Disaster in the making A VIRUS that kills every one of its victims, by wiping out part of their immune system, has been accidentally created by an Australian research team. The virus, a modified mousepox, does not affect humans, but it is closely related to smallpox, raising fears that the technology could be used in biowarfare. The discovery highlights … News
The genie is out FIVE years ago, New Scientist asked biomedical researchers if they thought genetic engineering could make a virus or bacterium more virulent than nature's worst. They replied that it would be difficult if not impossible, and would need a colossal research effort. Now it's clear they forgot one thing—the unexpected. As part of a programme to … Opinion
Splendid isolation As gifts go, this one's certainly different. Inside the neat presentation box stand five test tubes, each containing a smear of brownish-yellow goo dotted with small dark patches. At first glance you might think it a most unpleasant present. But for a microbiologist, it's the perfect choice. That unappealing goo contains the remains of cultures … Features
Being there Chasing Science by Fred Pohl, Tor, $23.95, ISBN 0312867115 SCIENCE fiction is Fred Pohl's day job. He's a prize-winning author, a great storyteller who excels at weaving science into his fiction. But for pleasure, he pursues science as a spectator sport. He begins the delightful Chasing Science by pointing out that this is no simple … Books & Arts
Feedback TECHNOLOGY journalists have lately been suffering from a corporate obsession with nondisclosure agreements. High-tech companies are hot to publicise their bright ideas—but they don't want anyone to tell the world exactly what it is they are. So an editor invited to a press briefing on a new product is likely to be told to sign … Regulars