In artificial life research, scientists use the principles of evolution to develop complex behaviors from simple elements. By creating lifelike processes, they are trying to understand real organisms and explore possibilities for life in other circumstances. Techniques used are diverse, including biological testing, robotics, and computer…

With a decision on an oyster developed at the University of Washington, the federal Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences has opened the way to granting patents for animals and animal improvements developed through genetic engineering and other scientific methods. (MSE)

Arnold Beckman is a chemist, businessman, and inventor who was the first to apply electronics to chemical measurement. For 17 years, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has given over $300 million to science, focusing on biology and chemistry. The National Academy of Sciences will honor Beckman with its most prestigious award for his…

A civil engineering professor would like to see civil engineers spend less time looking at broken structures and more time testing construction materials, and has founded a research center for that purpose. (MSE)

Conflict over the authorship of scientific research into schizophrenia in an international collaboration is discussed. Issues of access to research data and laboratory samples, competition for research results, and attribution of scholarship are considered. (MSE)

Questionnaires were distributed to 1,100 behavioral, biological, physical and social scientists at a major research university. Those surveyed said they suspected a colleague of falsifying data and 54% of them had failed to check out the suspicions or to take action to remedy the situation. (MLW)

University administrators are expected by federal agencies to detect, investigate, and judge scientific fraud and misconduct on their campuses. Both National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health place primary responsibility on universities for spotting cases of scientific misconduct. (MLW)