John Wojcik pays tribute to a black US activist who spent six decades at the forefront of struggles for voting rights, economic justice and peace – reshaping US politics and inspiring movements worldwide
Bacteria: hunting microscopic giants
Reports of gigantic proteins in extremely tiny bacteria raise exciting questions, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
A woman looking at matter under a microscope, as irregular sleep patterns may be linked to harmful bacteria in your gut, new research suggests
In the fifth and final part of a series of articles, Storming the Heavens author JENNY CLEGG explains how the Communist Party of China’s approach demonstrates how Marxism, rooted in concrete conditions and mass participation, can shape history
In times of genocide, art is not a refuge from politics but a weapon against injustice, says ROGER McKENZIE, highlighting three of his own favourite political truth-tellers
As members elect their first leadership, a deeper battle is unfolding over what democracy should mean in practice, says CASSI BELLINGHAM
The language of humiliation is a step towards a second civil war, argues RAMZY BAROUD
ANDREW MURRAY says switching the prime minister on and off again is no substitute for new political approach we need
MOST people will primarily associate protein with its role as a major food group. But at a cellular level, there are millions of possible proteins: they are large, complex molecules that play crucial roles in biochemical processes.
A single protein molecule is made up of amino acids linked together in a long chain. The precise order of these amino acids is specified by the exact sequence of DNA in its corresponding gene.
Although the double helix structure of DNA was known in 1953, it remained a mystery for the rest of the decade how the sequence of a gene contains the “information” needed to transform the four chemicals given the shorthand A, T, C, and G into a protein.
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Neutrinos are so abundant that 400 trillion pass through your body every second. ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT explain how scientists are seeking to know more about them
New research into mutations in sperm helps us better understand why they occur, while debunking a few myths in the process, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
A maverick’s self-inflicted snake bites could unlock breakthrough treatments – but they also reveal deeper tensions between noble scientific curiosity and cold corporate callousness, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
A small Japanese trial has reported some positive results for stem cell therapy to treat spinal-cord injuries