Science

Reaching Toward Space

His 1935 rocket was a technological tour de force, but Robert H. Goddard hid it from history

February 2001

For Some, Pain Is Orange

Persons with synesthesia experience “extra” sensations. The Letter T may be navy blue; a sound can taste like pickles

February 1, 2001

In Search of Sanctuary

As its Florida habitat disappears, the American wood stork, our largest wading bird, is migrating northward to new nesting grounds

February 1, 2001

A Rare Bird

January 2001

Accents Are Forever

By their first birthday, babies are getting locked into the sounds of the language they hear spoken

January 2001

It’s Camelot in the Desert

For Dromedary Trekkers in Australia’s Outback, it’s Camelot in the Desert

January 2001

Betting on Designer Genes

Scientists dream of giving people new genes that will stop a disease or fix a problem. It is harder than anyone thought

January 1, 2001

“When Bandogs Howle and Spirits Walk”

Studying the nighttime hours across the centuries, says historian Roger Ekirch, sheds light on preindustrial society

January 1, 2001

Feeling Crabby?

The vaults of the Natural History Museum in Paris contain a menagerie of curious crustaceans

January 1, 2001

Log-o-phil-ia Is Addictive

WARNING: Words fill Anu Garg’s dreams, and waking hours too. He shares his favorites on the Web with thousands

December 2000

Newton’s Vice

Some say alchemy inspired our greatest scientist

December 1, 2000

A Stellar Imagemaker

Smithsonian and NASA’s Chandra x-ray observatory sheds new light on the mysteries of the universe

November 2000

The Rarest of the Rare

Scientists at the Smithsonian’s Conservation and Research Center have snatched endangered creatures from the brink and redefined conservation biology

November 1, 2000

The Return of the Phage

As deadly bacteria increasingly resist antibiotics, researchers try to improve a World War I era weapon

October 2000

The Cat That Walks by Itself

In Mexico’s Maya jungle, the survival of the jaguar hangs on radio collars, hounds and former hunters

September 30, 2000

Kudzu: Love It — or Run

Aggressive weed that “grows like the devil” and will not die is manna for sheep, cows and folks who use it to cure hangovers, weave baskets and make jelly

September 30, 2000

You Are What You Buy

According to advertising guru James Twitchell, every symbol, from Alka-Seltzer’s Speedy to the Energizer Bunny, plants powerful notions of who we are

September 30, 2000

Malaria Kills One Child Every 30 Seconds

A new pandemic imperils half the world. Scientists think they know what has to be done, but the disease continues to outsmart them

August 31, 2000

So Tiny, So Sweet…So Mean

If hummingbirds were as big as ravens, it probably wouldn’t be safe to go for a walk in the woods

August 31, 2000

Foreign Worm Alert

Aliens are tunneling through North America. Who’d have thought these earth tillers have a downside?

August 2000