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Print edition: March 2002
Features
Liberté, égalité and fraternité
The battle cry is as relevant in physics now as it was in France over 200 years ago
Semiconductor microcavities: half light, half matter
Quantum wells can form a laser that amplifies light more than any known material
Physics and forensics
Synchrotron radiation identifies traces of materials found at crime scenes
Physics in Action
A new golden age for astronomy
Early results from the Gemini South and VLT observatories herald a new era in astronomy
Cold positrons support the annihilation theory
Physicists solve a long-standing puzzle about positron annihilation in molecular gases
Protein folding and the secret of life
Theoretical physicists discover a limit to the number of shapes that a protein can remember
Quantum dots break new ground
The sequence of photons emitted by artificial atoms can now be controlled
Post-deadline
Liquid droplets take off
Death by supernova
Molecular biology goes nonlinear
News & Analysis
Probably the best experiment ever
Dispute follows rare-decay claim
Nuclear door remains ajar
The energy-saving quantum afterburner
New letters reveal war-time mysteries
Meeting the modest master of M-theory
Quantum gravity's new phenomenon
Cartoonist draws in people
Physics wins cash windfall
Editorial
Physics needs women
Female physicists meet at the first international conference aimed at lifting the number of women in physics
Forum
Mixing motherhood and science
We need to make it easier for women to be physicists and raise a family
Reviews
A Brief History of Science: As Seen Through the Development of Scientific Instruments, Thomas Crump
Encyclopedia of Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry, John Moore and Nicholas Spencer (ed)
Science Askew: A Light-hearted Look at the Scientific World, Donald Simanek and John Holden
Top equations add up to beauty
A modern view of the history of science
Careers
Those who can, teach physics
Catherine Wilson examines the many ways to become a qualified physics teacher in the UK
Lateral Thoughts
Do we really know as much as we think?
