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These days, it takes a brave laboratory to hitch its future to the construction of a brand-new particle accelerator — but Fermilab has elected to do just that.
In the world of billion-dollar particle physics, one lab is taking an enormous gamble on its future. Geoff Brumfiel takes a look at Fermilab's hopes to host the next big machine.
Twelve women have taken to bed for two months in the name of space research. Nicola Jones joins them for a few days, and asks what physiologists hope to learn from this marathon lie-in.
Siberia's vast forests absorb huge quantities of carbon from the atmosphere. But how much, and will they continue to do so in a warming world? Quirin Schiermeier speaks to the carbon accountants.
Looking for a fairy godmother to back a brilliant business idea? As Tony Reichhardt reports, a group of them probably meets for breakfast once a month at a hotel near you.
To protect the integrity of science, we must look beyond falsification, fabrication and plagiarism, to a wider range of questionable research practices, argue Brian C. Martinson, Melissa S. Anderson and Raymond de Vries.
Although the laws of physics explain much of the world around us, we still do not have a realistic description of causality in truly complex hierarchical structures.
Although they are tiny, microRNAs can have large-scale effects because they regulate a variety of genes. These minuscule molecules are now definitively linked to the development of cancer.
Efficient reactions in aqueous organic chemistry do not require soluble reactants, as had been thought. A newly developed ‘on-water’ protocol is characterized by short reaction times, and the products are easy to isolate.
Various aberrant protein forms are the subject of intense research. It is not easy to probe their structures, but studies that have done so provide telling information about their biological properties.
Instruments aboard the Cassini spacecraft can ‘see’ through the dense atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Returned images hint at the existence of features such as ridges and valleys, and perhaps an icy volcano.
Plant roots release potent molecules that activate symbiotic fungi and initiate a harmonious relationship. It turns out that the same compounds are detected by parasitic weeds for less benign purposes.
The sheer complexity of some computational problems means they will probably never be solved, despite the ever-increasing resources available. But we can sometimes predict under what conditions solutions exist.
Smouldering beneath many latent tumours is a chronic inflammation that goads pre-malignant cells into becoming full-blown cancer. The spark that kindles these flames comes from an unexpected source.
To juggle teaching and research, classroom veterans advise beginners to draw on mentors and all the resources they can find. Kendall Powell learns about the balancing act.