Who Will Win? May 29, 2001
Two theoretical ecologists show that predicting survivors sometimes depends on a fractal—a curve so detailed that no measurement guarantees an accurate forecast

Talking to Computers May 21, 2001
A keyboard, monitor and mouse are now standard devices on every personal computer, but that may change—somewhat—in the near future.

Sci/Tech Web Awards 2001 May 14, 2001

Catching Ribosomes in the Act May 7, 2001
New images reveal how these tiny organelles turn genetic information into vital proteins—and how antibiotics can foul their performance

Cutting the Cord April 30, 2001

Publish Free or Perish April 23, 2001
Life scientists are urging publishers to grant free access to archived research articles

How to Stop Foot and Mouth Disease April 16, 2001
A new mathematical analysis suggests that nothing short of preemptive killing will limit the epidemic's ultimate reach

Mother Nature's Medicine Cabinet April 9, 2001
Scientists scour the earth in search of miracle drugs

Coronal Cannibals April 2, 2001
Now that the sun is at its solar maximum, it may send especially violent blasts of ionized gas toward Earth more often

Meet the Crocodile Hunter March 26, 2001
Everyone's favorite crocodile wrestler goes to the mat for animals

Fog for a Thirsty Planet March 19, 2001

Moving Mountains March 12, 2001
Volcanoes swell and collapse back down in what seem like giant sighs.
These movements may help scientists better predict eruptions.

The Science of the Silver Bullet March 5, 2001
Depleted Uranium has been hailed as the military’s new silver bullet and condemned as Kosovo’s Agent Orange

Flying On Time February 26, 2001
A new weather forecasting system may help air traffic controllers
reduce delays, saving airlines and travelers millions of dollars

Close Encounter February 20, 2001
The NEAR craft landed safely on an asteroid last week, snapping 69 detailed photos of the surface as it touched down.

Reading the Book of Life February 12, 2001
We have only about twice as many genes as a worm or fly--far fewer than anyone guessed. So now what?

The Road Less Trampled February 5, 2001
Scientists thought that groomed roads helped to lead bison out of Yellowstone National Park, but new work shows that the animals prefer natural trails

The Modern Human Origins Morass January 29, 2001

Exploring the Musical Brain January 22, 2001

Science and Technology in Y2K December 26, 2000
From genomes to Jupiter's moons, many important discoveries took place in 2000

Unraveling Arabidopsis December 18, 2000
The first plant genome project—now complete—promises to revolutionize crop science

Reconsidering Martian Winds December 11, 2000
Although many features on the surface of Mars are now credited
to water, wind too may have played a significant part in their creation

Almost on Time: High-Speed Trains in the U.S. December 4, 2000
After many delays, Amtrak is launching its new Acela service

The New Nanofrontier November 27, 2000
Despite recent concerns over the harm nanotechnology may
ultimately do, a flurry of reports also show its promise

Anthropology's Darkest Hour November 20, 2000
Controversies rage over a scandalous new book on the Yanomamö Indians

Coral-Killing Dust November 6, 2000
Caribbean coral reefs are dying, and reddish dust
blowing in from Africa may be partly to blame

Artificial Intelligentsia October 30, 2000
Proselytizers of a future in which smart machines reign have not lost the faith

Explaining Anesthesia October 23, 2000
Studies of fireflies and fish suggest how these drugs really work

Tetris Dreams October 16, 2000
How and when people see pieces from the computer game
in their sleep tells of the role dreaming plays in learning

Poli Psy September 5, 2000
Psychological studies try to explain political polls, voter turnout and presidential personalities

Down Memory Limbo August 28, 2000
New research shows that between fear and recall
lies a no man's land where long-term memories can vanish

When Sperm Meets Egg August 14, 2000
The sex life of sea urchins shows that the answer to fertility is NO

Understanding Violence July 31, 2000
Several studies shed light on where aggression comes from and how it can be controlled

Ecstasy's Legacy July 24, 2000
Several studies have now shown that the popular drug causes permanent brain damage

Lens Crafters in the Lab July 17, 2000
Two teams have found a way to bioengineer the cornea--the thin layer of cells covering the eye like a pane of glass

Lyme Disease July 5, 2000
Most experts maintain the Lyme vaccine's risks are small, but a few patients--some of whom are
suing don't, think so.

Sticky Situation June 19, 2000

Prions May 29, 2000
Researchers scramble to learn how to disarm the infectious agents behind mad cow disease, scrapie and their human counterpart, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Mapping Chromosome 21 May 15, 2000
The smallest human chromosome has so few genes, scientists are rethinking estimates for the entire genome

The Human Genome Race April 24, 2000
A tale of the Tortoise and the Hare...and the fly and the worm and the mouse

The Heat is On April 17, 2000
Scientists and politicians can quibble about what or who is to blame, but the oceans have cast a clear vote: Planet Earth is warming up

Plastination --Updated April 3, 2000
Readers air their views on exhibiting plastic corpses in science museums.

