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A new structure of the ‘head’ region of an integrin protein explains the remarkable vertical extension that enables these molecules to rise to the task of mediating cell adhesion.
A new analysis of the effect of climatic variation on forest fires goes back several thousand years. One take-home message is that a one-size-fits-all forest management strategy is, literally, short-sighted.
A small matter of head anatomy has long been a cause of controversy among those interested in vertebrate evolution. An answer that may prove generally palatable now emerges from an ancient fossil fish.
The most successful piezoelectric ceramics are based on lead zirconate and lead titanate. Environmental concerns over their lead content could disappear with the advent of a new ceramic that is lead-free.
A famous sixteenth-century supernova, seen by Tycho Brahe, is still a hot topic. The stellar explosion might have been initiated by a companion star — and modern astronomers have at last identified it.
The Red List Index is a new indicator of species' extinction risk. It will make a major contribution in measuring the success of an internationally agreed aim to slow biodiversity loss by 2010.
An ingeniously constructed record of sunspot activity shows that the current episode is the most intense for several thousand years. But that does not let us off the anthropogenic hook of global warming.
How does natural selection affect lifespan? The question has exercised biologists for some years. The latest twist comes from ingenious experiments on tropical fish from different ecological backgrounds.
We are the only living species of the genus Homo. Given the startling results of a cave excavation in Southeast Asia, it seems that we coexisted with another species until much more recently than had been thought.
Just over three years ago, it was announced that a first draft of the human genome sequence had been completed. Gaps and errors remained, but the job of fixing those problems is now largely done.
The genome of a second pufferfish species has been sequenced. Why is this important? Because comparing this genome with that of other animals yields a wealth of information on genome evolution.
Data from Europe in 1940–42, and simulations of severe El Niño events, suggest that the effects of such events can be unexpectedly far-reaching. The stratosphere could be a key player in this behaviour.
According to a prediction of general relativity, the spinning mass of the Earth affects the motion of satellites. A measurement of this ‘frame-dragging’ effect confirms Einstein's theory.
