A Chinese Homo sapiens skull, estimated in a controversial new study to be at least 68,000 years old and probably more than 100,000 years old, may challenge the theory that modern humans originated solely in Africa. (p. 387)

A pocket of cold, concentrated saltwater at the bottom of an Antarctic lake could harbor life, say researchers who found microbes in the ice right above the briny layer. (p. 387)

The 200,000 virtually blind army ants using a single trail to swarm out to a raid and return home with the booty naturally develop three traffic lanes, and a study now shows that simple individual behavior makes the pattern. (p. 388)

In a step toward a cheaper, easier way to connect computer chips to computers, scientists have patterned semiconductors with a film of extremely small gold particles. (p. 388)

Two research groups have taken unprecedented, high-resolution images of nerve cells inside the brains of live mice—and come to seemingly contradictory views. (p. 389)

Improvements in vessel sanitation have apparently contributed to a gradual decline in diarrheal infections on cruise ships, but standard cleaning practices don't reliably wipe out the viruses that are behind a recent rash of outbreaks. (p. 389)

The most detailed snapshots so far of the infant universe confirm that the cosmos consists mostly of mystery material, called dark energy, that accelerates the universe's expansion. (p. 390)

Several mathematics-rich stage productions of the last few years have not only captivated mathematicians but also attracted diverse and enthusiastic audiences. (p. 392)

While museum displays such as simulations of warped space-time acquaint visitors with the ideas behind Albert Einstein's scientific discoveries, other galleries of artifacts, letters, and even film footage reveal the multifaceted man that Einstein was. (p. 394)

A futuristic play of cryogenic proportions. (p. 397)

A 55-million-year-old primate skeleton found in Wyoming indicates that the common ancestor of modern monkeys, apes, and people was built primarily for hanging tightly onto tree branches. (p. 399)

A new vaccine for genital herpes protects some women but not men. (p. 399)

Matter and antimatter look reassuringly alike in physicists' first investigations of energy levels of antihydrogen atoms. (p. 399)

To the surprise of researchers, blood measures of oxygen-rich hemoglobin in Ethiopian villagers living more than 2 miles above sea level are the same as those of lowland dwellers. (p. 399)

Scientists analyzing images of the moon's surface taken from lunar orbit believe they've identified the crater that formed when a small asteroid slammed into the moon almost 5 decades ago. (p. 400)

Studies of the contrails generated by jets flying high over Alaska may lead to improved techniques for predicting the formation of the artificial clouds, which some scientists suggest have a warming effect on Earth's climate. (p. 400)

Scientists now think they know what accelerated the rapid disintegration of most of Antarctica's Larsen B ice shelf early this year after a strong summer storm pummeled the region. (p. 400)

A review of important scientific achievements reported in Science News during the year 2002. (p. 402)

Satellite observations of the Arctic Ocean show that the amount of sea ice there this year was the lowest it's been in more than 20 years. (p. 400)