Commentary

Voluntary reporting of nanomaterials by industry has failed. Mandatory measures are a step in the right direction, but the field needs more data sharing and oversight, say Andrew Maynard and David Rejeski.

The US government is doing well to communicate uncertainty over swine flu. It must also help the public to visualize what a bad pandemic might be like, says Peter M. Sandman.

We will probably overshoot our current climate targets, so policies of adaptation and recovery need much more attention, say Martin Parry, Jason Lowe and Clair Hanson.

Tracking someone's movements can now be done cheaply and easily, and there are few restrictions on who can monitor whom, says Jerome E. Dobson.

In this, the second of two Commentaries, Sibylle Gaisser, Michael M. Hopkins and colleagues discuss a survey demonstrating that European health-care systems are ill prepared for the commercial reality of gene patents.

In the first of two commentaries on intellectual property, Robert Cook-Deegan, Subhashini Chandrasekharan and Misha Angrist show how the United States can address glitches with exclusive licences.

Traditional approaches to supplying food are an inefficient 'band aid', says Pedro A. Sanchez. New evidence shows that helping farmers to help themselves is more effective and would be six times cheaper.

Brain-implantable devices have a promising future. Key safety issues must be resolved, but the ethics of this new technology present few totally new challenges, says Jens Clausen.

The global economic downturn brings both predicament and promise. How will science fare and what role should scientists play on the long road back to recovery and growth? Ten of the world's leading thinkers and practitioners provide analysis, experience and advice.

Technology start-ups need to trim their sails in rough economic times, says John Browning.

Directing finance into sustainable infrastructure in the poorest countries helps the whole world, says Jeffrey Sachs.

Navigating an unpredictable world will need different research disciplines to work together as equals, says Noreena Hertz.

During the Great Depression, scientists proved to America why researchers are key to nation-building, says Eric Rauchway.

Regulating leverage, not interest rates, is the answer to a troubled economy, says John Geanakoplos.

Scientists must be prepared to explain why research budgets need protecting when times are tough, says Ian Taylor.

Basic research saw a boost in Japan's last recession. Better global links will help in the current one, say Atsushi Sunami and Kiyoshi Kurokawa.

Countries are not complying with the UN Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. It's time some changes were made, say Tony Pitcher, Daniela Kalikoski, Ganapathiraju Pramod and Katherine Short.

In the first of two opposing commentaries, Steven Rose argues that studies investigating possible links between race, gender and intelligence do no good. In the second, Stephen Ceci and Wendy M. Williams argue that such research is both morally defensible and important for the pursuit of truth.

In this, the second of two opposing commentaries, Stephen Ceci and Wendy M. Williams argue that such research is both morally defensible and important for the pursuit of truth. In the first, Steven Rose argues that studies investigating possible links between race, gender and intelligence do no good.