Scientific American Magazine

A prominent Soviet scientist traces the reasons underlying the current surge in superstitions, cults and antitechnological protests in his country

Violent encounters between galaxies appear surprisingly common. Computer models and observations indicate that these cosmic collisions may form elliptical galaxies and activate quasars

Although this specialized DNA cap at each end of the chromosome carries no genes, it is still valuable. Recent evidence indicates that chromosomes need their telomeres to survive

How and why 25 billion bits of data produced in a second by the world's largest collider are translated into images of elementary particles

Sophisticated descendants of the canary in the coal mine are based on molecular components of plants and animals bound to microscopic electrodes or optical fibers

The females of these insects are voracious predators, each year capturing many bees to feed to their young. The males are highly aggressive and fight among themselves for access to females

Biological evolution may have been shaped by more than just natural selection. Computer models suggest that certain complex systems tend toward self-organization

How do very similar genes produce very different cells? It depends on which genes are activated and when. The elaborate chemical messages that control differentiation are now being deciphered.