more stories from The Economist

Efficiency in the kitchen 30 March 2003

Some cool ideas
Traditional refrigeration may be eased out with new technologies.

No more secrets 27 March 2003

Primed to go
Mathematicians are discussing ways to make code-breaking easier.

Discipline and … 13 March 2003

Pro bono publico
The evolution of punishment explained

A rumour of war 6 March 2003

Clipping the enemy’s wings
American military technology has moved on a lot since the Gulf war. How precision weapons, improvements in logistics, and other innovations would change the face of a war with Iraq.

The Planck Scale 27 February 2003

The Long and the Short of It
Physicists have worked out how to look at the smallest sizes and shortest time that some of them believe can exist.

Taking pictures of a human camera 20 February 2003

In the twinkling of an eye
A way for scientists to get better pictures of the retina.

Better than fireflies 20 February 2003

An array of good things
Intense light trapped in a tiny fibre should have a bevy of uses.

Universal archaeology 13 February 2003

Just right
The age and composition of the universe have now been established by a NASA satellite.

Lasers and war 30 January 2003

Come fry with me
Experimental electromagnetic weaponry may soon see combat use.

Physical constants 30 January 2003

The trouble with constants
A review of 2 new books about physical constants by Joao Magueijo and John Barrow.

Kablouie! (djou see that coming?) 16 January 2003

All hot and bothered
Scientists may one day be able to predict volcanic eruptions.

General relativity 9 January 2003

Jupiter calling
Scientists have at last measured the speed of gravity. (This measurement is now controversial.)

Serum 9 January 2003

False hopes
Drugs cannot make you tell the truth.

Quantum computation 2 January 2003

Heads and tails
Practical quantum computers are another step closer.

Space-based telescopes 19 December 2002

A Webb of intrigue
Plans are afoot to build a replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope.