麻豆传媒

Human error in the air: The report on the M1 plane crash at Kegworth last year underlines the importance of the ‘human factor’ for safety

Scratching the surface of evolution

Tracking down the noise polluters: A chanting football crowd seems deafening but the sound energy it generates is barely enough to fry an egg. Modern technology and tougher legislation have encouraged engineers to confront the problems of measuring sound

One gene may not make a man: Earlier this year, geneticists claimed to have found a gene on the Y chromosome that conveys ‘maleness’ on a developing embryo. But is it really so simple?

Earth

High and dry in the global greenhouse

The sea snakes are coming:c Will global warming bring the world’s most poisonous snakes to Britain’s shores? Zoologists have just begun to understand how they survive in the open sea

Trade deals a blow to the environment: International rules governing trade aim to stamp out protectionism, but they may destroy Third World attempts to protect the environment and achieve sustainable development

The power behind the Sun: It is 70 years since the pioneering astrophysicist Arthur Eddington told the scientific world that the source of power that keeps the Sun hot must be subatomic energy

Designer eyes for seabirds of the night: How does a Manx shearwater find its burrow in pitch darkness and find its way across vast ocean wastes? It helps to have eyes like nothing else on Earth

Underwater, out of mind: Freshwater fish worldwide are among the most endangered of all animals. But there are so many kinds and huge gaps in basic knowledge about them

Who should pay for global warming?: If the world agrees to cut down on emissions of carbon dioxide, how will it happen? The first of a series examining the changing climate considers whether taxes on greenhouse gases would make us change the way we live

Nicotine on the brain: Nicotine is now known to be as addictive as cocaine or alcohol. Finding out what it does in a smoker’s brain may lead to better strategies for giving up

Have we the stomach for engineered food?: Britain’s food producers do not have to tell the government’s safety advisers if they want to genetically modify what we eat. But consumers may force them to be more open

The politics of climate, a long haul ahead: Next week, the world will attempt to lay down the ground rules for a climate treaty. This will be one more step on the tortuous path to international agreement. Effective action to halt global warming seems jus