Therapeutic Plastics April 3, 2000
New polymers repel germs, battle cancer and repair nerves

Snake Hunting March 20, 2000
A new fossil is helping scientists clarify the slippery origins of modern serpents

Superconductivity March 6, 2000
Scientists take a crucial step towards creating
new materials with zero resistance at room-temperature

1999 National Medals of Science and Technology February 28, 2000
President Clinton awards the nation's highest honor to 17 scientists and researchers

Lymphochip February 14, 2000
Microarrays reveal lymphoma subtypes

The Jigsaw Fossil January 31, 2000
Part dinosaur, part bird? All wishful thinking.

Pregnancy Paradox January 24, 2000
Researchers have found proteins that play a key role in protecting an embryo from its mother's immune system--and that may one day help treat women who suffer multiple miscarriages

Y2What? Updated January 17, 2000
Where were you on Y2K? Scientific American's readers report their experiences and share their observations.

Gas Blasts! December 20, 1999
Methane once frozen under the seafloor may help heat up the climate.

The Year in Science December 20, 1999
If one were to judge by recent headlines, science did not approach the end of the millennium on a stellar note.

Shopping Guide December 6, 1999
Join our Cyber Santas in the search for the perfect gift

Call Me On Your Metaphone November 29, 1999
Understanding the next wave in communications will require learning some new words

The Latest Neanderthal November 8, 1999
New evidence indicates that Neanderthals roamed central
Europe far more recently than researchers thought.

The First Ice Age November 1, 1999
Some 2.3 billion years ago, oxygen supported a lot of land-based life on Earth, and then slicked the planet's surface with ice.

Ribosomes Revealed September 27, 1999

A Century of Mathematics October 25, 1999
How can we evaluate what has been accomplished and guess at what's to come?.

The 1999 Nobel Prizes October 18, 1999
The Nobel Foundation's judging committees have made their annual selections.

Drowning in Data October 4, 1999
Distributed databases on the Internet will help scientists wade through a deluge of information

Ribosomes Revealed September 27, 1999
Scientists have made the clearest image yet of ribosomes, the assembly lines inside cells that crank out all proteins.

Observing Orbitals September 20, 1999
The first pictures of atomic orbitals are confirming theories and resolving controversies

Smart Mice September 7, 1999
Lab-bred "Doogie" mice learn faster and remember more than their field-born brethren

Old Bones, New Connections August 2, 1999
A recently unearthed fossil has scientists rethinking early hominoid evolution

Chandra August 2, 1999
Chandra will provide further proof that there is more to the cosmos than meets the eye

Personal Pain July 26, 1999
A single gene may account for individual sensitivities

Poison Plants? July 05, 1999 -- Updated July 19, 1999
Readers enter the debate over Genetically Modified crops?

From Point A to Theta June 28, 1999
Research shows that spatial navigation causes telltale electrical activity in the brain.

Dolly's Legacy June 21, 1999
Nuclear transfer--used to clone Dolly and now owned by Geron--may help scientists develop more potent stem-cell therapies.

Life's Added Dimensions June 14, 1999
After 50 years of virtually no progress, researchers are finally getting to the bottom of biological scaling

New Lease on Livers May 17, 1999
Animal experiments suggest that bone marrow might be used to rebuild damaged organs

Parasites or Pollution? May 3, 1999
Biologists figure out what accounts for certain side-show frogs

Going, Going--Gone? April 26, 1999
Much of the world's water is stored in glaciers and the great polar ice sheets. But these frozen reservoirs are melting rapidly and the water they release could cause a catastrophic rise in sea levels.

Significant Others April 19, 1999
The discovery of a nearby solar system renders our corner of space a little bit less lonely

Riding High March 29, 1999
Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones are the first humans to circle the earth in a balloon

The Stuff of Life March 22, 1999
The chemistry of life is an integral part of the process that births stars

Unhealthy Options March 01, 1999--Updated - March 15 ,1999
Readers explain why more and more people are turning to 'alternative' medicine

Costly Interlopers February 15, 1999
Introduced species of animals, plants and microbes cost the U.S. $123 billion a year.

Water and Ice January 25, 1999
Researchers now understand how H₂O's unique properties result from its bonds.

Not Just Flash January 04, 1999
Satellite data reveals how lightning influences climate.

The Year in Science: 1998 December 28, 1998
With the squirming and posturing in Washington dominating the headlines, science faded to the background for much of 1998.

Shaping Sound December 21, 1998
Structures can be designed to create auditory effects.

1998 National Medals of Science and Technology December 14, 1998
These two Presidential awards--the National Medal of Technology and the National Medal of Science--are among the most sought after by U.S. innovators and scientists.

