Origins of Western Environmentalism
Strategies to preserve nature arose as newly colonialized tropical lands were exploited in the 17th and 18th centuries. Scientists played an important role in this burgeoning concern
Features
Building Molecular Crystals
By investigating how molecules assemble to form crystals, researchers hope to synthesize materials with novel electronic, magnetic or optical properties
G Proteins
Tucked into the internal surface of the cell's outer membrane, these versatile molecules coordinate cellular responses to a multitude of signals that impinge from without
Genetic Algorithms
Computer programs that "evolve" in ways that resemble natural selection can solve complex problems even their creators do not fully understand
Breath Tests in Medicine
Since antiquity, it has been known that the breath contains clues to many diseases. Researchers are developing a new generation of breath tests as an alternative to invasive diagnostic procedures
Reproductive Strategies of Frogs
The familiar progression from egg to tadpole is only one of many methods. Others include egg to froglet, egg brooding, and tadpoles in the mother's stomach
The Last Stone Ax Makers
A chance encounter with a people living in New Guinea's highlands has given archaeologists a priceless opportunity to model prehistoric technology
Quantum Philosophy
New Experiments-real and imagined - are probing ever more deeply into the surreal quantum realm
Departments
- Letters
Letters to the Editors, July 1992
- Recommended
Book Review, July 1992
- 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago
50 and 100 Years Ago: July 1992
- Profile
COBE's Cosmic Cartographer
- Amateur Scientist
Survival of the Fittest Bits
- Science and the Citizen
The Golden Age of Cosmology
Galling the Bears
Compulsive Canines
DNA Fingerprinting Reconsidered (Again)
Mother's Little Favorite
Colliding Physicists
Sound System
Defining Dyslexia
Rapid Recall
- Departments
Doubling up on Payoffs for Schooling
Women and the Discourse of Science
- Technology and Business
Piecemeal Patents
U.S. Semiconductor Toolmakers Regain Ground
One Fish, Two Fish
Sensible Biology
Metastatic Machinations
Fickle Fluids
Machine Vision