Archive for the ‘Historical perspectives’ Category


Economic stimulus = just pouring concrete? - Thursday, December 18th, 2008

Obama decides that current and new grant applications at the National Institutes of Health are an effective economic stimulus. People get jobs. Inventions get invented. What’s not to like?



Life during the “other” Big Bang! - Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Did the arrival of 4,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons of space junk start the formation of organic molecules roughly 4 billion years ago? “Could be,” says a new study from Japan…



Ancient cities: A new plan for sprawl? - Thursday, August 30th, 2007

Archeologists thought Middle-Eastern cities grew through remote “daughter” villages. But a new study of a big city in ancient Syria, shows that new settlements formed closer to town.



Lovable Loot: Vaunted Vase Heads “Home” - Thursday, February 9th, 2006

Museum returns a priceless classic vase to Italy. What’s at the root of obtaining ancient loot? Where should we draw the line? Does it make sense for big museums to keep artifacts, or should it all go back to source countries?



Bookin’ science: Best of the batch. - Thursday, October 6th, 2005

If (gasp!) the subject is too big for a Whyfile, hit the books. Here, we review four great science books, on evolution, environment, fighting nature, and discovering motherly love.



Nuclear Wizard Dies - Thursday, September 25th, 2003

Edward Teller helped invent the hydrogen bomb, then pushed missile defense. By public advocacy and secret research, he changed the 20th century.



Writing Invented: When, Why and How? - Tuesday, January 19th, 1999

Who invented writing? And for what purpose? A tale of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China and the Maya. What happens when pictograms are not enough…



Sputnik’s Legacy: Good Science Education - Thursday, September 11th, 1997

Bored with space? Things were different 40 years ago, when Sputnik shook the world.




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