Discusses the conflict between the religious and scientific imaginations as existing between the intellectual realms of unquestioning faith and constant questioning. Relates this conflict to writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, e.g., Bacon, Kepler, Wilkins, Godwin, Harrington, Campanella, Cyrano, Le Bret, Defoe, Swift, Voltiare,…

Summarizes results of a questionnaire asking if the ASC standarized test influences what is taught in inorganic chemistry courses. Chief controlling factors are indicated to be: (1) instructor's preference and (2) textbook content. Suggestions are given to enhance amount of inorganic chemistry in undergraduate curricula. (Author/JN)

Described are Charles W. Eliot's contributions to science education and academia. Eliot's achievements include changing college admission standards and support for laboratory courses in physics, chemistry, biology, and geography. (DS)

Discusses kinematics of the planetary alignment in nature and related results. Describes a model of planetary alignments to beginning astronomy students. The model is to explain Jupiter's deviation from a circular orbit. (SK)

Describes a physical chemistry experiment that introduces undergraduate students to the entities of polyelectrolytes. (CS)

Discusses the trials done by physicists to understand unfamiliar nuclear physics events taking place in the air. Also briefly describes the effects of detecting the primary cosmic ray. (Author/SK)

This article examines evidence that shows that the quality of education in many fields of engineering, including chemical engineering, is being endangered by severe and growing shortages of competent faculty. Shrinking graduate enrollment, budget cuts, and high industrial salaries are discussed as main causes. (ECO)

Topological ideas can be used to predict a variety of textures and defects in condensed matter systems under certain conditions. This article describes one means of creating and observing textures in liquid crystals which exhibit a rich variety of such textures. The results of these observations are presented. (Author/SK)

Describes a portable fluid power engineering laboratory and class demonstration apparatus designed to enable students to design, build, and test multi-actuator circuits. Features a variety of standard pneumatic values and actuators fitted with quick disconnect couplings. Discusses sequencing circuit boards, microcomputer control, cost, and…

Discussed is the lack of a scientific foundation and scientific evidence favoring astrology. Included are several research studies conducted to examine astrological tenets which yield generally negative results. (Author/DS)

Described is a research study comparing the achievement of undergraduate biology students in individual investigations with and without written guidelines for problem formulation. The authors conclude that the problem formulation stage is crucial to the success of student investigations. The quality of students problems improved significantly with…

This article discusses in detail the totally symmetric three-quark karyonic wave functions. The two-body mesonic states are also discussed. A brief review of the experimental efforts to identify the quark model multiplets is given. (Author/SK)

Describes a study investigating the combined effect of certain variables on student achievement in classical mechanics. The purpose was to (1) describe preinstructional knowledge and skills; (2) correlate these variables with the student's success in learning classical mechanics; and (3) develop hypothesis about relationships between these…

Describes a circuit which allows vectors and combinations of vectors to be illustrated by means of bright segments appearing on a c.r.o. screen. Explains how to demonstrate dendritic crystalization with cyclohexanol. Presents a circuit which, with the help of a signal generator and an oscilloscope, facilitates the understanding of the electrical…

Describes the use of benzophenone in the role of a solid state sensitizer in a photochemical isomerization and as an indicator in preparative layer chromatography for purification of the isomeride. (Author/SA)