The Bigger the Better

Bigger isn't better

H IV-1 induces e x t e n s i v e changes in its host cell's nuclear pores, Monette et al. reveal. Like all viruses, HIV-1 hijacks the molecular machinery of its host cell to drive its own replication. One process disrupted by the virus is protein transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. For example, HIV-1 prevents an RNA-binding protein called hnRNP A1 from entering the nucleus so that it c...

Are Bigger Brains Better?

Attempts to relate brain size to behaviour and cognition have rarely integrated information from insects with that from vertebrates. Many insects, however, demonstrate that highly differentiated motor repertoires, extensive social structures and cognition are possible with very small brains, emphasising that we need to understand the neural circuits, not just the size of brain regions, which un...

Bigger, Better, Faster, More at the LHC

Multijet plus missing energy searches provide universal coverage for theories that have new colored particles that decay into a dark matter candidate and jets. These signals appear at the LHC further out on the missing energy tail than two-totwo scattering indicates. The simplicity of the searches at the LHC contrasts sharply with the Tevatron where more elaborate searches are necessary to sepa...

Bigger and better things.

Is bigger better?

What is medical science all about? Surely it is about the value chain, which begins with basic research and ends—if there is an end— with a useful product. There is a widespread perception that scientists do a lot of basic research, but neglect the application of their findings. To remedy this, a number of organizations and philanthropists have become dedicated advocates of applied or translati...