TechnologyJune 4, 2007
Gas Scanned on Silicon Chip
Chip-based spectroscopy may lead to portable chemical sensors, atomic clocks and quantum-powered information networks
Stories by JR Minkel
JR Minkel was a news reporter for Scientific American.
Mind & BrainJune 1, 2007
A Drug for Down Syndrome
EnvironmentMay 31, 2007
Orangutans Show First Walking May Have Been on Trees
Orangutans on two legs bolster the notion that humans did not have to crawl before they could walk
Mind & BrainMay 30, 2007
The New Math: Kids Can Add and Subtract without Arithmetic
Knowing how to count lets kindergartners do arithmetic before they learn its rules
Space & PhysicsMay 28, 2007
A.D. 100 Billion: Big Bang Goes Bye-Bye
Cosmic expansion may leave astronomers of the far future with no hint of the big bang that started it all
TechnologyMay 25, 2007
Brighter Prospects for Cheap Lasers in Rainbow Colors
Red bar-code and DVD lasers may get multicolored company thanks to new ultramicroscopic crystals
EnvironmentMay 24, 2007
Marijuana-Like Chemicals Guide Fetal Brain Cells
Molecules may help young brain cells forge the right connections—but only at the right time and place
EnvironmentMay 23, 2007
How Fins Became Fingers
Fins of living fossil fish governed by same genetic program as human limbs
May 21, 2007
DNA Computer Works in Human Cells
Simple biological computer may someday perform complex diagnoses of cancer and other diseases from inside individual cells
The SciencesMay 18, 2007
Ten Years Later, AIDS Vaccine Search Continues
Science gets closer, but a fully effective vaccine remains elusive
The SciencesMay 17, 2007
New RNA Muddies Gene Definition
Mysterious RNA may control gene activity in unnoticed ways
TechnologyMay 16, 2007
Spintronics Breaks the Silicon Barrier
First breakthrough in applying spin-based electronics to silicon
Space & PhysicsMay 15, 2007
Dark Matter Halo May Mark Ancient Galactic Collision
Astronomers see no visible matter in a new dark matter ring
EvolutionMay 14, 2007
How Alexander the Great Laid Waste to an Island Fortress
Shallow water may have given him a solid foundation to build a road
Space & PhysicsMay 11, 2007
When Milky Way and Andromeda Collide, Earth Could Find Itself Far From Home
Galactic "Brangelina" combo could knock our solar system out of the Milky Way
EnvironmentMay 10, 2007
Bat's Wing Strokes Unlike a Bird's
Fog and lasers reveal the wind beneath a bat's wings
Space & PhysicsMay 9, 2007
A Tale of Two Exoplanets: One Incredibly Hot, the Other Extremely Windy
New studies of two exoplanets find that one keeps its hot side excruciatingly hot and the other may be stirred by 5,000 mph winds
The SciencesMay 7, 2007
New Recipe for Powerful Stem Cells Promises Greater Insight
Elusive embryonic cells that form blood vessels have now been grown in large numbers
The SciencesMay 4, 2007
Envision This: Mathematicians Design Invisible Tunnel
Electromagnetic "wormhole" results from turning invisible sphere inside out
HealthMay 3, 2007
Risks and Benefits Collide in Expanded Suicide Warning for Antidepressants
FDA extends warning to young adults but emphasizes benefits of drugs
The SciencesMay 2, 2007
Superheavy Element "Ununbium" Has Ordinary Chemistry
Element 112 shows signs of chemical reactivity, hinting at the behavior of yet undiscovered elements
The SciencesMay 1, 2007
Can Molecules Hang Glide on Gravity?
Proposed effect, to slow the fall of a rapidly vibrating molecule, faces skepticism
The SciencesApril 26, 2007
Magnet Trouble Likely to Complicate Start of Large Hadron Collider
Repairs may preclude a test run before the particle smasher starts tackling the Higgs boson
The SciencesApril 25, 2007
Mathematics Points the Way to a Perfect Head of Beer
Simple formula may lead to a host of improved materials—and the perfect pour