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US government agencies tell scientists about big opportunities in nanoscience

'Mischievous amendment' narrowly defeated in House vote on 2004 budget

Click for larger version (20K) A remarkable 88% of the 361 readers of The Scientist who responded to our survey prepare a meal at home once every week or more. More than half, 57%, bustle about in the kitchen nearly every day. And these scientists are not just boiling an egg or opening a bag of lettuce; 79% declare that those who eat their meals consider them good, excellent, or outstanding chefs. As would be expected from an international group of scientists, readers enjoy cooking in more

Foundations | The Holy Grail of Immunology Click for larger version (27K) In 1983, Tak Mak's lab cloned the beta chain of the T-cell receptor, helping to accomplish what the immunology community had been anticipating for 20-plus years. But the T-cell receptor's structure was believed to be heterodimeric, and no one had deciphered what the other piece looked like. In 1984, Mak sketched his thoughts on its shape for a student, Pamela Ohashi, who then made antibodies to peptides, using the a

All photos courtesy of Sam Jaffe UTTER DEVASTATION: First, looters stole everything from Rajwan Hassan Issa's lab, then burned the remains. Alternating pavement stones at the entrance to Mustansiriyah University in Baghdad bear a bas-relief image of Saddam Hussein's face, minus his eyes: somebody chipped them out of each brick. Political banners drape the iron fence that surrounds the campus, seemingly unnoticed by the crowd of buzzing students as they race to class. Some banners procla

Ignorance and commercial interest make a combustible mixture, with enlightenment often a victim of the fumes. Views tend to polarize and become unduly influenced by those best able to manipulate the media, irrespective of the argument's merits. The result can be an alarming disparity between public opinion and the true state of the science. No doubt, this syndrome has adversely affected debate over big issues such as genetic modification of plants and global warming. The question is, what's

Policy veteran to manage business of National Science Foundation's governing body

Cancer researchers hold slimmed-down annual gathering as money issues linger

EC releases proposals to allow EU funding of human embryonic stem cell research

Current outbreak over but now animal research, diagnostics, interactions with China, and funding loom large

International labs get samples of Chilean beach blob, whale blubber is leading theory but giant octopus not ruled out

Labeling and tracing plans are criticized, but new UN rules may strengthen EU position