A Century of Nature

Nature has been privileged to publish some of the greatest scientific finds of modern times. Read the original papers and commentaries on their significance in selected chapters of this title, available online for the first time.

A Century of Nature is published by University of Chicago Press and can be purchased here.

Selected table of contents

• Foreword PDF (18 KB) FREE

  Foreword by Steven Weinberg
  
  

• Preface PDF (38 KB) FREE

  Preface by Laura Garwin and Tim Lincoln
  
  

• Chronology PDF (90 KB) FREE

  A chronology of 20th century science
  
  

1925

• Raymond Dart and our African origins PDF (633 KB) FREE

  C K Brain

• Australopithecus africanus: the man-ape of South Africa

  Raymond A Dart doi:10.1038/115195a0

  Abstract | PDF (190 KB)
  
  

1938

• Superfluidity: a new state of matter PDF (417 KB) FREE

  Allan Griffin

• Viscosity of liquid helium below the λ-point

  P Kapitza doi:10.1038/141074a0

  Abstract | PDF (35 KB)
  
  

1953

• The double helix PDF (354 KB) FREE

  Sydney Brenner

• A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid

  J D Watson and F H C Crick doi:10.1038/171737a0

  Abstract | PDF (41 KB)
  
  

1963

• The quasar enigma PDF (520KB) FREE

  Malcolm Longair

• 3C 273: a star-like object with large red-shift

  M Schmidt doi:10.1038/1971040a0

  PDF (43 KB)
  
  

1980

• The blueprint of animals revealed PDF (330 KB) FREE

  Ginés Morata

• Mutations affecting segment number and polarity in Drosophila

  Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus doi:10.1038/287795a0

  Abstract | PDF (461 KB)
  
  

1985

• A hole in Earth's shield PDF (365 KB) FREE

  Richard S Stolarski

• Large losses of total ozone in Antarctica reveal seasonal ClOx/NOx interaction

  J C Farman, B G Gardiner and J D Shanklin doi:10.1038/315207a0

  Abstract | PDF (118 KB)
  
  

1995

• Seeking other solar systems PDF (312 KB) FREE

  Gordon A H Walker

• A Jupiter-mass companion to a solar-type star

  Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz doi:10.1038/378355a0

  Abstract | PDF (155 KB)
  
  

1997

• Dolly! PDF (701 KB) FREE

  Davor Solter

• Viable offspring derived from fetal and adult mammalian cells

  I Wilmut, A E Schnieke, J McWhir, A J Kind and K H S Campbell doi:10.1038/385810a0

  Abstract | PDF (803 KB)