Scientific American Magazine

Extracted from beryl, a crystal which is almost identical with emerald, this light metal has found glamorous applications in modern technology. It is also capable of causing a serious disease

Regions in the sun's corona appear to be as much as 1,000 times hotter than its surface. They may be the long-sought connection between sunspots and disturbances in the atmosphere of the earth

A remarkable series of experiments shows that migratory birds navigate by the stars. In a planetarium their flight direction is controlled by the position of the stars in the artificial sky

Atomic nuclei and electrons, which spin on their axes like tops, can be tipped over by magnetic fields. The technique furnishes much information about complex molecules and chemical reactions

Is drill necessary in rote learning? The author's experiments indicate that we form mental associations instantly. The role of repetition is to help us retain what we have already learned

The tetrapyrrole ring, a chemical structure made up of four smaller rings, occurs in the chlorophyll of plants, the hemoglobin of blood and many enzymes which, like hemoglobin, take part in respiration

Until recently the function of this part of the brain was unknown. Mapping of its electrical circuits now indicates it may be a monitor of communication between brain and body

The explosive multiplication of certain marine microorganisms can kill fish by the millions. The investigation of these outbreaks is now elucidating some fundamental questions of oceanic ecology