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Some theorists propose that our Universe exists as a slice through multidimensional space. Could this 'brane-world' concept unify gravity with nature's other fundamental forces? Roland Pease reports.
The science of biomonitoring, which uses living organisms as 'sensors' to track environmental pollution, seems to be coming of age. John Whitfield considers its potential.
Cancer arises because of the accumulation of defects in certain classes of genes. In mice, breast tumours caused by one such class of 'cancer genes' can be prevented.
The tentative discovery of planets roaming freely through interstellar space has far-reaching implications. If confirmed, it would imply that there are more planets on the loose than there are around stars.
We will probably never be certain how life on our planet began. But, thanks to a new laboratory study, the possibility of an ancient 'RNA world' appears more plausible.
Analysis of images of a partly filled impact crater near the south pole of Mars has allowed reconstruction of polar-cap movement — which, it seems, has occurred in the geologically recent past.
An approach involving changes in the emission of fluorescence reveals new information about the activation of two important molecular switches in real time and space.
Optical fibres carry light signals at extremely high frequencies, and offer enormous bandwidth for transmitting data. But nonlinear effects may limit their capacity to carry information.
Quantum mechanics reigns at the atomic scale. And although techniques exist to manipulate single photons and ions, individual neutral atoms have been hard to catch — until now.
The immune system's response to new tumours is complicated but seems to depend on where and when tumours develop. This will have to be much better understood to enlist a patient's immune defences in fighting cancer.
One of the problems of using a mobile phone is the brain's sensitivity to microwaves. Moving the antenna towards the mouthpiece would be a way to avoid this.