Shopping Guide November 30, 1998
Scientific American editors become Cyber Santas to locate the perfect gift on the 'Net.

Silicon Surgeons November 2, 1998
Advanced computer technology will guide surgeons' eyes and steady their hands

Nobel Prizes October 19, 1998
This year's recipients of the highest honors in science and medicine have been selected by the Nobel judging committees.

Missed Deadlines September 28, 1998 -- Updated - October 5, 1998
Readers voice their opinions about the International Space Station

Light Twisters September 21, 1998
Photonic crystals promise advances in communications and optical computers

Stack 'em Tight September 14, 1998
Has an American mathematician solved a centuries-old puzzle about packing spheres?

Ground Zero August 03, 1998-- Updated August 31, 1998
Scientific American senior writer W. Wayt Gibbs answers your questions about his expedition searching frozen Greenland for the remains of a meteor

Send in the Clones July 27, 1998
Using a new technique, scientists have cloned clones from clones

Distant, Dusty Galaxies July 20, 1998
These newly-found, far-flung systems are forming stars at an astounding rate

Getting to the Bottom June 29, 1998--Updated July 6, 1998
The research ship Atlantis and her companion submersible, Alvin, explore the strange world of an undersea volcanic ridge

The Bird that Barks June 22, 1998
An ornithologist discovers a curious new species high in the Ecuadorian Andes

The Last Sturgeon June 15, 1998
Can the economic forces driving the ancient source of caviar to extinction be stopped? It may already be too late.

First Light! June 1, 1998
The first of four telescopes at a new European observatory opens its eye on the cosmos.

Women in Science: Reader's Respond May 18, 1998
In a recent Scientific American Exploration--Women in Science: A Status Report, we asked you, our readers, a number of questions about the role women can and do play in science.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers May 4, 1998
Fetal cells that sneak into mother's blood could be the cause of an autoimmune disease

Going Wild April 20, 1998
Golden Lion Tamarins released from zoo breeding efforts don't fare well--but their offspring do better.

Ancient Alignments April 06, 1998
A stone circle in Egypt is the world's oldest astronomical observatory.

It's Not All in the Genes April 06, 1998
Biochemical systems can produce changes in an animal's shape that appear to be genetic.

Flyin' Dinosaurs March 23, 1998
A recent fossil find further strengthens the theory that birds are directly descended from dinosaurs

Home Sweet Home! March 16, 1998
The discovery of water on the moon may speed plans to build permanent lunar bases and colonies

Treating Eating Disorders March 2, 1998
The discovery of two new hormones gives researchers food for thought

Turning Back the Strands of Time February 2, 1998
Scientists have found a major factor that controls whether a cell dies or thrives.

Shaking the Family Tree January 26, 1998
In the 23 years that paleontologists Thomas H. Rich of the Museum of Victoria and Patricia Vickers-Rich of Monash University have headed an effort to find the origins of Australia's unique mammals and birds, they have learned to expect the unexpected.

Double Whammy January 19, 1998
One if on land, two if at sea. That's the damage assessment for an asteroid hitting the Earth.

Ever Eastward January 5, 1998
Balloonists vie to be the first to ride the prevailing winds around the globe

The Year in Science: 1997 December 29, 1997

"Beam Me Up" December 22, 1997
An experiment confirms that teleportation is possible--at least for photons.

Dino-ROAR December 15, 1997
A computer simulation gives voice to a long-extinct dinosaur.

Shopping Guide December 1, 1997
Finding the right holiday gifts for science aficionados is always a challenge.

Closing in on Addiction November 24, 1997
New findings suggest a biochemical common ground.

Is It Safe to Eat? November 3, 1997
Recent scares have Americans wondering if their food is safe to eat. Is more regulation or new technology the answer?

Nobel Prizes October 20, 1997
The panels that select the recipients of the highest accolades in science have made their decisions.

The Beep Heard Round the World October 6, 1997
On October 4, 1957, the launch of the Sputnik satellite singlehandedly began the space race.

Rivers of Fire September. 15, 1997
The SOHO spacecraft finds intricate plasma flows coursing through the sun.

Cloning Hits the Big Time September 2, 1997
Not just a scientific sensation, genetic copying
of animals is attracting commercial interest.

Life Goes for a Spin August 25, 1997
A topsy-turvy earth may have
triggered an evolutionary big bang.

Spinal Repair August 18, 1997
Cellular transplants offer new hope for treating damaged nerves.

Science at Sea July 31, 1997
A converted oil exploration ship probes the seabed for clues to
climate change and the inner workings of the earth.

Home, Bacteria-Ridden Home July 21, 1997
Could antibacterial soaps lead to resistant strains?

Return to the Red Planet July 7, 1997
Pathfinder and Sojourner blaze a trail on Mars

A Breath of Fresh Chlorine July 7, 1997
A strange bacterium renders noxious pollutants harmless.

