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Cultural obstacles and potential damage to one's career present major challenges to women wanting to pursue science in Japan. Some changes have occurred, but too few, and too slowly.
Few women reach the uppermost rungs of Japan's scientific hierarchy. But some are now starting to challenge the system and attitudes that frustrate their career progress, as David Cyranoski discovered.
The evolutionary history of humans is complex and unresolved. It now looks set to be thrown into further confusion by the discovery of another species and genus, dated to 3.5 million years ago.
The mechanism by which an alloy corrodes into a potentially useful porous sponge is understood qualitatively, but quantitative predictions of its final structure have been lacking. A model for this has now been proposed.
Gradients of signalling proteins control the formation of different tissues during animal development. A controversial model for how one such gradient is produced now receives more experimental support.
Realizing the dream of quantum computing will require knowledge and techniques from many fields. A new theory concerning the properties of nanometre-scale circuits can contribute.
Injury to one part of the body often results in hypersensitivity to pain somewhere else. Unusually, this process seems to be coordinated by the brain in a way that does not involve the transmission of nerve impulses.
To what extent was the Arctic Ocean glaciated in the past? Heavily, according to data, gathered by a submarine, which show considerable ice-scouring of topography in parts of the ocean basin.
Daedalus proposes to apply computer optimization to the greatest art form of all – advertising. It may be expensive, he says, but it will be faster than traditional methods, and much more likely to produce powerful ads.
