Scientific American Magazine

Research under the Plowshare program, seeks constructive use for nuclear detonations. Underground explosions may be used for power production and mining; surface explosions may excavate harbors

What makes the unspecialized cells of an embryo differentiate to specialized cells? One view is that the products of the chemical activity of the organism are fed back to control its development

It is a quantum-mechanical device which amplifies very short radio waves with extraordinary fidelity. The basic element of the early masers was gaseous ammonia; the latest models make use of crystals

Beneath the varying behavior which animals learn lie unvarying motor patterns which they inherit. These behavior traits are as much a characteristic of a species as bodily structure and form

The giant nerve fibers of this common invertebrate are as much as a millimeter in diameter. Their large size has made possible important investigations into the physiology of nerve impulses

Although its speed has sometimes been exaggerated, it is still an impressive biological performance. It appears, for example, that the monarch butterfly can fly nonstop across the Atlantic

This state of collapse brought on by severe injuries can cause death in a few hours. Extensive research has begun to clarify its physiology and has developed a simple emergency treatment