Feature

  1. Silence of the Xs

    Does junk DNA help women muffle one X chromosome?

    By John Travis
  2. Agriculture

    Detoxifying Desert’s Manna

    Farmers need no longer fear the sweet pea's dryland cousin.

    By Janet Raloff
  3. Humans

    When Biologists Get Bombed

    Or shot at by soldiers. This isn't textbook conservation science.

    By Susan Milius
  4. Tech

    The Little Engines That Couldn’t

    Tired of grinding their gears, micromachine researchers turn to surface science.

    By Peter Weiss

  5. Pass the Genes, Please

    Gene swapping muddles the history of microbes.

    By John Travis
  6. Earth

    The Motion in the Ocean

    Scientists dive deep to learn how the sea circulates.

    By Kathryn Brown
  7. Earth

    An Ounce of Prevention

    Fresh approaches may cut back greenhouse-gas emissions.

    By Sid Perkins
  8. Planetary Science

    Forgotten Planet

    Mercury: The solar system's inner frontier.

    By Ron Cowen
  9. Health & Medicine

    Sobering Work

    Unraveling alcohol's effects on the developing brain.

    By Damaris Christensen
  10. Earth

    The Case for DDT

    What do you do when a dreaded environmental pollutant saves lives?

    By Janet Raloff

  11. Raising Trust

    Some forager groups may nurture a sharing sense in their offspring.

    By Bruce Bower
  12. Animals

    Cicada Subtleties

    What part of 10,000 cicadas screeching don't you understand?

    By Susan Milius