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Scientific American Reports Apr 2007 Reality-Bending Black Holes Black holes curve the fabric of spacetime so extremely that it rends. The superdense objects devour anything—even light—that strays too close, a trip from which there is no escape. Perhaps their most singular power, however, is their hold on our imagination. Learning more about these implacable gluttons offers the same shivery frisson as watching a stalking horror-movie creature while knowing we are safe in our cushioned seats.

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Science Jun 15, 2007 Cover Artist's view of the Sun's core, showing gravity waves inferred from observations with the Global Oscillation at Low Frequency instrument aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. These signatures of solar gravity provide clues about the rotation rate of the solar core. The Release 5.1 Annotation of Drosophila melanogaster Heterochromatin DNA near the centromeres of Drosophila chromosomes is repetitive and consists of transposons, tandem and satellite repeats, and over 200 coding and noncoding genes. Tracking Solar Gravity Modes: The Dynamics of the Solar Core Satellite detection of deep buoyancy-driven oscillations within the Sun implies that the solar core is spinning faster than the surrounding radiative zone. Neural Mechanisms of Visual Attention: How Top-Down Feedback Highlights Relevant Locations As visual information flows from the retina to the cortex, feedback to neurons farther down the pathway increases activity in specific upstream areas to enable focused spatial attention.

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Nature Jun 14, 2007 Evolution and the brain With all deference to the sensibilities of religious people, the idea that man was created in the image of God can surely be put aside. Moral psychology: The depths of disgust Is there wisdom to be found in repugnance? Or is disgust "the nastiest of all emotions", offering nothing but support to prejudice? Fundamental physics: Feel the force When two objects separated by a vacuum are barely a whisker apart, a strange attraction comes into play. Nature's guide for mentors Having a good mentor early in your career can mean the difference between success and failure in any field.

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Science Jun 8, 2007 Cover Flowers of monkshood, Aconitum napellus, extend laterally from a main stem and open successively toward the apex. This arrangement is one of only three basic flowering structures observed in nature, reflecting the way developmental mechanisms and natural selection interact to constrain biological form. Expansion of Industrial Logging in Central Africa Satellite images from 1973 to 2003 document the expansion of logging in tropical African forests and show that logging road construction is accelerating. Evolution and Development of Inflorescence Architectures A combination of modeling and experiments explains why certain types of flower clusters are likely to be found in nature while others are absent. Marine Radiocarbon Evidence for the Mechanism of Deglacial Atmospheric CO2 Rise Carbon-14 dates from a sediment core imply that Pacific deep waters stored CO2 during glacial times and then vented it as deglaciation started, accelerating the temperature rise. Seismic Evidence for Deep-Water Transportation in the Mantle Seismic images show how water flows on the surface of a subducting slab into the deep mantle beneath northeastern Japan.

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Nature Jun 7, 2007 Science in Germany: A beacon of reform Long a symbol of East German pride, the Charité medical school is flourishing in the twenty-first-century shake-up of German universities. Primatology: Peaceful primates, violent acts Brought up in the Congo basin, Jonas Eriksson has worked through a war and battled poachers to help reveal the secrets of bonobo societies. Replicating genotype–phenotype associations What constitutes replication of a genotype–phenotype association, and how best can it be achieved?

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Science Jun 1, 2007 Cover An orangutan (Pongo abelii) from Sumatra, Indonesia, in an upright posture. Orangutans, a more distant relative of humans than chimps or gorillas, move in a bipedal fashion on small flexible branches. Human bipedalism may thus reflect selection of a behavior that was present in the common great ape ancestor. Seawater Chemistry and Early Carbonate Biomineralization When the earliest animals developed skeletons in the Late Precambrian, seawater chemistry may have determined whether they were made of calcite or its polymorph aragonite. 155,000 Years of West African Monsoon and Ocean Thermal Evolution During the past 155,000 years, rainfall in West Africa has changed abruptly following northern high-latitude climate changes, and has decreased during the past 5000 years. Legumes Symbioses: Absence of Nod Genes in Photosynthetic Bradyrhizobia Two species of nitrogen-fixing bacteria lack the usual liposaccharide signal by which they communicate with their legume hosts and instead may use a purine derivative.

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Popular Science Jun 2007 Anatomy of a Solar Storm The most dangerous flares in half a century strike this year. Here's how they happen and how Earth can be protected. The First Assassination of the 21st Century The radioactive hit on former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko means political murders will now be more heinous -- and high-tech.

