A new computer model based on particle interactions suggests ways to prevent a panicked crowd from stampeding. (p. 215)

A tiny traffic island for electrons promises to serve as an extraordinarily sensitive detector of magnetic fields. (p. 189)

A researcher designs the ultimate laptop, stretching the laws of physics to their limits to achieve blazing computation rates. (p. 189)

A novel digital compression scheme may make it practical to transmit detailed models of three-dimensional surfaces over the Internet. (p. 125)

A large network of powerful computers solved a 32-year-old optimization challenge known as the "nug30" quadratic assignment problem. (p. 125)

Although the Internet's redundancy and diversity help it survive local node malfunctions despite its vast size and complexity, it is vulnerable to attacks aimed specifically at the most highly connected nodes. (p. 125)

A novel way of converting computer programs into familiar-sounding music helps programmers locate errors in their code. (p. 339)

The earliest known use of the term software to describe computer programs dates back to 1958. (p. 351)

In early May, the malicious ILOVEYOU computer virus shut down hundreds of thousands of computers and caused several billion dollars in damage. (p. 351)

The World Wide Web is less like a network of heavily interconnected superhighways and more like a jungle of one-way streets often leading to dead ends. (p. 351)

A new method for gaze-operated, hands-free text entry is faster and more accurate than using an on-screen keyboard. (p. 141)

A new mathematical procedure, or algorithm, picks out those members within a larger network—for instance, related sites on the World Wide Web—that have especially close ties. (p. 190)