Mar 5th, 2010 · When it comes to economic indicators, none may be more abstract than GDP per capita. It is the measure of all goods and services a country produces, divided by its population. Take two countries that seem alike in almost every important way — from geography, climate, colonial history and government structure — but one has a much lower GDP. The differences between Jamaica and Barbados are striking.
Feb 12th, 2010 · Leaves have an intricate web of veins that transport nutrients and water and provide structural support. But what determines the pattern of venation? Physicists Marcelo Magnasco and Eleni Katifori investigated this question using sophisticated algorithms and a little glow-in-the-dark dye.
Feb 8th, 2010 · Teams of American structural engineers are in Haiti looking into the integrity of the thousands of buildings still standing. U.N. officials say perhaps 20 percent of the structures in Port-au-Prince collapsed, and 80 percent of those still standing suffered serious damage. Some of these structures shouldn't be occupied.
Jan 25th, 2010 · The third season of FX's Damages kicks off tonight, and it hasn't lost a step.
Jan 14th, 2010 · The magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a country whose buildings were barely built to engineering standards and were hopelessly fragile in the grip of such a strong quake. Haiti has no national building code, and many structures may not have been sound to begin with.
Dec 23rd, 2009 · 'Tis the season for images of snowflakes. Unfortunately, many artistic renderings of snow crystals show an eight-sided structure — something that can't occur in nature. So this year, one scientist decided to set the record straight.
Dec 14th, 2009 · On the surface, there might seem to be a world of difference between jazz and bluegrass music. Jazz is predominantly urban and often deals with relatively complex structures, chords and key changes. Bluegrass is predominantly rural and, like blues, often works within fairly predictable structural boundaries. But jazz and bluegrass are more alike than they appear.
Dec 1st, 2009 · Ralph Alvarez, who at 55 ranked second in the fast-food giant's leadership structure, cites chronic pain and seven orthopedic surgeries for his decision. He's also resigning from the board of directors.