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The author talks about his works of carved paper sculptures that combine Romantic art and science. He mentions how he intends his sculptures to reference science and scientific imagery as well as assert the importance of his imagination and creativity, his sculpture "Kernel" that was inspired by chestnut husks, influenza virus and the internal structure of organs, and his sculpture "Cut Microbe" that was inspired by the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of the bacterium Escherichia coli.

In article, the author highlights the research community's concern about the detrimental effects of overusing citation metrics. Topics include the competitive academic workplace which measures quantitatively through metrics; the number of research papers published and citations of papers, H-index, which measures the research productivity and significance; and Sigma Xi the Scientific Research Society's focus on research ventures and the overall health of the research enterprise.

The article discusses the role that necessity played in the invention of paperweights from the late 19th century through the 1950s in the U.S., including the electrical engineer Charles P. Steinmetz's use of ad-hoc paperweights throughout his career. An overview of various items used to hold down paper, including rounded stones and horseshoes, is provided.

The author reflects on the topics he's written about in the 25 years of writing for the journal. He states that nearly half of his articles focus either on bridges or on common and the design of often small items found in everyday life. He mentions how his father got him interested in design and engineering by his fascinating on details on where containers came from. He talks about his fascinating with bridges which started when writing his book "To Engineer is Human."

The article discusses calculation of pi (π) in the 1850s by British amateur mathematician William Shanks. According to the author, Shanks made a series of mistakes during his 707-digit computation of π, beginning at decimal place 530, that tainted the rest of his work. Topics include the author's use of forensic mathematics to retrace Shank's steps using mathematician John Machin's arctan series formula, brief biographical information about Shanks, and where Shanks went wrong.

This article explores the question of whether artificial intelligence (AI) should be considered a coauthor of scientific papers. It provides a historical overview of AI, from its early beginnings to its current capabilities. The author argues that while AI can generate text, it lacks the ability to make new discoveries or truly understand concepts. The article also raises ethical concerns about the accuracy and truthfulness of AI-generated content. It concludes that while AI can assist in research, the responsibility for its use lies with human researchers, as AI tools are not yet capable of taking ethical responsibility for the research. [Extracted from the article]

Charles Henry Turner, an African American scientist, conducted groundbreaking research on animal behavior in the early 20th century. Despite facing racial prejudice and being unable to secure an academic position, Turner published over 70 papers and made significant contributions to the field. His research challenged the prevailing belief that insects were mere automatons, and he studied a wide range of animals and plants. Turner's work demonstrated his insight and prescience in the behavioral sciences, although he remains under-acknowledged in the scientific and civil rights communities. Efforts are being made to bring wider recognition to his accomplishments, including a petition for a commemorative stamp in his honor. [Extracted from the article]

An erratum has been issued for an article titled "Deconstructing DNA Beyond the Helix" by Caryn Babaian in the journal American Scientist. The correction clarifies a paragraph on page 97, stating that the fibers were positioned in a parallel arrangement and suspended from a paper clip in the pathway of emitted x-rays under controlled humidity. The x-rays interacted with the DNA strands, resulting in a uniform pattern of lines that created the well-known X shape. The correction has been made to the online version of the article. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURE ARTICLES Otto Schott had dreams of discovering new things in the tidy and clean space of a chemical laboratory. After his graduate studies, Schott went on to work in a glass factory, publishing papers on the melting of glass, the strengthening of glass, and the chemical elements in glass. These actions were out of view for most Americans, including scientists, who used Pyrex glasses to find the causes for diseases in glass petri dishes, and developed drugs to fight them in glass test tubes. The Elements of Laboratory Glass Schott sent glass samples to Abbe, but they did not have the optical properties that Abbe desired. [Extracted from the article]

This article from American Scientist explores various aspects of equity and inequality. It discusses the lasting effects of racist housing practices in the United States, which have resulted in neighborhoods with higher percentages of green spaces. The article also highlights the inequitable access to education and scientific research faced by individuals from marginalized communities, particularly in the UK and Africa. Additionally, it examines the ethical considerations surrounding the treatment of human remains and the question of whether artificial intelligence should be credited as coauthors in scientific papers. The article encourages readers to reflect on how equity influences their own research decisions and practices. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a neuroscientist-artist whose inspiration is drawn from materials and techniques of Asian scroll painting to visualize the complex neural circuitry of the brain. Topics include the author's experimentation of merging microscopic imagery with Asian scroll painting, his painting techniques of blowing ink across paper to recreate dendritic forms and microetching, and his quest to depict the brain's complexity by adding reflective dimensions.

The article discusses the recipients of the scientific research society Sigma Xi's People's Choice award, including high school student Maryam Imran for her paper "The Antibacterial Effects of Carrots, Garlic, Kale, and Broccoli on Escherichia coli," undergraduate Talia Borofsky for her paper "“Hive Minded: Like Neurons, Honeybees Collectively Integrate Stop Signals to Regulate Forager Recruitment" and graduate student Rachel Shoop for her paper "Evolution of North American Micruracarus Water Mites."

The article highlights a research on honeybee aggression by Clare Rittschof of the University of Kentucky. Topics include experiment of a low-aggression hive and a high-aggression beehive and their responses when a paper with a standard amount of alarm pheromone is placed at their entrance; the results which showed that bees that tend not to sting show a molecular profile associated with infection and stress; and aggressive social interactions activate the same molecular responses in honeybees.

The article discusses how powerful mosaic can be as a medium for depicting complex global challenges. It mentions that medium of mosaic can be a very powerful medium with which to explore climate change and the Anthropocene. It also mentions that composing a clear narrative in any given mosaic requires a dance between the materials and the andamento.

The article summarizes academic papers on topics including the roles of proteins condensin I and II in the replication of chromosomes during mitosis, circadian variations in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier in fruit flies, and the dating of star development based on a radiation absorption profile at 78 MHz.

The article discusses the Communicating Science for Policy Workshop hosted by the Institute on Science for Global Policy and held in Durham, North Carolina on August 10-11, 2015. Topics discussed includes debates stemming from papers written by Dr. Arthur Lupia, executive director Liz Neeley, and Dr. William Hallman, and group discussions on improving science communication. Additional information can be found at https://storify.com/SigmaXi/communicating-science-for-policy-workshop.