Six Months on Mir
As the Shuttle-Mir program draws to a close, a veteran NASA astronaut reflects on her mission on board the Russian spacecraft and the implications for the International Space Station
Volume 278, Issue 5
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Features
How Cicadas Make their Noise
The loudest known insects, male cicadas are designed for sound. Their internal instrument is surprisingly complex
The Genetics of Cognitive Abilities and Disabilities
Investigations of specific cognitive skills can help clarify how genes shape the components of intellect
Television's Bright New Technology
The plasma display panel is finally making good on a decades-old promise: a big, bright screen so thin it can be hung on a wall. But mainstream success requires that engineers find a way to get prices down from the current $11,000
Digital Television: Here at Last
After a long and contentious process, a digital standard in the U.S. has finally emerged. It will soon replace today's antiquated television system
Japanese Temple Geometry
During Japan's period of national seclusion (1639--1854), native mathematics thrived, as evidenced in sangaku- wooden tablets engraved with geometry problems hung under the roofs of shrines and temples
A Calculus of Risk
Financial engineering can lessen exposure to the perils of running a multibillion-dollar business or a small household. But mathematical models used by this discipline may present a new set of hazards