NEAR-ing Mathilde June 30, 1997
A spacecraft provides the closest look yet at an asteroid.

It's a Bird, It's a...Dinosaur? June 23, 1997
Fossil finds heat up the debate over the origins of our feathered friends.

Rambling Road to Humanity June 16, 1997
Anthropologists debunk another myth of evolutionary progress.

AIDS Moonshot? June 2, 1997
Under President Clinton's command,
researchers step up the search for an HIV vaccine.

Bang and Splat May 26, 1997
A supercomputer anticipates the
catastrophic impact of a giant comet.

Twist and Shout May 19, 1997
Astronomers claim that the
universe has an innate direction.

SPECIAL FEATURE:
Deep Blue vs. Kasparov, Round Two April 1997
IBM's silicon powerhouse plays a
rematch with the world's chess champ.

Grubs, Cubs and the Law April 28, 1997
Forensic entomology
helps send poachers to jail.

Life in the Balance April 14, 1997
A new exhibit makes the case for
the value of biodiversity.

Peeking and Poking at DNA March 31, 1997
New microscopy techniques
observe life's molecules in action.

Leaping Leptoquarks! March 24, 1997
Hints of "new physics" emerge
from German accelerators.

The Ties That Bind March 17, 1997
A study of journal publications details
investigators' financial interests in their research.

A Clone in Sheep's Clothing March 3, 1997
A sheep cloned from adult cells opens vast
scientific possibilities and ethical dilemmas.

Beyond Modems February 24, 1997
Entrepreneurs are extending
the Internet to everyday appliances.

Debunking the Digital Brain February 3, 1997
Individual neurons contribute
to the brain's unmatched complexity.

Constructing the Cosmos January 27, 1997
Observations of galaxies
keep yielding new patterns,
but how meaningful are they?

Sprites and Elves January 20, 1997
Lightning's strange cousins
flicker faster than light itself.

Carl Sagan, 1934-1996 January 6, 1997
A Pale Blue Planet Mourns the
Passing of a Passionate Scientist.

Rethinking the Speedy World December 30, 1996
An International Conference Dares to Ask,
Is It Time for the World to Slow Down?

Beyond Batteries December 23, 1996
Here come the fuel cells--the ultimate
clean machines for generating electricity.

Mary Leakey: Unearthing History December 16, 1996
This renowned hunter of early human fossils,
died in Nairobi on December 9, 1996.

All in the Timing December 2, 1996
A satellite observes the lightning-fast
flickerings of cosmic objects.

Life, Life Everywhere November 25, 1996
The origin of life on earth appears more and
more inevitable--or does it?

Snap, Crunch or GigaPOP? November 4, 1996
Online traffic jams spur cries of
doom--and plans for Internet II.

Wired for Science October 28, 1996
Can the Web become a smart
partner in scientific research?

Science Goes to the Movies October 21, 1996
An unusual concentration of science fact
graces the silver screen.

Gene Therapy October 14, 1996
Early trials encountered unforeseen complications. A new round of
more sophisticated strategies may turn the tide.

Personal Information Goes Public September 30, 1996
A new service raises the question:
How much is too much?

Mind Over Body September 23, 1996
Stroke victims cannot perceive paralysis
in themselves--or others.

Subatomic Logic September 16, 1996
Researchers nudge closer to
the goal of quantum computing.

Shaking the Ebola Tree August 26, 1996
Genetic analysis offers insights into the workings of a notorious virus.

Bugs In The Data? August 19, 1996
The controversy over Martian life is just beginning.

Tempest in a T-Bone? August 12, 1996
Researchers go around in circles on mad cow disease.

The GONG Show July 28, 1996
Astronomers learn ringing truths about the sun.

Score One for Punk Eek July 21, 1996
The fitful evolution of bacteria supports a controversial theory.

Unnatural Nature July 15, 1996
Engineered enzymes make drug candidates that flummox chemists.

Rebuilding the Lost World July 1, 1996
New insights, technologies and fossil finds transform our image of dinosaurs.

Turf Wars in Cyberspace June 24, 1996
The U.S. comes out in provisional favor of free speech on-line.

Downsizing Schroedinger's Cat June 17, 1996
Experimenters Probe the Strange Probabilities of the Quantum World.

Cracking the Combination June 3, 1996
A new screening tool may supercharge materials science.

A Parade of New Planets May 27, 1996
Astronomers are sighting new planets circling distant stars.

Turn! Turn! Turn! May 20, 1996
Scientists unravel the twisted ways of tornadoes.

Smart Materials May 5, 1996
They will soon be in everything from computers to concrete bridges.

A Strike Against StrokeApril 30, 1996
New drugs promise to prevent some of the ensuing brain damage.

Melatonin Mania April 1, 1996
Separating the facts from the hype.