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At the center of nearly every galaxy lies a monster, a giant black hole millions or even billions of times heavier than the Sun. Some, known as quasars or active galactic nuclei, shine brightly from across the universe as they continuously devour surrounding gas. But most are dormant, lurking invisibly for thousands of years—until a star passes too close and is ripped to shreds. That triggers a monthslong tidal disruption event (TDE), which can shine as brightly as a supernova. Until a few years ago, astronomers had spotted only a handful of TDEs. But now, a new generation of wide-field surveys is catching more of them, soon after they start—yielding new insights into the violent events and the hidden population of black holes that drives them.

Godzilla has endured in our collective imaginations even as other oversized movie monsters from the 1950s have faded from memory. What began as a pointed antinuclear fable has since evolved into a broader allegory for human folly and our reckless disregard for the natural environment. In this essay, we suggest that Godzilla—which has grown significantly since its debut— is evolving in response to a spike in humanity9s collective anxiety, and that the monster is more than a metaphor; it is a fable with a lesson for our times.

In January 1818, Mary Shelley published her book Frankenstein , a terrifying story of a doctor who builds a creature from scavenged body parts, then recoils in horror, spurns it, and sees his friends and family destroyed by the monster. Two hundred years later, Frankenstein is still essential reading for anyone working in science. In this special issue, Science examines the lasting legacy of Shelley9s book on science and popular culture as well as the potential risks from modern-day, real-life Frankensteins.

It was 200 years ago that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was published. Over the decades, this gothic tale has captured the popular imagination through the numerous theater productions and films it inspired. The story is commonly taken to imply a dire warning about the dangers of scientific hubris. Just mention the name Frankenstein and laypersons think of scientists “playing God.” In the common view, the inevitable consequence of Frankenstein's alleged transgression—bestowing life on inanimate matter—was that he created a monster that would wreak havoc on his family and friends. Frankenstein's name is repeatedly invoked in debates about emerging technologies like biotech, nanotech, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. However, the view of Shelley's story as a cautionary tale about scientific hubris, although dominant, is only one possible interpretation. Her novel, actually, is a multilayered story full of ambivalences and much subtler than most Hollywood versions. It naturally lends itself to diverse interpretations.

It could be the most photographed snack in the history of the galaxy. Either late this year or early next, the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way, known as Sagittarius A*, will devour a blob of gas hurtling toward it at more than 2000 kilometers per second. A vast array of telescopes in space and on the ground is poised to record the feast, which could rouse the Milky Way9s gravitational and reveal why the massive body appears to have been on a near-starvation diet for centuries. But before astronomers can attempt to answer these questions, they must nail down several basic properties about the parcel of gas known as G2: its origin, mass, and orbit.

The Monster at Our Door . The Global Threat of Avian Flu. By Mike Davis . New Press, New York, 2005. 220 pp. $21.95, C$26.95, €12.99. ISBN 1-59558-011-5. The author summarizes the evolution of H5N1 and related viruses and discusses factors---burgeoning slums, agribusiness, fast-food industries, corrupt governments---that have created conditions conducive to the emergence of a pandemic.

Researchers say crossing avian and human flu viruses is crucial to understanding the threat of a new influenza pandemic, but they admit that they might create a monster.

SAN DIEGO-- In a planet increasingly flooded with invasive species, victories are rare. But a dogged team of scientists and resource managers in California is hoping to beat the odds and triumph over the world9s most formidable seaweed. With Caulerpataxifolia a global threat, the world is closely watching the eradication effort here.

The algal bloom observed in Taihu lake in the summer of 2007 and sensationalized in a News Focus story (“Doing battle with the green monster of Taihu Lake,” 31 August 2007, p. [1166][1]) is certainly a serious environmental and ecological problem. However, the issue that drew public attention to

TAIHU LAKE, CHINA-- In attempting to subdue a vicious algal bloom, scientists aim to restore the health of a major lake in China and hone strategies for heading off toxic soups elsewhere.

DWINGELOO, THE NETHERLANDS-- European astronomers want to leapfrog current technology to make a telescope 10 times as wide as today9s largest. But do they have the know-how or the unity?

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA-- In 1991, astronomers at the Fly9s Eye observatory in Utah detected a cosmic ray packing 320 exa-electron volts (EeV) of energy, the same punch as an 88-kilometer-an-hour baseball pitch. Now, observations from Fly9s Eye9s replacement have shown that the 320-EeV monster was not a freak of nature. This month at an American Physical Society meeting here, astronomers from the High-Resolution Fly9s Eye detector, or HiRes, announced that they had found a handful of ultrasuperhigh-energy cosmic rays that deepen the mystery about the origin of these strange particles.

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