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Flame Out
January 16, 1999 | Volume 155 | Number 3
Cover: One way to fight conflagrations such as this is to make objects out
of materials that don't burn. Researchers are now developing fire-resisitant
plastics for use in airplane cabins and other environments where fire safety
is paramount.
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New AIDS Vaccine Stimulates Hope
A vaccine that generates HIV-neutralizing antibodies in mice offers a hint of what such a human AIDS vaccine might look like.
Fossil ancestor pursued varied tastes
A new dental analysis suggests that a 3-million-year-old member of the human evolutionary family ate a more varied diet, including a substantial amount of meat, than has often been assumed.
Gene injections stem clotting disorder
Successful gene therapy treatment of hemophiliac dogs may lead to human trials by the end of the year.
Diagnosing the Internet's ills
Researchers are developing software for tracking data traffic, mapping usage patterns, and depicting the Internet's global structure.
Insulin-resistance gene defect identified
A study in rats found that a defect in the Cd36 gene leads to insulin resistance, reducing the hormone's efficiency in processing sugars.
Getting under a dinosaur's skin
New discoveries of fossilized skin are giving paleontologists a feel for what dinosaurs looked like.
Tiny galaxies have hearts of darkness
Small ghost galaxies, devoid of stars but harboring dense clumps of invisible matter, may outnumber the entire population of luminous galaxies in the universe.
Puddle that spins together stays together
Pools of electrons with matching spins journey surprisingly far in a semiconductor, boosting prospects for semiconductor "spintronics."
New polymer soaks up more cholesterol
A cholesterol-adsorbing polymer is being studied as a potential cholesterol-lowering drug.
Behavior
Follow the rules, baby
By 7 months of age, babies show the ability to recognize abstract rules for arranging speech sounds.
Youth violence defies predictions
Youth violence rates in the United States have declined over the past several years.
Biology
More cloning news closed out 1998
Successful attempts to clone a cow and an aborted attempt to clone a human kept this new reproductive method a hot topic.
Mutant flies can't get no satisfaction
A newly discovered fruit-fly gene regulates both male and female sexual behavior in the insects.
Close call takes toll on rare clover
A California clover provides a tidy case study of the genetic havoc caused by a close brush with extinction.
One era's cactus boom is another's bust
Combining data obtained by three generations of botanists reveals that what one short-lived human sees as boom or bust in the saguaro cactus may be just a small part of a long-term cycle.
Earth Science
Streaming toward a wetter United States
The amount of water flowing through U.S. streams has increased this century.
Heat and humidity getting worse
Sweltering days are growing more common in the United States.
Materials Science
Disorderly crystals emit laser light
A semiconductor crystal doesn't have to be perfect in order to give off laser light.
Carbon tubes pumped up with hydrogen
A new technique fills tiny tubes of carbon with more hydrogen than previously achieved.
A Fireproof Future?
Plastics that don't burn could stop a fire in its tracks
The Federal Aviation Administration is working toward a long-term goal of developing a fire-resistant airplane cabin.
Singing Stairs
Does an echo at a Mayan temple pay homage to a sacred bird?
The ancient Maya may have intentionally built a bird-like echo into a temple to honor the sacred quetzal bird.
Letters: A Selection from Letters to the Editor
