Reviews & Analysis

Stacking two oxide insulators together is known to yield a conducting system at the interface between the oxides. But the discovery that simply cleaving such an insulator yields the same outcome is unexpected. See Letter p.189

Mutualism can be a double-edged sword if the animals concerned also compete for food. This may explain the discovery that catfish mimics in the Amazon rarely engage in mimicry with related species. See Letter p.84

Many scientists now use the power of computer models to advance their subjects. But there is a choice: to simplify complex systems or to include more detail. Modelling the intricate processes of sedimentary geology is a case in point.

Isotopic evidence from carbon and sulphur points to the spread of anoxia and toxic sulphide as the chief culprits in at least one of a series of crises for marine ecosystems during the nascent stages of early animal evolution. See Letter p.80

Nature constructs macromolecules with a precision that chemists have struggled to achieve. So a strategy that offers simple routes to large molecules, starting from small templates, could be the next big thing in synthesis. See Letter p.72

Using photonic chips to control single photons in waveguides is a promising route to technologies based on the photons'quantum properties. The ability to measure entanglement on such chips is a key step in that direction.

With age comes wisdom, or so they say. The reality is that, with age, the ability to store memories declines. One way of tackling this problem might be to raise neuronal levels of the signalling molecule EphB2. See Article p.47

Computers use transistor-based logic gates as the basis of their functions, but molecular logic gates would make them much faster. A report of DNA-based logic gates could be a first step towards molecular computing.