Feature

Chemistry

The End of Good Science?

Some chemists are sharing their research results more quickly and broadly as they begin to venture into electronic archives, where they can immediately post new, unreviewed papers, as physicists have done for a decade; others think such archives could mean the end of reliable chemistry research.

Health & Medicine

Medicinal Mimicry

While researchers tease out the mechanisms behind the ability of inert pills and sham procedures to trigger health benefits, the ethics of using such placebos in medical research trials is coming under increasing scrutiny.

Anthropology

Rumble in the Jungle

A new book raises troubling and controversial issues regarding research on a famous South American Indian population.

Earth

Pinning Down the Sun-Climate Connection

Many scientists propose that changes in the sun's magnetic field and radiation output during its 11-year sunspot cycle also affect the atmosphere, changing Earth's climate by steering weather systems and influencing the amount of cloud cover.

Physics

Magnetic Whispers

Promising new ways to magnetically probe tissues and substances are emerging now that a small research group has proved their once-ridiculed claim of a flaw in the 50-year-old theory behind magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and similar analytic techniques.

Health & Medicine

Mending a Broken Heart

Transplants of skeletal-muscle cells may help heal hearts damaged by illness or previous heart attacks.

Planetary Science

Stormy Weather

The 11-year cycle of solar storms has begun to peak, already affecting several Earth satellites and disturbing electric power systems on the ground, and scientists expect 2 more years of this solar maximum turmoil.

Tech

Beyond Imaging

No longer just a diagnostic tool, ultrasound tackles surgery.

Earth

Macho Waters

Some river pollution spawns body-altering steroids.

Physics

Celebrating the laser

An introduction to the special section on lasers.