Feature
- Astronomy
Gammas from Heaven
An orbiting gamma-ray observatory, set for launch next spring, will seek out the most violent events in the cosmos.
- Anthropology
Fossil Sparks
Two new fossil discoveries and an analysis of ancient teeth challenge traditional assumptions about ape and human evolution.
- Earth
The Big Dry
Parts of Australia have suffered from severe drought for more than a decade, and people, vegetation, and animals are feeling the heat.
- Tech
Virtual Worlds, Real Science
Epidemiologists and social scientists are tapping into virtual online worlds inhabited by millions to collect data with real-world uses.
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Stem Cells from Virgin Eggs
Making embryonic stem cells from unfertilized eggs might bypass many ethical concerns, but important scientific hurdles remain.
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Not Just Hitchhikers
Salmonella and other human pathogens on vegetables aren't just riding along like casual smears of dirt; they're moving in and setting up housekeeping.
- Earth
Invasive, Indeed
Some people may live lightly on the land, but the demands of the world's population as a whole consume nearly a quarter of Earth's total biological productivity.
- Tech
Disappearing Ink
Coming to your tattoo parlor soon: New inks that allow clients to have their designs cleanly erased if embarrassment or regret sets in.
- Plants
Stalking the Green Meat Eaters
Pitcher plants in a New England bog hold little ecosystems in their leaves, and also act as indicators of the bog's ecological health.
- Astronomy
Sputnik + 50
The launch of Sputnik 1, 50 years ago, ushered in a scientific and technological revolution, but dreams of the human conquest of space have faded.
- Earth
Clearly Concerning
The toxicity of a chemical that leaches from a widely used plastic receives conflicting evaluations in two new reviews.
- Physics
Electron Superhighway
The remarkable strength and electrical properties of graphene, a chicken-wire network of carbon atoms, make it a promising new material for computer chips.
