The Architecture of Life
A universal set of building rules seems to guide the design of organic structures -- from simple carbon compounds to complex cells and tissues
Volume 278, Issue 1
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Features
Burial of Radioactive Waste under the Seabed
Although the notion troubles some environmentalists, the disposing of nuclear refuse within oceanic sediments merits consideration
Bacterial Gene Swapping in Nature
Genes travel between independent bacteria more often than once was assumed. Study ofthat process can help limit the risks of releasing genetically engineered microbes into the environment
The Ulysses Mission
The first space probe to be sent on a polar trajectory has made some remarkable discoveries on its first orbit around the sun
Lise Meitner and the Discovery of Nuclear Fission
One of the discoverers of fission in 1938, Meitner was at the time overlooked by the Nobel judges. Racial persecution, fear and opportunism combined to obscure her contributions
Picosecond Ultrasonics
Brief pulses of high-frequency sound allow experimenters to probe connections inside a computer chip
The Placebo Effect
Colds, asthma, high blood pressure and heart disease are among the many conditions that can respond to treatment with a placebo.
Leonardo and the Invention of the Wheellock
Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks are full of inventions, from intricate gun parts to bicycles to automobiles. But were any of Leonardo's many creations actually made during his lifetime?