ByColinBarrasEngineerstryingtomaintaintheexponentialgrowthinthepowerofelectronicshavetwopreoccupations:makingcomponentssmallerandmakingthemproducelesswasteheat.Thecreationofaone-molecule-widewiret
IT’SnotjustIceland’seconomythatisvolatile.TheEyjafjallajökullvolcanospewedlavalastweek–andinthepast
ByColinBarrasInnovationisourregularcolumnthathighlightsemergingtechnologicalideasandwheretheymayleadGamersinsearchofamorethrillingexperiencelooksettogetitthankstointerfacesthatletthemusewhatareprobabl
ByPaulMarksFromatechnicalperspective
ByDeboraMacKenzieASTHEdustsettlesfromtheswineflupandemic
ByWendyZukermanOnehundredmillionyearsago
ByEugenieSamuelReichinPortland(Image:Hermitage
NOTonlydidCharlesBabbagelaythefoundationsforthecomputerrevolution
ByMacGregorCampbellEventhemostclapped-outjalopycouldgetagreenupgradethankstoaprocessthatcanturnplantsintosyntheticrubberfortyres–usually
ByAndyCoghlanISITmoremorallyacceptabletokillsomeoneaccidentally
ByPaulMarks(Image:SurreySpaceCentre)ThefirstspacecraftdesignedtodoawaywithitselfwasunveiledonFriday.ItwilltryoutanideathatcouldstopspacegettingcloggedupwithjunkorbitingtheEarth.Thedebrisofabandone
ByAnilAnanthaswamyIFSOMEofthespectacularcalvingoficeshelvesinAntarcticaisdowntoglobalwarming
ByJacobAronA$1millionprizehasbeenawardedtoamathematicianforworkthatcouldonedayunlockthesecretsofprimenumbers.TheKingofNorwaywillofficiallypresenttheprestigiousAbelprizeinMaytoJohnTate
BARownerswhowaterdowntheirbeerorwinecouldbecaughtoutbyabriefcase-sizedtestingkit.Thenewdevicecontainsaspectrometerwhichmeasuresalcoholcontentbypassinginfraredradiationthroughasample
THEUSnavyapproveddesignslastweekforashipboardlaserthatithopeswillfocusa100-kilowattbeamthroughtheoceanmist.Thesystemwillbebasedonthefree-electronlaser
ByMacGregorCampbell“THElegwasn’tbouncingalloverthetable
ByMichaelMarshallZoologgerisourweeklycolumnhighlightingextraordinaryanimals–andoccasionallyotherorganisms–fromaroundtheworld.Species:MyotismyotisHabitat:EuropeandAsiaMinor
GREGORYHOUSEwouldneverletalittlethinglikemedicalethicsstandinthewayofcuringapatient.ButhowbadarethebioethicallapsesandunprofessionalbehaviouronmedicaldramassuchasHouseM.D.andGrey’sAnatomy?MatthewC
ByDavidShiga(Image:KathyBenison)LifenotonlysurvivesbutthrivesinAustralianlakeswhereconditionsmaybeasharshasthoseonancientMars
ByNicFlemingFish-loversmaysoonbeabletobuyguilt-freefarmedseafood
ByAriaPearsonJunkfoodmayseemlikeanaddictivedrugbecauseitis.Inrats
ByRowanHooperITISeasytothinkofinsects
ByNicFleming“Legalhighkillstwoteens
ByJimGilesinAsilomar
EVENbreathingcanbedangerousthesedays.Airpollutionisknockinguptonineyearsoffthelivesofpeoplewholiveinpollutionhotspotsorhavearespiratoryillness.SosaysareportbytheUKHouseofCommons’EnvironmentalAuditComm
ByAndyCoghlan(Image:JuanCarlosMunoz/NaturePL.com)China’s1600wildpandascouldsufferfurtherlossesthankstolegislationthatwouldallowasmuchas15percentoftheirhabitattobesoldoffforcommercialuses.That’sthew
ByHalHodson(Image:YuyaShino/Reuters)ANOLDmansitsacrossthefirefromme
ByLisaGrossman(Image:Jupe/Alamy)Amodelblackholethattrapssoundinsteadoflighthasbeencaughtemittingquantumparticles
