Postcards from the Red Planet

Following a successful landing on July 4, the Mars Pathfinder and its rover began exploring their surroundings. Visit our gallery of photos from Mars.

Male flies help females to bank sperm

A protein found in the seminal fluid of male fruit flies is crucial to the female fly's ability to store sperm for later use.

Structure puts cubane in a slanted box

Near its melting point, the crystal structure of the molecule cubane looks unlike other solids of its type.

High blood pressure can shrink the brain

Chronic high blood pressure shrinks brain tissue, hurting memory and language capabilities in senior citizens.

Brains show signs of two bilingual roads

People who learn two languages as children appear to rely on a common part of the brain for both, whereas a separate patch of brain facilitates the use of a second language learned in adulthood.

Thieving bacteria use hot goods in hideout

A lyme disease-causing bacterium steals an enzyme from its mammalian host and uses it to travel within an insect.

Research Notes:

Astronomy

Waltzing past Mathilde

Late last month, the NEAR spacecraft took some 500 snapshots of an asteroid called 431 Mathilde.

Hidden companion

Earth is locked in a gravitational dance with an asteroid that circles the sun.

Biology

Insect shield fails to deflect virus

At least one virus has developed a way to circumvent an intestinal coating similar to human mucin that insects use to protect themselves from infection.

Corporate divorce reveals genetic secrets

Dissolution of the relationship between the Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and Human Genome Sciences, Inc., has allowed TIGR to release DNA sequence data for several microbes.

Science and Society

Patents, copyrights a bargain -- for now

Because patent and copyright charges do not recover the cost of processing applications, Congress recommends raising fees.

Elementary science and math

Asian elementary-school children outperform the rest of the world in science and math.

Finding better homes for captive orangs

Segregation of once-captive orangutans may prove healthier than reintegration into wild populations.

Seen any deformed frogs?

The federal government has set up a website to accept reports from anyone who spots amphibians exhibiting malformations.

Articles:

The Bitter Truth

Do some people inherit a distaste for broccoli?

Supertasters shun certain foods containing bitter-tasting compounds, some of which may ward off cancer.

Humanity's Imprecision Vision

A volatile world may have forged minds that make a virtue of uncertainty

Repeated environmental changes over the past 5 million years may have sparked the evolution of human brains tailored to dealing with uncertain conditions.

Departments:

Our Weekly Listing of New Publications

Letters:

A Selection from Letters to the Editor

Further Readings People to Contact