Editorials in 2014

Model colloidal systems are a testbed for understanding aspects of the organization of matter.

Two-dimensional semiconductors such as transition metal dichalcogenides can complement graphene in applications where a sizeable natural energy bandgap is required. Recent studies aim at bringing these materials to a higher level of maturity.

Scotland's independence debate saw too many scientists absent from the public square.

Density functional theory, invented half a century ago, now supplies one of the most convenient and popular shortcuts for dealing with systems of many electrons. It was born in a fertile period when theoretical physics stretched from abstruse quantum field theory to practical electrical engineering.

Staggering increases in the performance of organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells have renewed the interest in these materials. However, further developments and the support from academic and industrial partners will hinge on the reporting of accurate efficiency values.

Celebrating a field of remarkable depth and importance.

New experiments and computer simulations on how water behaves when it is supercooled are poised to rekindle long-standing debates.

Understanding how cells sense and adapt to their environment, and engineering defined culture substrates, will be central to progress in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Unconscious biases are a roadblock for gender equality in science.

Winds of change blow through research centres and universities operating in the Middle East.

A small country aiming big.

Materials-based imaging agents are attractive candidates for a diverse range of imaging modalities and combined imaging–therapy applications, but economic implications and practical concerns remain obstacles to their clinical translation.