Feature
- Ecosystems
Valuing Nature
With help from ecotourism-oriented commerce, the threatened birds of Uganda's Mabira Forest Reserve might just save themselves and set an example for conservationists elsewhere.
By Ben Harder - Chemistry
A Skunk Walks into a Bar . . .
Research into the chemistry behind unpleasant beer flavors may someday lead to a more flavor-stable brew.
- Planetary Science
Mars or Bust!
Scientists are working to overcome the biomedical challenges that would hinder a human voyage to Mars.
By Katie Greene - Health & Medicine
Staring into the Dark
Amid a growing array of medications for treating insomnia, sleep researchers point to large gaps in their knowledge about which of these medicines work best and for how long they remain effective.
By Ben Harder - Humans
Katrina’s Fallout
Scientists whose laboratories were devastated by Hurricane Katrina have found help, and sometimes safe havens for their studies, from colleagues around the nation.
By Janet Raloff - Planetary Science
Groovy Science
The Cassini spacecraft is shedding new light on Saturn's icy rings.
By Ron Cowen - Physics
That’s the Way the Spaghetti Crumbles
Investigating how uncooked spaghetti breaks has uncovered new mechanisms behind shattering and energy concentration, with possible implications for how structures fail.
By Peter Weiss - Earth
Runaway Heat?
A variety of changes in the Arctic is making the region darker and accelerating its warming climate.
By Sid Perkins -
Questions on the Couch
A new policy statement on evidence-based practice from the American Psychological Association illustrates the intense struggle among researchers and clinicians over how best to study the effectiveness of psychotherapy in its many forms.
By Bruce Bower - Math
Pushing the Limit
Scientists are moving closer to constructing superefficient, noisefree data-transmission codes.
- Tech
Ghost Town Busters
Facing the threat of a radioactive mess from a dirty bomb, government and industry labs are creating novel cleaning agents and fixatives to aid rescue operations and speed restoration of contaminated zones.
By Peter Weiss - Chemistry
Making a Little Progress
Scientists are using nanotechnology to develop new strategies for diagnosing and treating cancer.