Science Spin July 2007

In this issue, Marie-Catherine Mousseau explains that studies of meteorites can provide us with clues about our own origins. Eoin Gill describes the brilliant scientific mind of Leonardo da Vinci, which is clear from his drawings and notes on the subject, some of which are currently on display in Dublin's Chester Beatty Museum. Tom Kennedy reports on the lucky survival of woodblocks at the Geological Survey of Ireland - these were pieces of wood etched by hand and used to print scientific illustrations throughout the 19th century. Meanwhile, we also look at how high-speed computing is changing the way scientists do research, describe a new report which seeks to determine what students really think about science, and explain the work and motivaiton of volunteer medical staff working with the French non-governmental organisation, Médicines Sans Frontiéres.

Features in this issue

• The inventive mind of Leonardo da Vinci [History of Science ]
• Making a good impression: In wood [Geology ]
• Meteorites: Clues to Solar System's origins [Astrophysics ]
• Grid-computing provides awesome computational power [Computer Science ]
• Medicine without borders [Healthcare ]