Winter 2006

For Roy Curtiss it's always been about the people. The people he works with, the people he collaborates with; the people he learns from, the people he teaches; the people he is trying to help through his research. These days that research focuses on new vaccines for the most needy. --by Skip Derra

By crystallizing and imaging photosystem I, scientists are learning how the 2.5-billion-year-old process of photosynthesis actually works. --by Diane Boudreau

When it comes to the social behavior of honeybees, evolution may have taught old genes some new tricks.--by Dan Jenk

Studying affection may sound fascinating, but how exactly does one measure expressions of fondness or love? --by Diane Boudreau

"A person undergoing a standsill has no breath, no heartbeat, no blood flow, no viable temperature, and most important, no brainwaves or other brain activity that clinically define being alive," writes Edward J. Sylvester in his book on brain surgery, The Healing Blade. In his writing, Sylvester turns complicated science into ordinary language. He also sets a scene, offering his readers a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of surgeons, patients, and their families. (part three in a three-part series) --by Melissa Olson-Petrie

Stephen J. Pyne doesn't begin his writings on wildland fires by analyzing his audience, as most writers are advised to do. Likening the "general reader" to the myth of the Sasquatch, this author of nearly 20 books says he focuses on establishing a strong voice instead. (part two in a three-part series) --by Melissa Olson-Petrie

"A flurry of movements in and around the dried flower stalks of the big brittlebush in the middle of the yard catch my eye, and I wander over to see what's up. There I find a mob of small native bees flying from flower stalk to flower stalk," writes naturalist John Alcock. The author of nine books, Alcock teaches graduate-level "popular science writing," teaching students how to turn the arcane and incomprehensible into something relevant and beautiful. Part one in a three-part series. --by Melissa Olson-Petrie

How does a student find a research position? ASU undergraduate researchers offer some advice. --by Linley Erin Hall

Maintaining the boundary between work and home has always been tricky. Cell phones, PDAs and laptops make the task even more difficult. Blake Ashforth studies the ways in which people maintain their personal/professional boundaries. --by Carrie Barnett

As the world's urban areas grow at an increasingly rapid pace, humankind must find ways to apply theoretical knowledge and scientific research more strategically--and more quickly. --by Jessica McCann