《NATURE》:Top 10 stories of 2006

Top 10 stories of 2006 News@nature.com's hit lists of hot news.
Nicola Jones
Here news@nature.com collects our top stories from 2006 — enjoy!
http://www.nature.com/news/specials/2006/topten/readerschoice.htmlThe most clicked stories of 2006..
http://www.nature.com/news/specials/2006/topten/editorschoice.htmlOur favourites, from the silly to the serious..
NEWS FEATURES Longer tales worth another read.
MOST TALKED ABOUT The stories that got the most comments from you, our readers.


READERS' CHOICE
The most clicked stories of 2006.
Record-breaking laser is hot stuff The record for the fastest rise in temperature has just been topped.12 May 2006
Geometric whirlpools revealed Recipe for making symmetrical holes in water is easy.19 May 2006
Web users judge sites in the blink of an eye Potential readers can make snap decisions in just 50 milliseconds.13 January 2006
The fish that hunts on land Catfish show how the first tetrapods might have caught dinner.12 April 2006
Supercomputer builds a virus Vast simulation captures molecules in motion.14 March 2006
The fish that crawled out of the water A newly found fossil links fish to land-lubbers.5 April 2006
Desktop fusion is back on the table Physicist claims to have definitive data, but can they be replicated?10 January 2006
Lingerie makes hagglers happy-go-lucky Sexy pictures and lacy underwear take men's minds off getting a good deal.19 April 2006
Sharpest cut from nanotube sword Carbon nanotech may have given swords of Damascus their edge.15 November 2006
Polar core is hot stuff There was once little difference between equatorial and arctic climates.31 May 2006


EDITOR'S CHOICE
Our favourites, from the silly to the serious.
'Vegetative' patient shows signs of conscious thought Evidence of brain activity raises issues for neurologists.13 September 2006
A comet's tale Scientists are just beginning to examine the pieces of a comet brought back to Earth by NASA's Stardust mission. Mark Peplow tagged along to one lab to watch researchers examine their prize catch.13 February 2006
Sociologist fools physics judges But do social scientists understand science?5 July 2006
My fish is smaller than yours Contenders line up to net credit for smallest vertebrate.31 January 2006
Popular physics myth is all at sea Does the ghostly Casimir effect really cause ships to attract each other?4 May 2006
Hawking rewrites history... backwards To understand the Universe we must start from the here and now.21 June 2006
Puzzle of leaping liquid solved Physicists explain how shampoo streams can bounce.6 April 2006
Blindfolded humans steered by remote control Artificial electric currents guide walkers round obstacles.7 August 2006
World's most infamous iceberg dies Swell from Alaskan storm breaks up megaberg at opposite end of the globe.3 October 2006
Bubble fusion: silencing the hype Nature reveals serious doubts over claims for fusion in collapsing bubbles.8 March 2006


NEWS FEATURES
Longer tales worth another read.
Science on the solstice In this special feature news@nature.com brings you a composite picture of the summer solstice. 28 June 2006
The trouble with replication The idea that readers should be able to replicate published scientific results is seen as the bedrock of modern science. But what if replication proves difficult or impossible? Jim Giles tracks the fate of one group of papers.26 July 2006
Environmental activism: In the name of nature What drives environmental activists to fire-bomb laboratories? Emma Marris investigates a radical fringe of the US green movement.4 October 2006
Climate change: A sea change A collapse in ocean currents triggered by global warming could be catastrophic, but only now is the Atlantic circulation being properly monitored. Quirin Schiermeier investigates.18 January 2006
Climate change: The tipping point of the iceberg Could climate change run away with itself? Gabrielle Walker looks at the balance of evidence.14 June 2006
Nuclear weapons: The next nuke US nuclear weapons scientists are designing a warhead that is meant to be 'reliable' without ever having been tested. Geoff Brumfiel asks whether it could renew the United States' ageing stockpile.5 July 2006
Ornithology: Digging for dodo No one has seen a dodo in three and a half centuries, but that hasn't stopped the bizarre speculation about this extinct bird. Henry Nicholls investigates whether recent excavations in Mauritius could reveal the real creature.13 September 2006
Fractals and art: In the hands of a master Fractal analysis has been used to assess the authenticity of paintings purporting to be the work of Jackson Pollock. Alison Abbott reports.8 February 2006
Bioethics: An easy way out? Scientists say they gas mice and rats with carbon dioxide because it is humane. It's also simple, cheap and keeps their hands clean. Emma Marris analyses the final seconds of the lab rodents' life.31 May 2006
Depression: Comfortably numb It started life as an anaesthetic, then became a psychedelic club drug. Now researchers think ketamine could hold the key to understanding and treating depression, says Erika Check.11 October 2006


TOP OF THE NEWSBLOG
The stories that got the most comments from you, our readers.
The fish that crawled out of the water
Does gender matter?
Islam and science
Found: one Earth-like planet
Delusions of faith as a science
Top 5 science blogs
'Tenth Planet' found to be a whopper
Study challenges prayers for the sick
Tragic drug trial spotlights potent molecule
The space elevator: going down?

from News Published online: 28 December 2006; doi:10.1038/news061225-1