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Scientific American Jun 2007 A Simpler Origin for Life Energy-driven networks of small molecules may be more likely first steps for life than the commonly held idea of the sudden emergence of large self-replicating molecules such as RNA. Lifting the Fog around Anesthesia Learning why current anesthetics are so potent and sometimes dangerous will lead to a new generation of safer targeted drugs. When Fields Collide The history of particle cosmology shows that science can benefit from wrenching changes. Breaking Network Logjams Network coding could dramatically enhance the efficiency of communications networks.

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New Scientist May 26, 2007 Do animals have emotions? If you doubt that animals have feelings, just look at them and listen to them when they interact with friend or foe. Earth's natural wealth: an audit We are using up the planet's minerals at an alarming rate - how long before they run out? Ideas: the lifeblood of cities If innovation fuels the frenetic pace of life in big cities, not simple economies of scale, what do we do when it stops?

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New Scientist May 19, 2007 Coloured concepts help read the mind Seeing music or smelling colours is strange enough, but synaesthesia is about much more than a crossing over of the senses. The 7 biggest myths about climate change With global warming such a threat, New Scientist guides you through the discredited arguments and wild theories clouding this complex issue. On the hunt for cosmic fossils Relics of the earliest galaxies are drifting through the universe - New Scientist joins the quest to find them.

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Nature May 17, 2007 Biomedical philanthropy: State of the donation Wealthy philanthropists and private foundations are supporting biomedical research on a grand scale. Biomedical philanthropy: The money tree Donations from philanthropists and private foundations are increasingly finding their way into biomedical research. Biomedical philanthropy: Love or money Biomedical scientists want funding; private foundations want cures. Biomedical philanthropy: The giving machine Flush with Microsoft's fortune, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest charitable foundation in the United States. Tadataka Yamada, executive director of its Global Health Program, tells Lucy Odling-Smee how the organization aims to save lives with its wealth. Archaeology: Blast in the past? A controversial new idea suggests that a big space rock exploded on or above North America at the end of the last ice age.

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Nature May 10, 2007 Climate change: Is this what it takes to save the world? Long marginalized as a dubious idea, altering the climate through 'geoengineering' has staged something of a comeback. The good, the bad and the ugly Imaging fluorescent molecules in live cells is revolutionizing cell biology. But a pretty image is not necessarily a good one, and many biologists are learning this the hard way. Chemistry: Teetering on the edge Why do chemists make compounds that could blow up in their faces? Completing the map of human genetic variation A plan to identify and integrate normal structural variation into the human genome sequence.

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Popular Science May 2007 Future of the Car Automotive breakthroughs are an almost daily event, if you believe the press coming out of the car industry. The 2006 auto-show circuit showcased eight-speed automatics, high-res night vision, zerolag turbos and a dozen other hyphenated doodads. But real automotive breakthroughs -- the ones that transform the industry, and our hopes for it -- are rare. We're here to show you a few of them The Future of Energy Later this year, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee hope to take a big step toward solving America's nuclear-waste woes. Pending clearance from the Department of Energy, they will demonstrate a new toxic-waste recycling process. Space The race to the moon is on, again, and China's winning.

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New Scientist May 12, 2007 Impossible peaks under Antarctica's ice Buried under ice in Antarctica lies a mountain range that defies explanation - they could offer a new way of mountain forming. Panic over for threatened rainforest species? Everyone knows that cutting down the primary forest spells the end for the wildlife that lives there - or does it? Curiosity doesn't have to kill the quantum cat A landmark experiment hopes to bring Schrödinger's cat back from the brink of death - it could rewrite our understanding of reality. A quirky look at our quirky species Humans are strange creatures that must be studied in strange ways, says psychologist Richard Wiseman.

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New Scientist May 5, 2007 Looking for the echoes of a supernova The dazzling light of long-gone supernovae is still visible if you know where to look, say researchers. Cold fusion - hot news again? Physicists scoff, but enthusiasts say they now have evidence that proves room temperature fusion is real. Top 10 ways to make better decisions Our lives are full of decisions, and bad ones can lead to regret. New Scientist helps you make up your mind.

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Scientific American May 2007 The Mystery of Methane on Mars and Titan Could the methane in the atmospheres of Mars and Titan be caused by unusual geologic activity—or life? Chromosomal Chaos and Cancer Current wisdom on the role of genes in malignancy may not explain some of the features of cancer, but stepping back to look at the bigger picture inside cells reveals a view that just might. Preventing Blackouts A smarter power grid that automatically responds to problems could reduce the rising number of debilitating blackouts. Carbon Nanonets Spark New Electronics Random networks of tiny carbon tubes could make possible low-cost, flexible devices such as "electronic paper" and printable solar cells. Eyes Open, Brain Shut Brain-imaging techniques yield a better understanding of patients in the vegetative state.

