News Feature in 2006

The development of lactose tolerance in sub-Saharan Africa is a fascinating tale of genetic convergence, reports Erika Check.

Ultraendurance racers torture their bodies and minds to achieve near-impossible physical feats. Is it an exceptional genetic make-up or the vestiges of human evolution? Helen Pearson reports.

Kerry Black travelled the world in search of the best surf spots. Then he decided to build them himself — on land. Mark Schrope meets the maverick oceanographer.

Researchers aren't the only ones who concern themselves with animal welfare in the lab. Vets are asked regularly to monitor and care for these animals — a role that can call for some difficult decisions. Kerri Smith talks to Sarah Wolfensohn, head of veterinary services at the University of Oxford, UK, about the challenges and conflicts presented by caring for experimental animals.

Many scientists have nuanced views on animal research. But they are rarely heard, says Emma Marris.

Primate researchers have long faced violent protests over their work. But in some countries, regulatory obstacles are taking a greater toll. David Cyranoski meets European scientists who feel that bureaucratic pressures are closing their labs.

Coordination and integration of the results of animal research are an ever-increasing challenge. Jane Qiu finds out what happens when big biology meets a small rodent.

Khotso Mokhele, formerly in charge of developing research in South Africa, talks to Michael Cherry about the role that science is playing in the nation's development.

The biggest project in the history of ecology is nearing its dawn. Can its organizers pull off the seemingly impossible and unite a disparate field behind its vision to observe the ecosystems of the United States? Michael Hopkin reports.

Philosophers since Aristotle have puzzled over the meaning of happiness. Tony Reichhardt asks what scientists, psychologists and economists can bring to the topic. Are we any closer to being able to quantify joy?

When landfills overflow, governments need new ways to deal with garbage. David Cyranoski visits a plant in Japan where plasma technology is turning waste into energy.

What makes the perfect protein purification or the right reagent reaction? Trevor Stokes investigates the weird world of good-luck lab charms.

There's more than one way to read a stretch of DNA, finds Helen Pearson — and we need to understand them all.

Most astronomers head for remote mountain-tops or deserts to study the cosmos. Jenny Hogan meets a confident team set up on a patch of farmland in a crowded corner of mainland Europe.

Working out whether premature babies feel pain has important implications for child development, says Jane Qiu.

Mostafa Moin is a paediatrician and medical researcher who has served as Iran's minister for higher education and for science. He was a reformist candidate in Iran's presidential election last year, which was won by religious conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Declan Butler asks Moin about the prospects for science in Iran.

Statistics on scientific investment and performance are lacking across the Muslim world. Declan Butler analyses the best of what is available.

The 57 countries in the Organization of the Islamic Conference are home to 1.3 billion people. The attendant diversity in culture, geography, economics and politics can be seen in these snapshots of five different approaches to science.

The wealthy Arab states offer scant support for science and technology. Jim Giles finds out whether this indifference to research is likely to change.