Features
Capsule Reviews

Capsule Reviews
The Myth of Mirror Neurons, Curious, Shadow Medicine, and Doctored
The Literature

Seeing Red
Reef fish, once thought to be unable to see red wavelengths, not only fluoresce deep red, but males of some species react to seeing their own bioluminescent pattern.

Meal Plans
Bacterial populations’ differing strategies for responding to their environment can set genetic routes to speciation.

Life in the Slow Lane
The speed of water flowing around coralline algae, a critical member of coral reef and coastal seaweed communities, affects their response to ocean acidification.
Profiles

Connecting the Dots
Extending her initial studies of social wasps, Mary Jane West-Eberhard has spent her career probing the evolutionary relationship between social behavior and developmental flexibility.
Scientist to Watch

Feng Zhang: The Midas of Methods
Core Member, Broad Institute; Investigator, McGovern Institute; Assistant Professor, MIT. Age: 32
Lab Tools

Metagenomics Mash-Up
A tour of the newest software and strategies for analyzing microbial and viral communities

Tailoring Your Proteome View
Computational tools can streamline the development of targeted proteomics experiments.
Foundations

Tiger Hunt, 1838–1840
Zoologist John Gould undertook a financially risky expedition to document the birds of Australia—and found some unique mammals in a perilous situation.
Careers

Science Speak
Contests that challenge young scientists to explain their research without jargon are turning science communication into a competitive sport.
Modus Operandi

Stressing and FRETing
Two labs have produced FRET-based systems for real-time analysis of a plant stress hormone.
Critic at Large

A Matter of Size
Erroneous characterization of nanomaterials can misinform the study of a new medicine’s safety and efficacy.
Notebook

Say "Aaaah"
Scientists aim to remotely monitor Parkinson’s through voice recordings.

In Old Blood
The body of a supercentenarian expands science’s appreciation for the physiological limits of aging.

Sequencing on the Seven Seas
Researchers have installed an advanced genomics lab facility aboard a boat to create a floating molecular testing facility for marine life sciences

Seeds of Hopelessness
Can seed banks adequately prepare for the future if wild plant populations are already lagging behind in adapting to rapid climate change?
Speaking of Science

Speaking of Science
August 2014's selection of notable quotes
Editorial

Small Packages
When proverbs come true
Contributors

Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the August 2014 issue of The Scientist.
Cover Story

Nanomedicine
From bioimaging to drug delivery and therapeutics, nanotechnology is poised to change the way doctors practice medicine.
Reading Frames

Reanimated Chickens and Zombie Dogs
In praise of weird science at the edge of life