Why and How Bacteria Communicate

Bacteria converse with one another and with plants and animals by emitting and reacting to chemical signals. The need to "talk" may help explain why the microbes synthesize a vast array of compounds

The Lesser Known Edison

In addition to his famous inventions, Thomas Edison's fertile imagination gave the world a host of little known technologies, from talking dolls to poured-concrete houses

The Ghostliest Galaxies

Astronomers have found more than 1,000 "low-surface-brightness" galaxies over the past decade, significantly altering our views of how galaxies evolve and how mass is distributed in the universe

The Challenge of Large Numbers

As computer capabilities increase, mathematicians can better characterize and manipulate gargantuan figures. Even so, some numbers can only be imagined

Trends in Animal Research

Increased concern for animals, among scientists as well as the public, is changing the ways in which animals are used for research and safety testing

BEATING BACTERIA

New ways to fend off antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Satellite Radar Interferometry

From hundreds of kilometers away in space, orbiting instruments can detect subtle buckling of the earth's crust

Animal Research Is Wasteful and Misleading