Issue 1744 | Magazine cover date: 24 November 1990

This week's magazine

24 November 1990

Issue 1744

On the cover

Features

Breaching the blood-brain barrier: The brain has gatekeepers that let in essential nutrients but keep out substances in the blood that would interfere with its nerve cells. Studies of this barrier may lead to ways of supplying drugs to the otherwise inac

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Technology: Air-driven train gives commuters a smoother ride

Opinion

Comment: Wasted effort?

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New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Breaching the blood-brain barrier: The brain has gatekeepers that let in essential nutrients but keep out substances in the blood that would interfere with its nerve cells. Studies of this barrier may lead to ways of supplying drugs to the otherwise inac

Features

The man who proved Einstein was wrong: Albert Einstein never

Features

Moths with a taste for tears: Insects that live off the tears of mammals find the secretions a tasty and nutritious food. The moths wisely favour mild-mannered herbivores as their victims

Features

Poisoned prey in the heart of Africa: DDT and dieldrin are banned or restricted in most developed countries. But these pesticides may still be killing African birds of prey

Features

The rough road to slaughter: Farm animals often spend their last days travelling long distances cramped into lorries, hungry and thirsty. The single European market for 1992 may make matters worse. But there are ways to transport animals in far less disc

Features

A touch of Tokyo in Surrey: Japan is beginning to invest in research projects abroad. While British science benefits from the extra resources, the Japanese hope to learn more creative ways of working

Features

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Technology

Technology: Air-driven train gives commuters a smoother ride

A new railway system installed this year in Jakarta, Indonesia, has trains with no engines. Instead they are pushed along by compressed air. The Aeromovel system was developed by the Brazilian company Sur Coester. It has elevated steel tracks supported on concrete legs and box sections 5.5 metres above ground level. Beneath each track is …

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Patents: Instant settlement

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Patents: High-specs specs

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Patents: Shortened life for drug patents

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Patents: Rearguard message

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Patents: Faces on the phone

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Technology

Technology: Beam me up, Kenji

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Technology

Technology: Sony winds up Philips in digital tape war

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Technology

Technology: Coated bulbs lighten the power load

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Technology

Technology: Superconducting circuits - getting warmer

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Technology

Technology: Robot arm elbows into the jet washing business

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Technology

Technology: The dangers faced by ships in port

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Science: 51��s almost make water freeze at freezing point

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Australia weighs up the options on Maralinga

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Life-saving inhaler may damage the heart

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East German science flounders under unity

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Third World's finest snapped up by the West

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Europe wrangles over cash to shore up science

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Call for watchdog to improve safety at sea

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No forensic evidence against Birmingham Six

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Gene therapy 'yes'

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Planet meets plasma

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Embarrassing waste

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Mission impossible

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CTCs in doubt

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Mud slung at games

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Unsafe haste

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Saturn's spot just keeps on growing

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Science: Of mice and monarch butterflies

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Science: The peculiar properties of molecules in cages

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Science: Did a comet end the Triassic period?

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Science: Why two penises are so much better than one

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Science: The history of the ozone layer

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Britain shifts position on Antarctica

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Iraq opens its doors to nuclear inspectors

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Beleaguered 'Esprit' fights off its critics

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Royal reprieve for Japan's blue coral

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Hazardous industries screened for cancer

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Timber traders promise 'too little'

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Bhopal polluters accused of hypocrisy

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Fury over 'delayed' AIDS drug

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Opinion

Comment: Wasted effort?

Successive British governments have made a pig's ear out of policy on radioactive waste disposal. Perhaps Whitehall should take a deep breath and listen more closely to what its advisers are saying. For the publication on Monday of the latest annual report of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee, as well as remarks made a …

Opinion

Talking Point: Let's stop this waste of human resources

Opinion

Comment: Back to school

Opinion

Features

Breaching the blood-brain barrier: The brain has gatekeepers that let in essential nutrients but keep out substances in the blood that would interfere with its nerve cells. Studies of this barrier may lead to ways of supplying drugs to the otherwise inac

Between the nervous tissue of the brain and the blood there is a barrier that prevents substances in the blood from entering the brain. This 'blood-brain barrier' is formed by the cells that line the blood vessels of the brain. It has evolved because nerve cells need a stable chemical environment. Without it, nerve cells …

Features

The man who proved Einstein was wrong: Albert Einstein never

Features

Moths with a taste for tears: Insects that live off the tears of mammals find the secretions a tasty and nutritious food. The moths wisely favour mild-mannered herbivores as their victims

Features

Poisoned prey in the heart of Africa: DDT and dieldrin are banned or restricted in most developed countries. But these pesticides may still be killing African birds of prey

Features

The rough road to slaughter: Farm animals often spend their last days travelling long distances cramped into lorries, hungry and thirsty. The single European market for 1992 may make matters worse. But there are ways to transport animals in far less disc

Features

A touch of Tokyo in Surrey: Japan is beginning to invest in research projects abroad. While British science benefits from the extra resources, the Japanese hope to learn more creative ways of working

