Scientific American Magazine

Verification issues should not obstruct an agreement that achieves major reductions in strategic arms. An effective verification regime should deter militarily significant acts of noncompliance

Molten iron flows through the outer core, creating conditions that generate the earth's magnetic field. Maps of magnetic activity at the core surface link fluid flow to the evolution of the field

As the brain develops, existing synapses between nerve cells are refined and new connections are made. The changes are not automatic; they depend in part on the young neurons generating impulses

The earliest schemes for capturing color images were elaborate and unwieldy—but ingenious nonetheless

Small aggregates of atoms constitute a distinct phase of matter. Their chemistry, at once highly reactive and selective, has possible applications in catalysis, optics and electronics

Diet has a major influence on the social and sexual behavior of these tropical birds. It explains why some species are monogamous and why others are highly promiscuous

In the absence of fully autonomous robots, machines operated by a person at a distance can carry out tasks in remote or hostile environments

The icons of this ancient Mediterranean cult can be deciphered only in terms of a worldview that placed the powers controlling human destiny not on the earth but in the stars