ByClareWilson(Image:coloroftime/Getty)Smallchildrenhaveareputationasdiseasemagnets.That’spartlyaresultoftheirlaxpersonalhygiene
ByCatherineBrahicInterestingceiling(Image:Teeje/Getty)INAlimestonecavesitstheworld’soldesthandstencil.Nexttoitisadrawingofapig-deer.Together
ByDouglasHeaven(Image:(BeauLark/Fancy/Plainpicture)Areyousittingcomfortably?Thelateststory-generationsystems(see“Automaticauthors:Makingmachinesthattelltales“)arelearningtomakethingsupbyfirstf
ByHelenThomson(Image:DaleOmori)Forthefirsttime
ByAvivaRutkin(Image:StevenJohnson/Reuters)WANTtofindoutwho’shotinthisyear’selectionseason?Askgamers.Pollsterstendtorelyonphoningalistofpeoplepickedatrandomtoaskwhotheyarevotingfor.WeiWangatColumb
ByDeboraMacKenzie(Image:PascalGuyot/AFP/Getty)TheEbolaepidemicragesoninWestAfrica
ByKevinFranciottiCouldtakingLSDhelppeoplemakepeacewiththeirneuroses?Psychiatristsinthe1960scertainlythoughtso.TheycarriedoutmanystudieslookingattheeffectofLSDandotherpsychedelicsonpeopleundergoingp
ByMichaelSlezak(Image:DanitaDelimont/Getty)HEDIEDlaterthanSocratesandAristotle
ByMaggieMcKee(Image:NASA/GSFC/ArizonaStateUniversity)Themaninthemoonmaystillhavesomefireinhisbelly.Anewstudyarguesthatmagmaeruptedontothelunarsurfacelessthan100millionyearsago–nearlyabillionyearslat
ByMalloryLocklear(Image:MaxDereta/Getty)Doyouhaveanannoyingfriendwholovesbungeejumpingorhang-gliding
ByAndyCoghlan(Image:ScottGietler)Thinktwicebeforecondemningalloilandgasrigsasthreatstonature.Asubmarinestudyhasfoundthatfishare27timesmoreproductiveunderrigsthanonreefsoffthecoastofCalifornia.Andit’s
ByAndyCoghlanLIKEdetectivesretracingakiller’ssteps
ByColinBarrasStradivariusviolinsenjoyanalmostmythicalstatustoday–andperhapstheydidfromthemomenttheyfirstleftAntonioStradivari’sworkshop.Ananalysisofviolinbodyshapeconfirmsthatmanyrenowned17th-and18th-
ByAndyCoghlan(Image:DanMcCoy/Getty)Seeingisdefinitelybelievingwhenitcomestostemcelltherapy.Ablindmanhasrecoveredenoughsighttoridehishorse.Awomanwhocouldseenolettersatallonastandardeyetestchartcannow
ByColinBarrasLOCKEDinbutnotshutout:forthefirsttimepeoplewhohavelosttheabilitytomoveortalkbecauseofastrokemaybeabletocommunicatewiththeirlovedonesusingabrain-computerinterface.Braininjuriescanleavep
ByShaoniBhattacharya(Image:YoussefBoudlal/Reuters)Climatechangedoesnotrespectbordersandwemustworktogethertofightitsthreats.Thesearenotthewordsofatree-hugger
ByAndyCoghlan(Image:DavidAldridge
ByMichaelSlezak(Image:©RolfNussbaumer/NaturePictureLibrary/Corbis)Damnstraight.ToxictoadsinvadingAustraliaaremovinginstraighterpathstoreachnewdestinationsquicker.Overthe80yearssincetheywereintroduced
ByNolaTaylorRedd(Image:RiaNovosti/SPL)Headsup–it’sexplosive-meteoriteseason.Anewanalysissuggeststhatpowerfulincomingmeteorsliketherockresponsibleforlastyear’sexplosionoverChelyabinsk
ByAvivaRutkin(Image:HenryAstley)Watchout
ByMichaelSlezak(Image:DuCraneMedicalImagingLtd/SPL)Cancercansitdormantinaperson’slungsfordecades
ByNicolaJenner(Image:DaveStock)TwonewparticleshavebeendiscoveredbytheLHCbexperimentatCERN’sLargeHadronCollidernearGeneva
THEROYALSocietyofChemistrypresentedresultsofacomparativesurveyatitsannualcongressinHullthismonthonthecareersandlifestylesofmenandwomenchemists.Thesurvey