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Science May 11, 2007 Cover A bat, Glossophaga soricina, in flight within a wind tunnel. The air velocity field induced by the wingbeat is shown by superimposed arrows and to scale. The reconstructions of the wake produced by bat flight have features that are not observed in the wakes of similarly sized birds. Imaging of Single Organic Molecules in Motion Sequential transmission electron microscopic images allow visualization of the motion of hydrocarbon chains confined within carbon nanotubes. Regulation of B Versus T Lymphoid Lineage Fate Decision by the Proto-Oncogene LRF Developing immune cells become antibody-producing cells through activation of proto-oncogene that inhibits the alternate developmental pathway.

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Science May 4, 2007 Cover Artist's conception of Mercury, with a cutaway showing the molten core revealed by high-precision radar data. This finding will help to understand the internal structure, thermal evolution, and magnetic field generation of terrestrial planets. Recent Climate Observations Compared to Projections Sea level and global mean air temperatures have risen more since 1990 than climate models used in the IPCC predicted, and IPCC projections may underestimate future sea levels. Signals from Chloroplasts Converge to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression In a critical regulatory loop for plants, damaged chloroplasts signal their status to the nucleus via a single signaling pathway and its key component.

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The Scientist May 2007 Watching the Brain Lie Will fMRI replace the polygraph? Two companies and the US Federal government are betting it will. A New Dynamic With an eye toward host-pathogen interactions, can an interdisciplinary center studying infectious diseases predict and prevent the next pandemic? Plus, why measles and influenza bugs act differently. To Build a Killing Machine David Kirn couldn't turn his back on century-old quest to pit viruses against tumors.

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The Scientist Apr 2007 Biosense or Biononsense? Investigation of the CDC strategy for monitoring outbreaks of disease. Growing a New Antidepressant 9 years ago, Rusty Gage shattered a neuroscience dogma when he showed that human brains give birth to new neurons. Today, a company is eager to take those findings to the clinic. The Vaccine Conundrum Why is such a highly effective strategy all but ignored by so many companies and investors? What can be done to boost funding?

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Nature Apr 26, 2007 Research Highlights: King of the Swingers Sumatran orangutans like to take it easy: new research has shown that the way they move from tree to tree by swaying branches saves them energy. China Struggles to Square Growth and Emissions Rapid development is seeing carbon dioxide levels soar. Immunology: Pimp My Antibody Antibody therapies have had more than their fair share of crashes. But designers are at work on faster, fancier new models. US Higher Education: The Arizona Experiment A shift in population, money and political influence to America's "sunbelt states" is helping to reshape its research universities. The first of two features looks at the far-reaching ambitions of Arizona State University. The second asks whether a rush to create extra medical schools could spread the region's resources too thinly. When Good Drugs Go Bad How can we best reduce the risk of severe adverse reactions to marketed drugs? An international group of scientists argues that a global research network is needed to identify genetically at-risk populations.

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Nature Apr 19, 2007 Plus ca Change? The winner of France's election will find scientists willing to support the right kind of reforms. The Poison Next Door The neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) causes deterioration of muscle control by killing motor neurons. Now, two studies suggest that therapies should focus not on the motor neurons, but on neighbouring non-neuronal cells known as glia. Moment of Reckoning Fresh laws on the regulation of medicines are working their way through the US Congress -- but will they strike the right balance between public safety and innovation? French Election: Let Science Speak for Itself You've heard what the presidential candidates think the challenges facing science in France are. Nature also canvassed opinion across the French research spectrum: from young researchers to reformers and industrialists. Rules of Engagement Complex engineered and biological systems share protocol-based architectures that make them robust and evolvable, but with hidden fragilities to rare perturbations.