Features

Thistle diary: Where's the cement? - Comment from Westminster

Attention has already been drawn in this magazine to the advertisement for Chief Officer of the new Joint Nature Conservancy Committee. The job carries a salary of up to 45,000 Pounds, but there is an odd anomaly: it is graded below the salaries of the chief officers of the three conservation agencies - one each …

Forum

Review: What lies beneath our feet

Books & Arts

Review: Advances in school biology

Books & Arts

Forum: Pity the poor laboratory mouse - Its life has always been hard cheese

Forum

Forum: Sorry, the whalemeat is frozen - If you go to Japan, be ready to eat fish

Forum

Forum: How to get a share of the Brussels billions - How to find Community funding

Forum

Forum: Sellout of the century - Consumer spending cannot save the rainforest

Forum

Computers: How to do everything at once

Books & Arts

Review: Domesticators prefer blondes

Books & Arts

Regulars

Ariadne

The rising tide of unnecessary apostrophes has been commented on by many observers. The most eagle-eyed watchfulness will not guarantee immunity. The relentless apostrophes seep in, reaching further and further. It cannot be long before the nigh-unimaginable happens and the apostrophes creep through the defences even of The Times. The outer lines have already begun …

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This week's magazine

24 November 1990

On the cover

Breaching the blood-brain barrier: The brain has gatekeepers that let in essential nutrients but keep out substances in the blood that would interfere with its nerve cells. Studies of this barrier may lead to ways of supplying drugs to the otherwise inac

The man who proved Einstein was wrong: Albert Einstein never

Moths with a taste for tears: Insects that live off the tears of mammals find the secretions a tasty and nutritious food. The moths wisely favour mild-mannered herbivores as their victims

Poisoned prey in the heart of Africa: DDT and dieldrin are banned or restricted in most developed countries. But these pesticides may still be killing African birds of prey

The rough road to slaughter: Farm animals often spend their last days travelling long distances cramped into lorries, hungry and thirsty. The single European market for 1992 may make matters worse. But there are ways to transport animals in far less disc

A touch of Tokyo in Surrey: Japan is beginning to invest in research projects abroad. While British science benefits from the extra resources, the Japanese hope to learn more creative ways of working

Table of contents

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Technology

Technology: Air-driven train gives commuters a smoother ride

Patents: Instant settlement

Patents: High-specs specs

Patents: Shortened life for drug patents

Patents: Rearguard message

Patents: Faces on the phone

Technology

Technology: Beam me up, Kenji

Technology

Technology: Sony winds up Philips in digital tape war

Technology

Technology: Coated bulbs lighten the power load

Technology

Technology: Superconducting circuits - getting warmer

Technology

Technology: Robot arm elbows into the jet washing business

Technology

Technology: The dangers faced by ships in port

Science: 51����s almost make water freeze at freezing point

Australia weighs up the options on Maralinga

Life-saving inhaler may damage the heart

East German science flounders under unity

Third World's finest snapped up by the West

Europe wrangles over cash to shore up science

Call for watchdog to improve safety at sea

No forensic evidence against Birmingham Six

Gene therapy 'yes'

Planet meets plasma

Embarrassing waste

Mission impossible

CTCs in doubt

Mud slung at games

Unsafe haste

Saturn's spot just keeps on growing

Science: Of mice and monarch butterflies

Science: The peculiar properties of molecules in cages

Science: Did a comet end the Triassic period?

Science: Why two penises are so much better than one

Science: The history of the ozone layer

Britain shifts position on Antarctica

Iraq opens its doors to nuclear inspectors

Beleaguered 'Esprit' fights off its critics

Royal reprieve for Japan's blue coral

Hazardous industries screened for cancer

Timber traders promise 'too little'

Bhopal polluters accused of hypocrisy

Fury over 'delayed' AIDS drug

Opinion

Comment: Wasted effort?

Talking Point: Let's stop this waste of human resources

Comment: Back to school

Features

Breaching the blood-brain barrier: The brain has gatekeepers that let in essential nutrients but keep out substances in the blood that would interfere with its nerve cells. Studies of this barrier may lead to ways of supplying drugs to the otherwise inac

The man who proved Einstein was wrong: Albert Einstein never

Moths with a taste for tears: Insects that live off the tears of mammals find the secretions a tasty and nutritious food. The moths wisely favour mild-mannered herbivores as their victims

Poisoned prey in the heart of Africa: DDT and dieldrin are banned or restricted in most developed countries. But these pesticides may still be killing African birds of prey

The rough road to slaughter: Farm animals often spend their last days travelling long distances cramped into lorries, hungry and thirsty. The single European market for 1992 may make matters worse. But there are ways to transport animals in far less disc

A touch of Tokyo in Surrey: Japan is beginning to invest in research projects abroad. While British science benefits from the extra resources, the Japanese hope to learn more creative ways of working

More

Thistle diary: Where's the cement? - Comment from Westminster

Review: What lies beneath our feet

Review: Advances in school biology

Forum: Pity the poor laboratory mouse - Its life has always been hard cheese

Forum: Sorry, the whalemeat is frozen - If you go to Japan, be ready to eat fish

Forum: How to get a share of the Brussels billions - How to find Community funding

Forum: Sellout of the century - Consumer spending cannot save the rainforest

Computers: How to do everything at once

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Science: 51��s almost make water freeze at freezing point