Technology Silhouette security Three inventors from Washington state have filed patents for a system that will allow airport staff to use the new terahertz scanners to find concealed weapons without revealing the more private bits of passengers' anatomies. Paul Keller, Thomas Hall and Douglas McMakin carried out their work under contract to the US government (US patent application … 51¶¯Âþ
Humans Washington diary THIS year's presidential campaign has taken on an almost surreal quality. Usually, candidates argue about things like jobs and national defence. But this year, they are screaming at each other over the potential of human embryonic stem cells to cure disease. A variety of factors have conspired to make stem cells a campaign issue. The … Opinion
Sweet elixir of death Even today, being stricken with pneumonia, meningitis or strep throat is serious, but in the early 20th century these bacterial infections were killers. Then in 1937 a powerful new cure arrived: sulfanilamide, a derivative of a red dye that German microbiologist Gerhard Domagk had discovered was stunningly effective against bacterial infections. Better still, sulfanilamide was … Features
What makes a scientist? Curious Minds edited by John Brockman, Pantheon Books, $23.95, ISBN 0375422919 Reviewed by Roy Herbert THIS is an engrossing treat of a book, subtitled How a Child Becomes a 51¶¯Âþ. These 27 erstwhile children are all distinguished scientists now, and some are famous. They were asked what turned them on to science and when and … Books & Arts
Feedback THE HENRIETTA Barnett School in a leafy suburb of north London wants some new garden benches. A 12-year-old student at the school, who had better remain anonymous for her own safety, has sent us this extract from its weekly newsletter: "We cannot put in any type of bench. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust has strict … Regulars