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Scientific American Apr 2007 The Promise of Plasmonics A technology that squeezes electromagnetic waves into minuscule structures may yield superfast computer chips, ultrasensitive molecular detectors and perhaps even invisibility cloaks. Just How Smart Are Ravens? Recent experiments show that these birds use logic to solve problems and that some of their abilities approach or surpass those of the great apes. The Ghosts of Galaxies Past Strangely moving stars may be the remnants of past galaxies devoured by our Milky Way. Seeking the Connections: Alcoholism and Our Genes Identifying the genetic influences on vulnerability to alcohol addiction can lead to more targeted treatments and help individuals make better-informed choices. The Movies in Our Eyes The retina processes information much more than anyone has ever imagined, sending a dozen different movies to the brain. Gassing Up with Hydrogen Researchers are working on ways for fuel-cell vehicles to hold the hydrogen they need for long-distance travel. A Cure for Rabies? The survival of a Wisconsin teenager who contracted rabies may point the way to a treatment for this horrifying disease. Ask the Experts How can Bayes' theorem assign a probability to the existence of God? How do certain hairs know to grow back when you trim them?

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Popular Science Apr 2007 The Most Advanced Jet Fighter The Marines' new ride, the F-35B, or Joint Strike Fighter, is the first stealthy, supersonic jet that can slow nearly to a stop in mid-flight and set down anywhere. The Money Hacker Neuroscientist Ted Berger sees the brain as a giant computer -- and he thinks he knows how to upgrade it. Studies Suggest Headlines Are Bad for You Red wine stops aging? Chocolate beats broccoli? Don't go on a binge until you find out what's really behind health claims The Cable Monster Know why you can make a call to England or pump cheap gas? Because this remote-control tank digs six-foot-deep trenches in the ocean floor to lay and bury thousands of miles of cable and pipeline. The Sharpest-Shooting Camera Say goodbye to blurry shots. Tomorrow's digital cameras will shoot the same scene from dozens of perspectives at once, creating a three-dimensional image that lets you choose the focus later.

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Science Mar 2, 2007 Cover In adult humans, newly born brain cells travel in the rostral migratory streams (orange bands) from the fluid-filled lateral ventricles (pink structures at top) to the olfactory bulbs, along hollow tubelike extensions of the ventricles. Was There Really an Archean Phosphate Crisis? High silica concentrations in Archean oceans may have prevented iron oxyhydroxides from depleting the oceans of nutritionally essential phosphate, as had been thought. Hurricane Intensity and Eyewall Replacement Aircraft observations of Hurricane Rita show that downward winds outside the eye wall led to its replacement by a new outer eye wall, causing cyclic strengthening of the storm.

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Science Feb 23, 2007 Cover Projectile points of the prehistoric Clovis comples of North America are characterized by their lanceolate shape, concave base, distinctive basal flute, and basal edge grinding. The large point in the middle shows the distinctive outrepasse flaking pattern (broad flakes that extend across the width of the point) often found on Clovis points and other bifaces. Electrical Activity During the 2006 Mount St. Augustine Volcanic Eruptions Lightning was produced during an eruption of Mount Augustine by direct electric charging of dust in the initial explosion and later from charging in the volcanic plume.

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Science Feb 16, 2007 Cover Tectonic fractures within the Candor Chasma region of Valles Marineris, Mars, retain a ridgelike morphology as the surrounding bedrock erodes away. Such findings offer clues about past fluid flow and geochemical conditions with the subsurface. The image is about 1 km across; illumination is from the upper left. Predation Risk Affects Reproductive Physiology and Demography of Elk Yellowstone elk have fewer offspring in years in which a predator, the wolf, is more plentiful, demonstrating an indirect cost of antipredator responses. Pattern Separation in the Dentate Gyrus and CA3 of the Hippocampus Rats code small changes in their surrounding environment by modifying neural activity in the dentate gyrus and code larger differences by activating neurons in an adjacent area.

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Science Feb 9, 2007 Cover A solar farm collects a tiny fraction of the 174,000 terawatts of energy striking Earth in the form of sunlight. In 2005, the rate of global energy consumption was about 16.3 terawatts. Sustainability and Energy Perhaps the greatest challenge in realizing a sustainable future is energy consumption. It's ultimately the basis for a large part of the global economy, and more of it will be required to raise living standards in the developing world. Today, we're mostly dependent on nonrenewable fossil fuels that have been and will continue to be a major cause of pollution and climate change. Because of these problems, and our dwindling supply of petroleum, finding sustainable alternatives is becoming increasingly urgent. Enceladus: Cosmic Graffiti Artist Caught in the Act Hubble Space Telescope observations indicate that particles emitted from Saturn's moon Enceladus collide with other satellites in the same ring, increasing their albedos.

