheels for the storage of energy in electric-power systems and smaller ones for the propulsion of automobiles, trucks and buses
Features
Genetic Dissection of Behavior
By working with fruit flies that are mosaics of normal and mutant parts it is possible to identify the genetic components of behavior, retrace their development and locate the sites where they operate
Violent Tides between Galaxies
The peculiar forms of certain galaxies could be a result of tidal distortions. This theory, out of favor for a decade, seems to be confirmed by experiments with computer models of galaxies
The Tropical Rain Forest
One of the oldest ecosystems and a reservoir of genetic diversity, the wet evergreen tropical forest is threatened by the activities of man and may virtually disappear by tbe end of the 20th century
Laser Spectroscopy
The introduction of the laser as a spectroscopic tool has made it possible to produce extremely narrow "resonances" in the optical emission and absorption spectra of gases
Copernicus and Tycho
In which the author, exploring who read Copernicus' book at the time of its appearance, discovers Tycho's personal copy of it. Tycho's notes show how he evolved his non-Copernican model of the solar system
The Soaring Flight of Vultures
The six common vultures of East Africa can make a round trip of as much as 200 kilometers by skillfully riding updrafts. How they do so is examined with the aid of a powered glider
Slips of the Tongue
They are a good deal more than amusing (or embarrassing) errors of speech. The collection and analysis of such errors provides important clues to how speech is organized in the nervous system
Departments
50 and 100 Years Ago, December 1973
Science and the Citizen, December 1973
- Letters
Letters to the Editors, December 1973
- Recommended
Books, December 1973
- Mathematical Recreation
Mathematical Games, December 1973
- Amateur Scientist
The Amateur Scientist, December 1973
- Departments
The Authors, December 1973
Annual Index 1973
Bibliography, December 1973