News Feature in 2006

Many of the genes affecting mitochondria — tiny energy suppliers of cells — reside in the cell nucleus. Nick Lane joins the hunt for these sequences that may underpin diseases such as diabetes.

Despite some remaining hurdles, the mind-bending and frankly weird world of quantum computers is surprisingly close. Philip Ball finds out how these unusual machines will earn their keep.

Tiny computers that constantly monitor ecosystems, buildings and even human bodies could turn science on its head. Declan Butler investigates.

A series of mental challenges is helping physicists to prepare for the strange data they may get when the next particle accelerator goes live. Jenny Hogan joins the work-out.

Alison Abbott talks to the man who wants theoretical chemistry to ease political strife in the Middle East.

Studies of medical literature are confirming what many suspected — reporters of clinical trials do not always play straight. Jim Giles talks to those pushing for a fairer deal.

Ecologists paid by industry to assess the effects of businesses on the environment are often accused of selling their souls. But isn't scientific expertise exactly what is needed? Michael Hopkin investigates.

The cost of the James Webb Space Telescope could cripple US astronomy. Tony Reichhardt takes a closer look.

Atomic force microscopes have revolutionized the study of materials, but probing watery biological systems has proved more difficult. Jenny Hogan asks whether a fix is at hand.

Last autumn's deadly earthquake caught Pakistan's government and scientific community off guard. Now a handful of officials and academics are struggling to bring the country up to code. Geoff Brumfiel reports from the scene.

Some say that life began in fire. Hauke Trinks thinks it began in ice, and is bent on taking the hard route to prove it. Quirin Schiermeier tells the Arctic adventurer's tale.

Europe pumps large quantities of cash into schemes that encourage less-intensive farming. But, finds John Whitfield, some researchers are not sure what benefits they deliver.

Teams of researchers are finding vents in ocean floors around the globe. Christina Reed follows the hunt for these extreme ecosystems.

Scientists and medical doctors view research through different lenses — but the gulf in outlook between the two tribes isn't what it used to be. Meredith Wadman reports.

Life happens in three dimensions, so why doesn't science? Declan Butler discovers that online tools, led by the Google Earth virtual globe, are changing the way we interact with spatial data.

Fractal analysis has been used to assess the authenticity of paintings purporting to be the work of Jackson Pollock. Alison Abbott reports.

The first vaccine against Lyme disease was withdrawn because patients distrusted it. Should market forces be allowed to shape the next one, asks Alison Abbott.