The Year in Science and Engineering

Genomes, Cosmos, and Nano Among NSF Science Highlights from 2002
Looking back on 2002, research supported by the National Science Foundation continued to make headlines and expand the horizons of science and education in the United States and around the world. NSF's science success was also recognized in the year's Nobel Prizes -- five of the eight Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and economics received NSF funding during their careers. Other notable results of NSF support ran the gamut from the completion of the rice genome to the discovery of 3,000-year-old microbes living deep below the ice of Antarctica's Lake Vida.
More... (posted January 6, 2003)

The waveguide as it appears within the femtosecond laser amplifier system. Image courtesy of the University of Colorado and NSF.

Breakthrough Brings Laser Light to New Regions of the Spectrum
Combining concepts from electromagnetic radiation research and fiber optics, researchers have created an extreme-ultraviolet, laser-like beam capable of producing tightly-focused light in a region of the electromagnetic spectrum not previously accessible to scientists. Between 10-100 times shorter than visible light waves, the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths will allow researchers to "see" tiny features and carve miniature patterns, with applications in such fields as microscopy, lithography and nanotechnology. The achievement is based on a new structure called a "waveguide," a hollow glass tube with internal humps that coax light waves into traveling along at the same speed and help the waves reinforce each other. A report on the work, which is part of a continuing project supported by the National Science Foundation, appears in the January 2 issue of the journal Nature.
More... (posted January 6, 2003)

The orb-weaving spider, Metepeira incrassata, is one of only a very few species of spiders that reside in social colonies. Credit: George Uetz, University of Cincinnati.

Spider vs. Fly: Specialized Deception, Attack and Defense Rule the Conflict
It seems quite simple: Spider spins web. Fly gets caught in web. Spider spins silk lunch box around fly, feasting on the treat at a later time. End of story. Not so, according to scientists studying the relationship between some spiders and flies under an NSF research award. It's more of a full-blown engagement involving specialized attacks, defenses, and purposeful deception. Biologist George Uetz and fellow researchers examined the postures of the social orb-weaving spider, Metepeira incrassata, in relation to the sarcophagid fly, Arachnidomyia lindae (a specialized predator of Metepeira spider eggs) and the non-predatory domestic housefly, Musca domestica. The study, published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, suggests that a highly specialized predator's attacks may cause the evolution of predator-specific defensive responses in the prey.
More... (posted January 6, 2003)

Public Comment Sought
on Draft Infrastructure Report
The National Science Board (NSB) solicits public comment on its draft report, Science and Engineering Infrastructure for the 21st Century: the role of the National Science Foundation. The report is based on a study conducted by the NSB Task Force on Science and Engineering Infrastructure (INF).
More... (posted December 11, 2002)