Issue 2052 | Magazine cover date: 19 October 1996

This week's magazine

19 October 1996

Issue 2052

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On the cover

Features

Sea launch is go

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Technology : Gene trap catches `knockout' mice

Opinion

Editorial : Cool heads in a hot climate - ARE human fetuses sentient? Can they "feel" pain or experience suffering?

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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.

Sea launch is go

Features

Into the mind unborn

Features

Genesis to Exodus

Features

Doctor snail

Features

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Technology

Technology : Gene trap catches `knockout' mice

GENETICISTS are to receive a helping hand from 500 000 strains of mutant mice. Each strain will have a single defective gene, so geneticists can study the function of the "silenced" gene. By offering strains with defective mouse equivalents of all 100 000 human genes, a company in Texas hopes to speed up the search …

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Technology

Technology : Wings make flying less of a drag

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Technology

Technology : Surface tension sugars the pill

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Technology

Netropolitan :

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Technology

Technology : Tiny memory card strikes a chord

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Technology

Technology : Gene stops damage by cancer drugs

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Technology

Technology : Blood-clotting drug lays siege to tumours

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Science : Tracking oil's underground odyssey

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Science : Pressure of light produced gold-plated stars

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Science : Giant flying reptiles dined on shellfish

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Science : Scavengers suspected in Alzheimer's

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Science : The fastest tectonic plate in the West

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Science : The killer that's vital for life

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Science : Oily molecule helps smells get up your nose

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Science : How the brain goes on the blink

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Out of Africa and onto the Internet

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Koala mouthwash

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Cosmic-ray count

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Second sight

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Bone breakdown

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Stolen tracks

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Online tax

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Green fingerprints

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Earth

Fanning the wildfires

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Will India starve if rains fail?

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Strangest superfluid wins recognition at last

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Chaotic records hide truth on Gulf War syndrome

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Why Cold War secrets are still under wraps

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Russia's scientists take to the streets

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Downy `dragon' shakes up theories of bird evolution

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Treason case dropped as Russia signs nuclear deal

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Robofeet are made for sweating

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Axe may fall on threatened species

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Fatal fungus ravages vineyards

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Millennium target hinders leprosy fight

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Buckyball pioneers score the ultimate goal

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Smog blights babies in the womb

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Opinion

Editorial : Cool heads in a hot climate - ARE human fetuses sentient? Can they "feel" pain or experience suffering?

ARE human fetuses sentient? Can they "feel" pain or experience suffering? For decades, scientists everywhere have shied away from such questions, fearing that their views will be misused in the emotional battle over abortion. They have been far more willing to discuss whether animals have minds and feel pain than to ask the same of …

Opinion

Features

Sea launch is go

IN THE summer of 1998, a strange flat-topped vessel will sail out of Long Beach in southern California for a 10-day cruise in the Pacific. Called Odyssey, the cumbersome craft started life as an oil-drilling platform. But it will not be searching for oil or minerals beneath the seabed. Odyssey is a floating launch pad …

Features

Into the mind unborn

Features

Genesis to Exodus

Features

Doctor snail

Features

Antipodes : Energy subsidies under fire - Ian Lowe examines a report on resource industries

A BROADSIDE has been fired at the huge government subsidies being pumped into the supply and use of energy in Australia. The attack comes from the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research which claims the public money is encouraging higher levels of energy use than would result if full pricing were applied. A report …

Forum

Thistle diary : Banking on human tissue - More comment from Westminster by Tam Dalyell

Forum

Forum : Starfish wanted, dead or alive

Forum

Forum : Tender traps for the unwary

Forum

Review : Plug into the future

Books & Arts

Review : Quids in

Books & Arts

Bestsellers : from Oxford

Books & Arts

Review : Collected works

Books & Arts

Review : Blessed are the genteel

Books & Arts

Review: No solution to Fermat's last theorem

Books & Arts

Review : Games with brains

Books & Arts

Review : Heavenly map

Books & Arts

Review : Critical eye

Books & Arts

Review : Bitter taste

Books & Arts

Review : Deep blues

Books & Arts

Review : Speaking wounds

Books & Arts

Review : At the Heisenberg frontier

Books & Arts

Review : Blaze and glory

Books & Arts

Review : Green and pleasant

Books & Arts

Review : Ripe old age

Books & Arts

Review : A calculated risk

Books & Arts

Regulars

The Last Word

Wrought iron Q: My father, who is a sculptor, often encounters a strange phenomenon while he is heating iron bars. He holds the bar (about 1 metre long) at one end and heats the other. The end he is holding gets moderately hot but not too hot for him to hold with his bare hand. …

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This week's magazine

19 October 1996

On the cover

Sea launch is go

Into the mind unborn

Genesis to Exodus

Doctor snail

Table of contents

51����

Technology

Technology : Gene trap catches `knockout' mice

Technology

Technology : Wings make flying less of a drag

Technology

Technology : Surface tension sugars the pill

Technology

Netropolitan :

Technology

Technology : Tiny memory card strikes a chord

Technology

Technology : Gene stops damage by cancer drugs

Technology

Technology : Blood-clotting drug lays siege to tumours

Science : Tracking oil's underground odyssey

Science : Pressure of light produced gold-plated stars

Science : Giant flying reptiles dined on shellfish

Science : Scavengers suspected in Alzheimer's

Science : The fastest tectonic plate in the West

Science : The killer that's vital for life

Science : Oily molecule helps smells get up your nose

Science : How the brain goes on the blink

Out of Africa and onto the Internet

Koala mouthwash

Cosmic-ray count

Second sight

Bone breakdown

Stolen tracks

Online tax

Green fingerprints

Earth

Fanning the wildfires

Will India starve if rains fail?

Strangest superfluid wins recognition at last

Chaotic records hide truth on Gulf War syndrome

Why Cold War secrets are still under wraps

Russia's scientists take to the streets

Downy `dragon' shakes up theories of bird evolution

Treason case dropped as Russia signs nuclear deal

Robofeet are made for sweating

Axe may fall on threatened species

Fatal fungus ravages vineyards

Millennium target hinders leprosy fight

Buckyball pioneers score the ultimate goal

Smog blights babies in the womb

Opinion

Editorial : Cool heads in a hot climate - ARE human fetuses sentient? Can they "feel" pain or experience suffering?

Features

Sea launch is go

Into the mind unborn

Genesis to Exodus

Doctor snail

More

Antipodes : Energy subsidies under fire - Ian Lowe examines a report on resource industries

Thistle diary : Banking on human tissue - More comment from Westminster by Tam Dalyell

Forum : Starfish wanted, dead or alive

Forum : Tender traps for the unwary

Review : Plug into the future

Review : Quids in

Bestsellers : from Oxford

Review : Collected works

Review : Blessed are the genteel

Review: No solution to Fermat's last theorem

Review : Games with brains

Review : Heavenly map

Review : Critical eye

Review : Bitter taste

Review : Deep blues

Review : Speaking wounds

Review : At the Heisenberg frontier

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