On Rules

Strict and simple conventions favor the useful expression of ideas

Letters from our readers

Superthin 3-D Endoscope

Fuel Cell for Coal

Laser Television

Nano Sorter

Barrel of DNA

New Push for Alzheimer's Vaccine

When Online Met Offline

RNAi's Drugs

Eye on Cells

Gassy Tank

Four-Cent Inhaler

Vox Populi

White OLEDs Brighten

100 Solar Megawatts

The Alchemist

A chef in Chicago wants to blow your mind. By Corby Kummer

Peering into Cellular Worlds

New twists on fluorescence imaging are allowing researchers to look closer into cells than ever before. By Emily Singer

World's Fastest Optical Chip

A look at how Infinera packs dozens of optical components onto photonic integrated circuits. By Kate Greene

Ancient Text

Lisp is a very old computer language, and still spoken widely. By Daniel Turner

Bjarne Stroustrup

The problem with programming. By Jason Pontin    

Uninspiring Vista

How Microsoft's long-awaited operating system disappointed a stubborn fan. By Erika Jonietz

Tech's Libris

Sony's e-book reading device is the most ingenious to date. It may fail anyway. By Wade Roush

Remembering the Montreal Protocol

As its 20th anniversary approaches, what can the landmark agreement on controlling CFCs teach those who want to control greenhouse gases? By David Rotman

China's Energy Dilemma

In a few years, China will be the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Don't look for any quick and easy solution to the problem, says Richard Lester.

The Brain Injury Epidemic

There are still no treatments for traumatic brain injury, though Barclay Morrison offers cause for hope.

The Open-Source Solution

Larry Constantine asks, If most commercial software isn't any good, why not use a more communal approach?