Essay

Planetary science: both the deductive skills of geologists and the mathematical approach of astrophysicists are needed to study planets.

Red blood cell vasodilation: nitric oxide and haemoglobin help to match blood flow to metabolic demand.

Dream consciousness: our understanding of the neurobiology of sleep offers insight into abnormalities in the waking brain.

Attachment: the nature of the bonds between humans are becoming accessible to scientific investigation.

Niche construction: do the changes that organisms make to their habitats transform evolution and influence natural selection?

Electroweak-symmetry breaking: solving the riddle of how symmetry is broken may determine the future direction of particle physics.

Scale and proportion: do the mechanisms of planar polarity also help determine the shape and size of animals?

Dark matter and dark energy: they might be more abundant than the stuff we are made of, but are they any more interesting?

Anatomy: displays of bodies are no longer sufficient to explain the richness of modern anatomy to students or to the public.

Consciousness should be ascribed to animals only with extreme caution.

Neuroprotection requires a paradigm shift in drug development.

A new ‘cell theory’ is needed to explain complex intercellular connections.

Do inhibitors of blood-vessel growth found naturally in our bodies defend most of us against progression of cancer to a lethal stage?

The fossil record, together with modern data, can provide a deeper understanding of biological extinction and its consequences.

The emergent properties of complex systems are far removed from the traditional preoccupation of engineers with design and purpose.