Gumshoes equipped with a novel device for magnifying magnetic fields may spy clues on damaged, erased, or deliberately corrupted audio tapes and other magnetic media. (p. 20)

Up to a quarter of the structures within 500 feet of America's coastlines may be lost to erosion in the next 60 years, according to a report issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency last week. (p. 20)

A measles vaccine consisting of just a couple of DNA strands proves effective in monkeys, possibly presenting an alternative or complementary vaccine for the standard immunization now used worldwide. (p. 21)

A new DNA study supports the theory that Neandertals didn't contribute to the evolution of modern humans. (p. 21)

Scientists have for the first time identified a chemical that serves as a butterfly anti-aphrodisiac. (p. 22)

Researchers using a new technique have found that previous measurements of phosphate, an important nutrient in lake ecosystems, have grossly overestimated its concentration. (p. 22)

Oxytocin, a hormone previously implicated in mammalian sexual and maternal behavior, may play a role in social recognition in mice. (p. 23)

Tailoring a diet to fuel the brain with the precursor of a mood-enhancing chemical may help vulnerable individuals cope with stress. (p. 23)

Mercury: The solar system's inner frontier. (p. 24)

Unraveling alcohol's effects on the developing brain. (p. 28)

Swiss astronomers have found indirect evidence of six additional planets that lie outside the solar system, bringing the tally to more than 40. (p. 27)

As planned, NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, which had detected some of the highest-energy radiation in the universe for 9 years, crashed into the Pacific Ocean on June 4. (p. 27)

An unusual trove of evidence in a criminal case supports the accuracy of recall of childhood sexual abuse. (p. 27)

Successful problem solving depends on a brain that efficiently lessens its workload rather than laboring harder. (p. 27)

Researchers have found nests of a social insect with helpers that are neither close kin nor slaves. (p. 31)

A horned weevil can't pick a real fight with a male too big for him because the bigger one can't get a good grip. (p. 31)

A close look at fossils raises the possibility that a type of trilobite farmed bacteria. (p. 31)

Women with polycystic ovaries—commonly linked to infertility—are more likely than women without the disease to show early signs of heart disease. (p. 31)

Men whose wives are about to give birth show hormonal fluctuations that may predispose them to better parenting behavior. (p. 31)