Life Cancer guardian found playing a role in sex Don't be fooled by p53's humdrum name. Dubbed the "guardian of the genome" for its role in keeping our cells from turning cancerous, protein 53 may also be necessary for sex. The protein flits into action when cells in fruit flies, mice and probably humans replicate and divide their DNA in order to create new … 51¶¯Âþ
Lift the veil of secrecy over peer review IT IS to the running of the scientific enterprise what democracy is to the running of a country. That's according to the Royal Society , the UK's national academy, where the first recorded example of scientific peer review took place in 1665. Peer review is the system through which scientists vet each other's work to … Opinion
Earth What's wrong with the sun? Video: Sun spots What's up, sunshine? SUNSPOTS come and go, but recently they have mostly gone. For centuries, astronomers have recorded when these dark blemishes on the solar surface emerge, only for them to fade away again after a few days, weeks or months. Thanks to their efforts, we know that sunspot numbers ebb and … Features
Enigma Number 1599 Always prime Harry, Tom and I were looking to find a set of three digits (not necessarily all different) such that whichever order one wrote them down in the resultant 3-digit number was a prime. We each found a different valid example. One of Harry's digits also appeared in my example, and one of my … Regulars
World Cup competition: what's your excuse? World Cup competition: what's your excuse? THE 2010 World Cup tournament begins Friday 11 June. To mark the occasion, we offer you the chance to win an official World Cup football, designed and made by Adidas. Last week's feature article "World cup highs and lows" looked at the strange effects of altitude on football (5 … Regulars