MAGAZINE ISSUE DATE: 20 NOVEMBER 2004 (Vol. 184 No 2473)

THE NEW STONE AGEDrill a row of holes into a limestone seabed, pump in sulphuric acid, and watch your very own rock bridge grow. A geochemist from the Netherlands is planning to show how this incredibly powerful chemical reaction can actually work. He wants to use the technology to convert a string of submerged limestone reefs between India and Sri Lanka into the foundations for a solid causeway to join the two countries. FEATURE Pages 34-37

RIVAL ENGINES CATCH UP WITH GOOGLEHot on the heels of Google, Microsoft released an early version of their own search engine, MSN Search, last week. According to software engineers the quality of search offered by Microsoft easily matches that of Google. But the problem will be competing with Google's prominent position it has formed in people's minds ever since it exploded onto the scene in 1998. NEWS Page 23

WHAT IS MAKING METHANE ON MARS?Confirmation of methane on Mars, using the Gemini telescope in Chile, has raised some crucial questions. Is the methane inorganic in origin or does it come from living things? The gas was discovered in patches above icy ground, and researchers want a closer look to find out exactly what process is creating it. NEWS Pages 8-9

SOUND SOLUTION SORTS NUTSHow frustrating is it when you can't eat your last pistachios because their shells are too tightly closed. An American engineer has an answer which could save a lot of irritated customers. He has developed a sound-based sorter machine that can tell the difference between the sound of open-shell nuts and uncrackable closed ones when they bounce off a surface. NEWS Page 25

TRENDS: FLAT PANEL TV'S QUANTUM LEAPIf you're planning on switching from your cathode-ray tube TV for a wider flat panel TV, you will be dazzled with choice. Competition is fierce as manufacturers show off an astonishing variety of new technologies, each boasting superiority above the others. But as TV makers try to out do each other to corner the market, the flat screens are being updated so rapidly that it's becoming harder for the consumer to make the right choice. NEWS Page 26

A SUPERHERO WHO MAKES YOU SELFISHHe is the classic superhero who embraces all that is good and fights all that is evil, yet apparently superman is a terrible role model. According to American researchers, thinking of Superman only makes us realise our shortcomings, making us less likely to help other people. NEWS SHORT Page 18

FRESH SPACE RACEBurt Rutan, who last month won the X prize for flying the first private rocket into space, is one of eight groups competing to build the successor to a new space shuttle for future missions to the moon and Mars. NEWS Page 4

LUGGAGE THAT CALLS YOUR NAMEThere'll be no more confusion about which suitcase is yours at the airport luggage carousel with this US invention. The suitcase will have a row of LEDs which flash when triggered by your Bluetooth cellphone, or if you're not easily embarrassed, it can sing out your name. NEWS SHORT Page 25

SUNSPOT EFFECTA US study has found an unexpected connection between the mysterious sunspot cycle and crop success. The link was found by comparing US prices of wheat to the number of sunspots. The study backs the idea that the cycle somehow affects Earth's climate. NEWS SHORT Page 18

STOP FEEDING YOUR MOUSEGadget-makers in Taiwan have developed a cordless mouse that takes its power from the mouse mat. The mouse mat is embedded with hundreds of radio antennas, which induce an electric current in the mouse. The mouse in turn clicks its information to the mat by radio signal. NEWS SHORT Page 24

THE LIGHT STUFFCould we be surrounded by matter with negative mass? Several leading physicists have experimented with the idea over the years, and there is nothing in physics that rules it out. But if negative mass exists " where is it all? Paul Wesson has an idea where it might be found.FEATURE Pages 31-33

A BILLION BRAINS ARE BETTER THAN ONEMicrobes may not shine as individuals, but put them in a group and they build armies, organise a division of labour and even commit mass suicide for the good of the pack. Some say that the microbial communication involved is more than a series of chemical reactions " it's something akin to real language. FEATURE Pages 38-41

SPECIAL ON INTERROGATIONInformation is power. And for the police or military, the prime source of information is interrogation. But the techniques used are often controversial, so where do you draw the line? Page 43

WE HAVE WAYS"¦Most of the psychological techniques used today by interrogators have been used for decades, such as solitary confinement, sleep deprivation and repetitive questioning. These methods leave a person confused, disorientated and likely to submit to any demands. But treatment of this kind can leave a victim with long-term depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.Pages 44-45

THE ENFORCERMichael Koubi worked for the Israeli security service as their chief interrogator from 1987 to 1993. He interrogated hundreds of Palestinian prisoners including Hamas terrorists. He tells New Scientist that he can make almost anyone talk. Pages 46-48

THE PRISONERAfter interviewing Michael Koubi, Michael Bond travelled to the Palestinian territories to meet a woman he interrogated. She describes some of the methods used and how it has affected her. Pages 49-51

CONFESSIONBut interrogations can go badly wrong. After days in confinement and being subjected to hostile questioning and pressure, people will say anything " often making false confessions which can lead to gross miscarriages of justice. Pages 52-53

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New Scientist is the world's leading science and technology news weekly, boasting a circulation of 145,000. The magazine is now available to readers worldwide, with US and Australian editions of New Scientist now being published. Visit our public website for further stories with our daily online news service: http://www.newscientist.com

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