Stories by W. Wayt Gibbs

A "spooky" optical phenomenon may yield brighter laptops and faster microchips

Turning off a single gene protects mice against obesity and type II diabetes

Undeterred by failure, SETI researchers plan to build a telescope of their own

A long race to create faster memory chips that never lose data yields prototypes at last

New sensors detect sound using light and heat

Promising new drugs bring reinforcements to the battle against hepatitis epidemics

Saving the sick by flooding their lungs

Faster, cheaper ways to restore polluted ground are largely shunned

In the heart of a new machine lies the flakiness of nature

Richard Borcherds proved it—and discovered spooky connections between the smallest objects imagined by physics and one of the most complex objects known to mathematics

Upending a long-held theory, a study finds that humans can grow new brain neurons throughout life--even into old age

Caught on camera, the fireball that streaked across Arctic skies last December appeared to move too fast for anything from this solar system. A month long expedition on this island of ice hunted for remains--and answers

Cheap, light weight, low-power electronic displays have been made in the lab

Vaccines that prod the body to cure itself are finally being readied for market

Renowned scientists contemplate the evidence for God

The weight of neutrinos offers clues to stars, galaxies and the fate of the universe

Industry secrets exposed by Stanton A. Glantz helped to put tobacco companies on the run. Show them no mercy, he urges

Researchers warn that continued debate over the 2000 census.

Tamoxifen cuts the risk of breast cancer, but a newer drug may be better yet

"A microsensor tongue could detect spoiled foods at the checkout register"