Technology Could surgeons use headlights in place of lasers? It was a real light-bulb moment for Jeffrey Gordon and his team. They had developed a device that would use sunlight rather than expensive lasers to perform surgical procedures such as zapping tumours, and hoped it would make a useful low-cost tool for the developing world. Unfortunately, while the economics were right, the instrument turned … 51¶¯Âþ
Health Stem cell research: Dangerous territory? CALIFORNIA's Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, better known as Proposition 71, allows the state to bypass federal restrictions and fund stem cell research to the tune of $3 to 6 billion. Since it passed into law two years ago, other states have rushed to allocate funds and space to stem cell research, hoping for … Opinion
Life Histories: The human centrifuge "His countenance attached to saturnine blackness, the eyes, suffused with bile, were immovably fixed on the ground, the limbs seemed deprived of their locomotive powers, the action of the lungs, and the circulation retarded, the tongue parched and silent, and the whole man resembled an automaton." In Dr Cox's opinion, his patient was in the … Features
Technology Review: The Star Wars Enigma, by Nigel Hey FOR many, it defined the presidency of Ronald Reagan. A grandiose plan to build a defensive shield against nuclear missiles, it was called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) by Reagan and his allies. The label that stuck, however, was "Star Wars," coined by arch-enemy Senator Ted Kennedy the day after Reagan announced the scheme in … Books & Arts
Feedback Units of experience THE hi-fi industry has always attracted small companies that sell magic-wand cures for poor sound quality, such as felt-tip marker pens that allegedly improve CD sound by absorbing stray laser light. The companies seldom offer any scientific proof of performance, preferring to imply that anyone who cannot hear an improvement can't be … Regulars