Feature
- Health & Medicine
To Your Health?
Doctors are divided on whether the value of screening the torso with X-rays to find symptomless disease outweighs the costs.
By Janet Raloff -
- Earth
The Making of a Grand Canyon
Carving this beloved hole in the ground may not have been such a long-term project.
By Sid Perkins - Tech
Memory Enhancers
Engineers take aim at increasing the density of data storage on magnetic media.
- Astronomy
Getting the GOODS on Galaxies
A coordinated effort among the most powerful space and ground-based observatories to stare in detail at the same two patches of sky is revealing how galaxies assembled, how rapidly star formation proceeded in the early universe, and whether dark energy has recently revved up the expansion of the universe.
By Ron Cowen -
Buyer Beware
A growing number of psychological studies conclude that excessively materialistic values undermine happiness and well-being, although the emotional effects of pursuing money and fancy possessions remain controversial.
By Bruce Bower -
Snap, Crackle, and Feel Good?
Magnetic fields that map the brain may also treat its disorders.
By John Travis - Math
Unlocking Puzzling Polygons
Proof settles a wickedly prickly question about unfurling crinkly polygons.
- Math
Infinite Wisdom
A mathematician has proposed a new approach to resolve a long-standing question about infinite sets of numbers.
- Tech
Mind-Expanding Machines
Researchers have designed computer systems aimed at amplifying human thought and perception, such as a new type of cockpit display for aircraft pilots that exploits the power of peripheral vision.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Predicting Prostate Cancer’s Moves
To guide treatment decisions in individual cases of prostate cancer, medical researchers are using gene-expression profiling and other novel techniques to develop better predictive markers of how a given tumor will behave.
By Ben Harder - Earth
On Shifting Ground
In earthquake-prone areas of the United States and elsewhere in the world, debates go on over whether—and how much—to reinforce buildings.