Nuclear Power in Space
The best course for space-borne reactors? Ban them from Earth orbit and use them in deep space, the authors say
Features
The Quasar 3C 273
It is one of the most luminous objects in the known universe and the nucleus of an active galaxy. As astronomers scrutinize the spectrum of radiation from 3C 273, they are learning what makes quasars shine...
Streptococcal M Protein
The bacteria that cause strep throat and rheumatic fever depend on this cell-surface molecule to evade the body's defenses. The key to the protein's power is its remarkable structure
Polar Stratospheric Clouds and Ozone Depletion
Clouds rarely form in the dry, Antarctic stratosphere, but when they do, they chemically conspire with chlorofluorocarbons to create the "ozone hole" that opens up every spring
Early Bow Design and Construction
The most effective tool of hunter and warrior for millennia, early bows display a variety of modifications that reflect the functional requirements of their users
Laser Surgery
Precise, powerful and at times subtle in their effects, lasers are increasingly important medical tools. These knives of light can be used to treat individual cells as well as whole organs...
Arthur Stanley Eddington
He led an astronomical expedition to test Einstein's theory of general relativity, expounded the idea of an expanding universe and inferred the internal structure of the stars
Peering Inward
New technologies enable geophysicists to discern the structures hidden deep within the earth. Their findings even offer a glimpse into the future of the planet.
Departments
50 and 100 Years Ago: June 1991
Science? Nyet
Do Screwy Images Solve a Superconductor Mystery?
Homeobox Harvest
From the Ashes
Of Two Minds about Privacy
There's the Rub
Double Vision
Second Guessing
Questioning the "It from Bit"
Flat Horizons
Lighten Up
Reading Books Byte by Byte
Starting from Scratch
Clot Spotter
Selling Cells
- Letters
Letters to the Editors, June 1991
- Recommended
Book Reviews, June 1991
- Mathematical Recreation
A Swift Trip over Rugged Terrain
- Departments
Sorting Out Chaos on Wall Street
Essay: The State of Soviet Science
