Scientific American Magazine

What are the beliefs, desires and problems of Americans of high-school age? The answer is sought through polls of 3,000 high-school students in all parts of the U. S.

When liquid helium is cooled to 2.2 degrees above absolute zero, it flows without friction. A Soviet physicist describes how this strange fluid exhibits the quantum properties of individual atoms

It is generally assumed that the basic genetic material is DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). How are the molecules of DNA arranged in the chromosome, and how do they make replicas of themselves?

They can convert otherwise useless vegetation into milk and meat. Physiology and genetics are now showing how they can be made to do so more efficiently in widely varying environments

The island's inscribed tablets have been even more puzzling than its celebrated stone heads. The writing of the tablets has recently been deciphered by the author of this article

There is no convincing evidence that gout is caused by high living. It is associated with a high level of uric acid, but no connection between this level and the symptoms of the disease has been found

It is generally assumed that the rate at which the sun has radiated energy during geologic time has been reasonably constant. The author indicates how this rate may have varied and caused ice ages on earth

Can a machine be made to think creatively? One reply is: First, can a machine be made to play a good game of chess? How a computer was programmed so that it could defeat an inexperienced human opponent