Science
Archived Stories
Twenty Years Later, Cold Fusion Remains a Hot Topic
March 24th, 2009Cold fusion research has retreated into a small, even defensive cluster of scientists who only publish in particular journals, cite each other’s work and do not take kindly to outside criticism. They still meet once every year — this year in Rome — to gather and share their work. After the 20th anniversary of a scientific fiasco the Sun examines the work of Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons — two electrochemists from the University of Utah who announced in a 1989 press conference that they had achieved cold fusion. Read More
From Cotton Candy to Capillaries
March 24th, 2009Cotton candy often brings back childhood memories of Ferris wheels, pony rides and failed attempts at winning that obscenely large stuffed flamingo at the fair. But for researchers at Cornell’s Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC) and Weill Medical College, this delightful carnival treat has inspired a leap forward in the field of tissue engineering. Leon Bellan and others hope to create such a system using cotton candy as a model. Despite its inventiveness, the process is relatively low-tech, making it quicker and less expensive than previous methods. Read More
Scientists, Public Search for Disappearing Ladybug
March 24th, 2009Prof. John Losey, entomology, understands the ecological importance of each insect species. So forces beyond his control conspired to eliminate agriculture’s long-favored, nine-spotted heroine, Losey and the entomology department joined forces to aid the native species, founding “The Lost Ladybug Project.” Read More
The Scientist: Thomas Midgley, Jr.
March 11th, 2009There is a limited number of people for whom contracting polio could be morbidly viewed as a good thing. But according to British comedian Phil Jupitus, when “the human being in history who has done the most damage to the environment” contracted a chronic disease, the world was better off for it. This menace was Thomas Midgley Jr., class of 1911 — one Cornell alumnus seldom bragged about during tours of Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Read More
Behind Closing Doors: Inside the Labs of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
March 11th, 2009In a dark room on the third floor of Kimball Hall, researchers analyze dragonflies and butterflies with a high-speed camera to better understand the aerodynamics and mechanics of flight. A nearby laboratory, dedicated to the study of booming sand — a natural sound phenomenon produced by dunes under stress — reverberates as microphones and speakers play to a thin crate full of sand. These are some of the laboratories that used to comprise the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (TAM). On Jan. 1, 2009, however, the College of Engineering merged TAM with the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE).What does the future look like for the professors and graduate students that used to call TAM home? Read More
Powershift Raises Debate Over Science Advocacy
March 10th, 2009On Feb. 27, 90 Cornell students traveled to Washington, D.C. to join over 12,000 young people from around the country for Powershift 2009, the largest national youth conference on global climate change to date. After two days of workshops, discussion panels and speakers, the students rallied on Capitol Hill for carbon emission legislation, green jobs and environmental regulation. But with the country in economic dire straits, does the average American care about science policy? Read More
Under Obama, Stem Cell Research May See New Life
March 4th, 2009While the nation reels from an ongoing budget crunch, scientific research on stem cells has been financially strapped for eight years. The Obama administration, however, may overturn Bush's ban on federal funding for new stem cell research. Read More
Expert Panel Examines Science-Policy Rift
March 4th, 2009Budding scientists are encouraged to study the hard sciences, ignoring policy studies that may impact their future careers. At the same time, young politicians rarely receive a formal education in the sciences that they may one day hold political dominion over. Read More
Engineers, Girl Scouts Witness Science in Action
March 4th, 2009From building towers out of newspaper to discussing the future of communication on the internet, 35 junior girl scouts, aged 8-11, worked alongside engineers from Cornell to learn about careers in engineering and the sciences. The girls earned their Science in Action merit badges for participating. Read More
Geologists Debunk Apocalyptic Prophecy
February 25th, 2009Apocalyptic prophecies have spawned many science fiction movies. In the 2003 film The Core, the Earth loses its protective magnetic field when charged magma in the planet’s interior stops churning about. A mission to the center of the Earth is launched to get the magma spinning and save the planet. While these films are science fiction, some think these stories are set to come off of the screen and into reality in 2012. Read More