Scientific American Magazine

A case study of one aspect of the celebrated controversy that still troubles Soviet science: the dispute between Lysenkoites and others over the practical problem of curing virus diseases of the potato

Its function has been poorly understood, largely because the gland atrophies after childhood. Now it appears that the thymus founds a line of cells that is responsible for the production of antibody

The stars in this familiar cluster move majestically about like bees in a swarm. These motions are a clue to how the stars came to be formed out of interstellar gas some 60 million years ago

Modern acoustics is making it possible to account for the exquisite performance of the violins made by the Italian masters. The result promise a further evolution in the instruments of the violin family

Although molecular rings are quite familiar, it has only recently been demonstrated that two such rings can be linked. It may even be possible to synthesize molecules in the form of knotted rings

Pictures made by slow neutrons disclose many things that cannot easily be seen in pictures made by X rays. New detection methods are making it attractive to use neutrons as an inspection tool

One pigment records images in black and white when the light level other pigments distinguish is raised. The blue-sensitive is low; two the level between green and pigment is yet to red when be found

Maternal care has long been known to influence the emotional development of infants. New studies with rhesus monkeys suggest that peer relations may play an even more decisive role