Scientific American Magazine

The decision has been made to begin the construction in France of a 1,200-megawatt breeder-reactor power station. The joint European project will be the prototype of future nuclear plants

The solar wind is the sun's outer atmosphere expanding into space. Variations in its speed are interpreted as velocity waves that evolve with distance, much as ocean waves steepen as they approach a beach

Morphine and its derivatives seem to exert their effects by binding to specific receptor sites on cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Morphinelike substances within the body may also act at those sites

Only a few bacteria and simple algae have the cellular equipment needed to "fix" the nitrogen of the atmosphere into ammonia. They are the major suppliers of this limited agricultural resource

The voice organ is an instrument consisting of a power supply (the lungs), an oscillator (the vocal folds) and a resonator (the larynx, pharynx and mouth), Singers adjust the resonator in special ways

Did most of the continental crust emerge early in the earth's history, or was much of it added later by tectonic processes? Recent advances in the dating of ancient rocks lend strong support to the latter view

These marine species light up the water with a large organ under each eye containing living luminous bacteria. They use the light to see by, to communicate, to lure prey and to confuse predators

Archaeological excavations in Belize in Central America have pushed back the origins of the Maya to 2500 B.C. The buildings and pottery uncovered clearly foreshadow the splendor of the Classic Maya period