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Popular Science Mar 2007 Workers of the World, Unite! Is that your boss across the table, or a 3-D video-conference image sent from China? Employee Lounge Offices that look like living rooms make you happier -- and more productive. Sit Back, Relax A chair that knows you. You Snooze, You Lose Bye-bye, coffee. Hello, CX717. Office Supplies Savvy staplers, disappearing wires. Business as Unusual Soon you'll use office tech developed at the most forward-thinking traditional company on Earth: Procter & Gamble. Help Wanted Your next job: thought-power engineer? The Prophet of Garbage Joseph Longo's machine eats trash, chemical weapons -- whatever. Then it spits out clean energy. Predicting Eruptions Smell gas? Look out for lava. All Sonic, No Boom New York to L.A. in two hours, quietly.

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Scientific American Mar 2007 New Predictors of Disease Predictive autoantibodies appear in the blood years before people show symptoms of various disorders. Tests that detected these molecules could warn of the need to take preventive action. Black Hole Blowback A single black hole, smaller than the solar system, can control the destiny of an entire cluster of galaxies. Mapping the Cancer Genome The Cancer Genome Atlas will help chart a new course across the complex landscape of human malignancies. A Digital Life New systems may allow people to record everything that has touched their lives and to store all these data in a personal digital archive. Down Go the Dams Many dams are being torn down these days, allowing rivers and the ecosystems they support to rebound. But ecological risks abound as well. Can they be averted? Diesels Come Clean Improved engines and exhaust scrubbers, combined with a new fuel, will make energy-efficient diesels nearly as green as hybrids. Illusory Color and the Brain The brain may not separate perception of color from perception of form and depth.

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Popular Science Feb 2007 Officer Gadget Five years ago, Sid Heal handed Los Angeles sheriffs their first Taser. Today he's turning city streets into a testing ground for stink bombs, spy drones, pain beams and other futuristic crime-fighting gear. Protect Everything High-tech innovations that you'll soon use to defend yourself from everyday threats -- from stolen credit cards to infectious hamburgers. Journey from the Center of the Earth Explorer Bill Stone builds machines that probe the planet's deepest underwater caverns. Next up: applying the same tech to worlds beyond our own. It Came from the Lab! Undead viruses, killer robots, spontaneous limb growth: When scientists are at their most daring, their work can sound like a horror movie. Fly the Friendly Seas Half powerboat, half plane, and all agility, this craft dodges waves by hydroplaning above them. The Must-See Photos of the Month The shuttle's moment in the sun; a walrus's snack.

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Scientific American Feb 2007 The Universe's Invisible Hand Dark energy does more than hurry along the expansion of the universe. It also has a stranglehold on the shape and spacing of galaxies. Tracking an Ancient Killer The case was cold -- the bones in the mass grave were 70 million years old. But critical clues pointed to the killer's identity. Methane, Plants and Climate Change The surprising discovery that living plants produce a potent greenhouse gas poses new questions for managing global warming. Making Silicon Lase Scientists have at last persuaded silicon to emit laser beams. In a few years, computers and other devices will handle light as well as electrons. Spice Healer An ingredient in curry shows promise for treating Alzheimer's, cancer and other diseases. Digital TV at Last? Analog TV broadcasting is set to end in two years, but its legacy could make the digital transition anything but smooth. Molecular Lego Small molecular building blocks that snap together rigidly enable chemists to design and manufacture nanometer-scale structures in virtually any shape.

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Science Jan 26, 2007 Cover Mouse zygotes that are developing parthenogenetically (without fertilization) with single polar body and two pronuclei. These zygotes develop into blastocysts, from which embryonic stem cells can be harvested. Such cell lines can provide a source of immunologically compatible tissues for transplantation. Zygote outer diameter, 70 to 80 micrometers. Sex-Specific UV and Fluorescence Signals in Jumping Spiders Ultraviolet light is required for courtship in some jumping spiders: Males recognize females' UV-elicited fluorescence; females recognize males by UV-reflective patches on their bodies. Sunlight, Clouds, and Dimethylsulfide Dimethylsulfide is produced in abundance by marine organisms and is a precursor for a major fraction of cloud-forming aerosols. Thus, it has been suggested that oceanic primary productivity could be part of an important feedback loop involving clouds. Vallina and Simo report that dimethylsulfide concentrations over the remote ocean are strongly correlated with the amount of solar radiation received by the upper mixed layer of the ocean. This response could produce a negative feedback in which dimethylsulfide emissions are inhibited as the increased cloudiness they cause reduces the amount of light received by the pelagic ecosystem.

