Новости науки и техники в "Scientific American"

SARS: TRACKING AN ELUSIVE KILLER

As of Monday afternoon, SARS - the mysterious respiratory illness that is crisscrossing the globe - had claimed 98 lives and infected more than 2,600 hundred people around the world. The disease's overall mortality rate, approximately 4 percent, is roughly equal to that of measles, but the uncertainty surrounding its cause and how it spreads continues to make it a serious public health issue. In addition, the threat of SARS is disrupting international business and tourism.

ROGUE PROTEINS ASSEMBLE WIRES FOR NANOELECTRONICS

Scientists have succeeded in putting prions - those misfolded proteins most famous for their role in mad cow disease and other disorders - to work assembling wires for nanoelectronics. Prions from yeast can aid in the manufacture of wires that conduct electricity with low resistance.

BOOKSTORE: DNA: THE SECRET OF LIFE by James D. Watson, Andrew Berry (contributor)

What makes DNA different from hordes of competitors purporting to help readers understand genetics is that it is written by none other than James Watson, of Watson and Crick fame. He and his co-author Andrew Berry have produced a clear and easygoing history of genetics, from Mendel through genome sequencing. Watson offers readers a sense of immediacy, a behind-the scenes familiarity with some of the most exciting developments in modern science.

SICKLE CELL DRUG SAVES LIVES

Sickle cell anemia, a blood disorder characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells, is an inherited disease that occurs most frequently in people of African, Indian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent. In the U.S., about 72,000 African Americans currently have the disease. In 1995, the FDA approved the first drug to treat the disorder, hydroxyurea, after trials showed that it reduced the number of painful episodes sufferers experienced and decreased the number of hospitalizations and blood transfusions needed. Now a new report indicates that the drug also saves lives. The findings suggest that expanded use of the drug may be warranted.

STRUNG OUT ON THE UNIVERSE: INTERVIEW WITH RAPHAEL BOUSSO

The Holy Grail for many of today's theoretical physicists is a complete quantum mechanical theory of gravity - useful for understanding the behavior of black holes, big bangs, and whole universes. But bridging the gap between the smallest and largest constituents of reality will probably require a few totally new concepts (and shake our faith in some old ones). One researcher looking for these missing pieces is Raphael Bousso of Harvard University. The 31-year-old shared first prize in an international competition for young physicists last year for his work on the so-called holographic principle, which aims to reconcile quantum mechanics with black hole physics. His research has led him to think hard about string theory and cosmology, too.

A DINOSAUR WITH A TASTE FOR ITS OWN KIND

A nine-meter-tall carnivorous dinosaur probably wouldn't need much help establishing a ferocious reputation. But paleontologists have discovered another trait of the species Majungatholus atopus that is sure to do just that. It seems that this dinosaur, which roamed Madagascar between 65 and 70 million years ago, was a cannibal.

ASK THE EXPERTS: WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?

Anthony D. Del Genio of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University explains.