Archive for the ‘History and Nature of Science’ Category

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?

Cloning Fraud: How’d it Happen? - Friday, January 13th, 2006

Korean scientist pulled off the biggest scientific fraud in memory. How did he do it? How is science supposed to prevent fraud? Why did it matter, and who loses out?

Why Files Rockin’ New Year - Friday, December 30th, 2005

A new year is a chance to bring sanity to our medical, scientific and environmental disasters. Here’s our wish-list for a better New Year!

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.

Time to Reconsider the Leap Second - Thursday, September 29th, 2005

The solar clock doesn’t quite line up with the atomic clock. We use leap seconds to make them match. Should we dump the leap second?

Space Travel: Humans vs. Robots - Friday, January 30th, 2004

Bush proposes mission to moon and Mars, but how great are the scientific payoffs of this expensive, risky adventure? Would it be smarter – and cheaper – to send robots?

Forensic Anthropology - Tuesday, December 16th, 2003

This Why File surveys the latest in forensic anthropology, with a visit to the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee, AKA The Body Farm.

Nobel Prizefight - Thursday, October 23rd, 2003

Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology given to inventors of MRI machine — but were these guys really the inventors? Meet an unprecedented PR campaign to change the Nobel.

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.

Shuttle Discoveries - Thursday, February 6th, 2003

What was learned on Columbia’s last, tragic mission?

Cool Science Images

SciMax Theater

Virtual Science!

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