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Science Jan 19, 2007 Cover A motor neuron from the spinal cord of a turtle, stained with hoseradish peroxidase. The elongated soma with an extended dendritic tree (> 1 mm) receives unexpectedly balanced input from large groups of both inhibitory and excitatory interneurons. Cellular Morphogenesis with a Twist Cellular morphogenesis is important throughout much of early development in multicellular animals. During Drosophila gastrulation, epithelial cells on the ventral side of the embryo display apical constrictions that cause the invagination of the mesoderm and formation of a ventral furrow. Brilliant Whiteness in Ultrathin Beetle Scales Although only 5 micrometers thick, the scales of a beetle appear brilliantly white because they contain a sparse, random network of cuticular filaments that efficiently scatter light.

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Science Jan 5, 2007 Cover Artist's conception of the IceCube array of photodetectors now under contruction at the South Pole. When complete, IceCube will detect neutrinos originating from collisions of cosmic rays with nitrogen and oxygen in the Northern Hemisphere; neutrinos reaching the detector must first pass through the entire planet. Particle Astrophysics Catching cosmic clues. Stalking discovery from the infinitesimal to the infinite. Quarks and the cosmos. Particle dark matter in the universe: At the brink of discovery? Neutrino astrophysics: A new tool for exploring the universe. Neutrino astrophysics experiments beneath the sea and ice. Cosmic rays: The highest-energy messengers. The very-high-energy gamma-ray sky. News Focus Indonesia taps village wisdom to fight bird flu. Puzzling out the pains in the gut. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. Reports Atom interferometer measurement of the Newtonian constant of gravity. Conductance-controlled point functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Counting low-copy number proteins in a single cell. More...

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Popular Science Jan 2007 Ph.D. TV On today's hottest shows, the stars wear lab coats instead of bathing suits. We look behind the scenes at Numb3rs to see how it gets the science right -- and why it sometimes needs to get it wrong. The Year in Science: 2007 Anti-smoking vaccines, giant atom smashers, record-setting space launches and the rest of the stories that will make this a banner year for science. Semper Fly Some forward-thinking military strategists have a new plan for getting Marines to critical mission sites faster: Rocket them above Earth's atmosphere. The Truth about Nanopollution Nanoparticles make your sunscreen work and your golf balls soar. But what do they do to your brain? 1,200 Square Feet under the Sea Standard island vacation not exotic enough for you? Soon you'll be able to sleep in a hotel that lies beneath the ocean's surface.

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Scientific American Jan 2007 A Robot in Every Home Microsoft's founding CEO predicts that robotics is on the verge of a grand awakening and that intelligent mobile devices will soon be everywhere. What Is a Planet? The controversial new official definition of "planet," which banished Pluto, has its flaws but by and large captures essential scientific principles. Is Ethanol for the Long Haul? Ethanol could displace gasoline, but it won't pay off until we find a way to distill cornstalks, not corn. The Power of Riboswitches Recently discovered RNA segments that act like on-off switches for genes may be targets for new classes of drugs. Evolved for Cancer? Some scientists hope to find new clues to help fight cancer by studying the evolutionary history of the disorder in our species. The Mississippi's Curious Origins Mountains once blocked the interior of North America from the south. Geologic sleuthing reveals how that barrier was breached, allowing the Mississippi to reach the Gulf of Mexico. Better Ways to Target Pain Improved understanding of the chemical pathway on which aspirin and Vioxx act may lead to superior analgesics. On the Cover The gleaming metallic figure appearing on the cover resembles the android robots of classic science fiction but is really a posable sculpture by the artist Mark Ho of Amsterdam. Artform No. 1 stands 43 cm high from head to toe, weighs six kg and consists of 920 separate parts, each of which Ho crafted from solid bronze or stainless steel with a lathe and a milling machine. Its 85 mobile parts give the figure human mobility; an accompanying magnetic base allows it to stand even in precariously unbalanced poses.

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Scientific American Dec 2006 The Scientific American 50 Nanotech viruses, global warming, greener cars, stem cells and innovative funding all take a bow in our fifth annual salute to the research, business and policy leaders of technology. The Red Planet's Watery Past For a billion years, liquid water may have covered much of Mars. Seeking the Neural Code How does a storm of electrical pulses in the brain translate into information? Lucy's Baby An amazing skeleton from 3.3 million years ago renews debate over the evolution of upright walking. The Ultimate White Light "Supercontinuum" laser light could drive optical data transmission to record speeds. Cancer Clues from Pet Dogs Studies of canine malignancies could improve medical care for humans and man's best friend alike. Weighty Matters Replacing the century-old standard reference for mass measurement is a heavy challenge. Set Theory If you know science, you can do this end-of-the-year puzzle standing on your head. In fact, you may have to.