Science & Technology

Fatness to fitness

Obesity, which causes heart disease, strokes and diabetes, has become a global epidemic, say Janet Voûte and Valentin Fuster. For many adults it is too late, but we must prevent our children from getting fat If press interest is a measure of public concern, fat has become a fundamental issue. In 2001 obesity was featured …

What is consciousness?

The mind is as much a part of the physical world as the body. And we might eventually be able to read each other’s thoughts  To different people, consciousness is different things. To some it is the sense of self, of being a particular person with a unique history. To others it is the delicate …

A quantum leap forward

Quantum mechanics has already brought us the transistor and the laser. But, says Seth Lloyd, quantum computing will bring further advances, like truly secure cryptography We are in the midst of a technological revolution. Because of the rapid advance in sensitivity and accuracy of manufacturing techniques, the technologies that we can construct are pushing up …

How smart sensors might save Planet Earth

Smart sensors embedded in the wireless network could help reduce pollution, says Deborah Estrin, and even improve our response to natural disasters Sensor networks are an exciting class of computing systems that combine distributed sensing, computation and wireless communication. This technology is touted as being as disruptive and enabling as the Internet, with broad applications …

Stem Cells – The forbidden cure

Stem cell research offers great hope for treating previously incurable diseases, if only governments will allow it to be undertaken Stem cell technology has sparked huge controversy. On the one hand is the hope that embryonic stem cells can be used to generate cells to replace those damaged by diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes and …

The quest for an AIDS vaccine

Vaccination is the best way to tackle AIDS but we must plan to ensure wide access once we find the vaccine AIDS is the greatest public health crisis of our time. More than 40 million people are now living with the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) or full-blown acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 14,000 more …

Zoonoses: the deadly diseases that animals pass on to us

Diseases passed from animals to humans are on the rise.Why and what should we do to tackle them? Zoonoses are diseases and infections that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man. More than 150 diseases are designated as zoonotic diseases according to the standard work published by the International Office of Epizootics (OIE), among …