Supplements
The Nature 1999 News & Views Collection
In this supplement
Selected News & Views articles from 1998-9 issues of Nature.
Introduction
The Nature 1999 News & Views Collection p4
Pleasure and frustration - these were the main feelings in trying to provide a sample, through this booklet, of the more than 400 News and Views articles offered to Nature subscribers in 1998 and early 1999.
Tim Lincoln, News and Views Editor
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News & Views
HIV-1: From Pan to pandemic p4
Further evidence that the human immunodeficiency virus-1 originally came from chimpanzees adds to knowledge of the evolution of AIDS viruses, and will also influence thinking on chimpanzee conservation and welfare.
Robin A. Weiss and Richard W. Wrangha
4 February 1999 (page 385) doi:10.1038/17008
Mathematics: Magic squares cornered p5
In their book Most Perfect Pandiagonal Magic Squares, Kathleen 011erenshaw and David Brée present a method for constructing all the most perfect squares, and so solve a long-standing problem in magic square theory.
Martin Gardner
17 September 1998 (page 216) doi:10.1038/26099
Human biology: The secrets of faces p6
Male and female faces differ greatly, but what do these differences mean? Apparently we use them as indicators for personality traits such as honesty, intelligence and dominance.
Magnus Enquist and Stefano Ghirlanda
27 August 1998 (page 826) doi:10.1038/29636
Quantum technology: Real and realistic quantum computers p7
Real quantum-mechanical computations have been made. But current techniques cannot be scaled up to produce useful quantum computers. A radical scheme, using semiconductor physics to manipulate nuclear spins, may have the answer.
David P. DiVincenzo
14 May 1998 (page 113) doi:10.1038/30094
Evolution: Animal embryos in deep time p9
Discoveries of spectacularly preserved embryos and tissues, in rocks that are about 570 million years old, open a new era in the study of early animal evolution.
Stefan Bengtson
5 February 1998 (page 529) doi:10.1038/35245
Astrophysics: How black holes stay black p10
There is probably a massive black hole at the centre of our Galaxy, and at the centre of most ordinary galaxies. The type of plasma they consume may explain why they are dimmer than expected.
Reinhard Genzel
1 January 1998 (page 17) doi:10.1038/34029
Protein transport: Molecular motors join forces p11
Many vesicles traverse cells along microtubules, then complete their journey on actin filaments. These two processes are now shown to be linked by interactions between kinesin and myosin motors.
Manfred Schliwa
21 January 1999 (page 204) doi:10.1038/16577
Condensed-matter: Stripes of a different stripe p12
In some materials, the electronic charge density organizes itself into stripes. Theorists are interested in stripe physics because of its possible connection to hightemperature superconductivity – now experimentalists can test their theories.
A. J. Millis
2 April 1998 (page 438) doi:10.1038/33017
Reproductive biology: Communication through body odour p13
Mammals use odour to communicate, but are humans equipped to receive and broadcast messages in the same way? A study of biological rhythms indicates that we can, although whether we do is another matter.
Aron Weller
12 March 1998 (page 126) doi:10.1038/32283
Liquid crystals: Out of the groove p15
Many electronic goods require high-quality liquid-crystal displays. A display with lithographic grooves, and employing a new way of electrically manipulating liquidcrystal orientation, may improve the optical performance of liquid-crystal displays without greatly increasing costs.
Jos van Haaren
26 March 1998 (page 331) doi:10.1038/32771
Genome Sequencing: The worm revealed p16
The genome sequence of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis ele gans, a model organism for biologists, is essentially complete. At nearly 20,000 genes, it is the biggest genome yet sequenced.
Martin Chalfie
17 December 1998 (page 620) doi:10.1038/25228
Palaeoceanography: Timing is everything in a game of two hemispheres p17
What causes ice ages and other episodes of comparatively sudden climate change? Clues to the answer come from crossdating of ice cores from the Southern and Northern hemispheres.
James W. C. White and Eric J. Steig
20 August 1998 (page 717) doi:10.1038/29386
Biological sensors: Controlling the fly's gyroscopes p18
True flies – such as hoverflies and blowflies – show masterly control as they navigate around obstacles. Such control is possible because some of the flight muscles receive inputs from the visual system.
Roland Hengstenberg
23 April 1998 (page 757) doi:10.1038/33796
Chemosensors: A sense for landmines p20
A heightened sense of smell, achieved by proxy through chemistry, offers solutions to problems where biologically based sensors are inappropriate. Detection of the TNT in landmines is one example.
Anthony W. Czarnik
30 July 1998 (page 417) doi:10.1038/28728
Developmental biology: Pulling the fly's leg p21
Flies mutated in a gene called Antennapedia have antennae where the legs should be. But this gene itself isn't needed to make a leg - it simply prevents functioning of the gene responsible for antennal development.
Ginés Morata and Ernesto Sánchez-Herrero
16 April 1998 (page 657) doi:10.1038/33547
Earth science: Fixed hotspots gone with the wind p23
Island chains such as Hawaii are produced by hotspots - points of volcanic activity driven by plumes of hot rock. Hotspots are much more mobile than had been thought.
Ulrich Christensen
19 February 1998 (page 739) doi:10.1038/35736
Agriculture: The greening of the green revolution p24
Organic alternatives to conventional, high-intensity agricultural techniques can have fewer detrimental environmental effects yet produce equivalent crop yields.
David Tihnan
19 November 1998 (page 211) doi:10.1038/24254
Extrasolar planets: Twenty-eight ways to build a solar system p26
Since their discovery, planets found outside our Solar System have challenged ideas about planet formation. Faced with increasing numbers of 'unusual' planetary systems, astronomers are developing models that attempt to explain giant planets around Sun-like stars.
Brett Giadinan
10 December 1998 (page 513) doi:10.1038/24983
Immunology: Licence to kill p27
When the body's own cells become infected, the immune system can kill them to protect the rest of the organism. The process seems to involve 'licensing' the activation of killer T cells.
Antonio Lanza vecchia
4 June 1998 (page 413) doi:10.1038/30845
Particle physics: Time's broken arrow p28
Experiments on the properties of a particle called the neutral kaon have produced clear evidence that the world is not symmetric with respect to time.
Ken Peach
3 December 1998 (page 407) doi:10.1038/24717
Oceanography: Bacteria and silica cycling p29
Diatoms are a hugely important component of the oceans' phytoplankton. The finding that their silica shells can be enzymatically attacked and dissolved by bacteria adds a substantial element to knowledge of marine cycling of nutrients.
Victor Stnetacek
11 February 1999 (page 475) doi:10.1038/17219
Cancer: Awakening angels p30
The 'guardian of the genome', p53, is thought to be activated by certain stress-activated protein kinases. A study showing that the DNAdependent protein kinase is needed for the p53 response adds weight to this idea.
David Lane
13 August 1998 (page 616) doi:10.1038/29166
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