●A new window on sound. Olshausen, B. A. & O'Connor, K. N. Nature Neuroscience April (2002). A News and Views article discussing new findings on the coding of natural sounds in the brain.

●Are somatic stem cells pluripotent or lineage-restricted? D'Amour, K. A. & Gage, F. H. Nature Medicine March (2002). Extravagant claims have been made about the plasticity of supposedly lineage-restricted stem cells, but it has proved difficult to substantiate the evidence. This News and Views article reports on the failure to reproduce an experiment in which neural stem cells seemed to generate haematopoietic cells.

●A broad view of glutamate spillover. Diamond, J. S. Nature Neuroscience April (2002). A News and Views article on the role of glutamate uptake in cooperative interactions between excitatory synapses.

●Therapeutic strategies for human amyloid diseases. Sacchettini, J. C. & Kelly, J. W. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery April (2002).

●Senseless motion. Marder, E. Nature 14 March (2002). This News and Views article describes data showing that Drosophila larvae are capable of peristaltic movement even in the absence of peripheral sensory function.

●Epilepsy research gets new guidance. Cowell, J. K. Nature Medicine March (2002). A News and Views article discussing the involvement of the tumour-suppressor gene LGI1 in abnormal brain development that results in epilepsy.

●Music, maestro, please! Abbott, A. Nature 7 March (2002). This News Feature explores how the human brain processes music, and why melody, harmony and rhythm are so important to us.

●The evolving complexity of cytoplasmic structure. Schliwa, M. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology April (2002).

●A broad view of glutamate spillover. Diamond, J. S. Nature Neuroscience April (2002). A News and Views article on the role of glutamate uptake in cooperative interactions between excitatory synapses.

●Focus on the evolution of sex.Nature Reviews Genetics April (2002). Includes: Postcopulatory sexual selection. Birkhead, T. R. & Pizzari, T. This review features a discussion of the biological implications of promiscuous behaviour in female animals.

●Scatter factor and semaphorin receptors: cell signalling for invasive growth. Trusolino, L. & Comoglio, P. M. Nature Reviews Cancer April (2002).

●Closing in on the biological functions of Fps/Fes and Fer. Greer, P. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology April (2002). The Fer protein has been implicated in the regulation of adherens junctions and focal adhesions during neurite outgrowth.