Feature

  1. Tech

    Special Treatment

    Researchers are developing nanosize metallic particles that can break down soil and groundwater contaminants faster and more cheaply than any other existing technology.

    By Alexandra Goho
  2. Astronomy

    Dark Influence

    A study of galaxy clusters tests whether dark matter particles can collide with each other, while other observations show that dark matter doesn't behave as expected near the centers of galaxies.

    By David Shiga
  3. Math

    Navigating Celestial Currents

    Mathematicians are creating an atlas of solar system highways along which spacecraft can coast using no fuel.

    By Erica Klarreich
  4. Health & Medicine

    The Race to Prescribe

    Race-based medicine could be a stepping-stone to the higher goal of targeting medicines toward the genetics of individual patients, but some researchers are troubled by the implications of practicing medicine according to patients' racial identities.

    By Ben Harder

  5. Code of Many Colors

    Researchers have yet to find markers for race in the genome, but understanding the biology underlying perceptions of race could have dramatic social and personal consequences.

    By Christen Brownlee
  6. Math

    Manuscripts as Fossils

    A new mathematical model estimates how many medieval manuscripts have survived to the present.

    By Erica Klarreich

  7. Full Stem Ahead

    Before stem cells can fulfill the promise of treating deadly diseases, problems with the cells' biology and government regulations limiting their use must be solved.

    By Christen Brownlee
  8. Health & Medicine

    Still Hungry?

    New research indicates that diet and lifestyle can affect the body's production of a hunger hormone in ways that might unwittingly foster overeating.

    By Janet Raloff
  9. Astronomy

    Too Darn Hot

    A new theory of planet formation suggests that sizzling-hot Earths may be abundant throughout the galaxy and could soon be detected.

    By Ron Cowen

  10. Possible Worlds

    A growing number of reports highlight imagination's pervasive influence on thinking, one example of which is the surprisingly large proportion of well-adjusted preschoolers who play with make-believe companions.

    By Bruce Bower
  11. Earth

    A Whiff of Danger

    Synthetic fragrance chemicals can inhibit the activity of molecules that cells depend on to eject harmful substances.

    By Ben Harder
  12. Animals

    Cops with Six Legs

    Insects commit crimes against their colonies, and researchers are taking a closer look at how these six-legged criminals get punished.

    By Susan Milius