March-April 2010

A controlling, bossy element on "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" exudes qualities that put him on track to become vice president?

Scientists weigh the possibility that methane gas on Mars comes from microorganisms in the soil.

Letters to the Editor: The keyboard may be quicker, but the supporters of cursive aren't about to give up the fight.

A scientific 'sniff test' could aid museums and libraries in preserving their old works without damaging the actual documents.

The Navy looks at new technology for keeping produce fresh during lengthy voyages; see-through salad era may be over.

Research studies differ on the effect of an Oscar on a film's bottom line.

Oscar winners may live longer lives than their peers. Or perhaps shorter ones.

Graph shows that the U.S. government's effort to shift car buyers to higher-efficiency vehicles was anything but a "Buy American" campaign.

University of Oregon academic predicts Academy Awards will go to Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock and Kathryn Bigelow.

Studies come to conflicting conclusions as to whether Academy Awards are a genuine measure of artistry.

New library complexes rejuvenate urban centers around the world by including theaters, shops, cafes, offices and even gyms.

Despite years of research on everything from 'HeroRATS' to TNT-sniffing bees, humans still remove most landmines by poking — very, very carefully — in the ground.

Reaching the potential of personalized medicine is as much a matter of logistics as science.

The voracious U.S. appetite for intel on casual tourists pushes the boundaries of privacy without necessarily keeping Americans safe.

Arie Kruglanski, who leads a team of researchers who examine the motivation of terrorists and the effectiveness of de-radicalization efforts, shares his insights.

How brain-scanning technology is redefining criminal culpability.

A Wonking Class Hero profile of a global environmental innovator.

David Cope's software creates beautiful, original music. Why are people so angry about that?

An extraordinary, nonpartisan experiment in redistricting on the left coast.

How the paper of record used partial data to reach a wrong conclusion on infant death in Mississippi.

How anthropology and other social sciences are transforming the American way of war in Afghanistan.

A lucid look at decades of failed attempts to reach seismology's Holy Grail: the precise prediction of when earthquakes will occur.