Galaxies behind the Milky Way

Over a fifth of the universe is hidden from view, blocked by dust and stars in the disk of our galaxy. But over the past few years,

Designer Estrogens

These compounds--also called SERMs-- have evolved from mere laboratory curiosities into drugs that hold promise for preventing several major disorders in women

Secrets of the Slime Hag

Loathsome though they may seem, hagfishes may also resemble the earliest animals to have a braincase--making them even older than the first animals to develop a backbone

The Asymmetry between Matter and Antimatter

In 1999 new accelerators will start searching for violations in a fundamental symmetry of nature, throwing open a window to physics beyond the known

The Artistry of Microorganisms

Colonies of bacteria or amoebas form complex patterns that blur the boundary between life and nonlife

Simon Newcomb: Astronomer with an Attitude

The most celebrated American astronomer of the late 19th century advocated broad social and cultural reforms based on the use of scientific method

Computer Security and the Internet

How Hackers Break In. . . and how they are Caught

Port scanners, core dumps and buffer overflows are but a few of the many weapons in every sophisticated hacker's arsenal. Still, no hacker is invincible

Firewalls

Three types of safeguards offer a formidable defense against Internet intruders

Digital Certificates

The Java Sandbox

Cryptography for the Internet

E-mail and other information sent electronically are like digital postcards--they afford little privacy. Well-designed cryptography systems can ensure the secrecy of such transmissions

The Case against Regulating Encryption Technology

One of the pioneers of computer security says the U.S. government should keep its hands off cryptography