2019-09-13

封面上展示的是流水正从拉丁美洲厄瓜多尔第5高的火山埃尔阿尔塔下的山谷中奔流而过。厄瓜多尔的安第斯山脉是亚历山大·冯·洪堡倡导的山地科学的摇篮。2个世纪过去了，在洪堡基金会的支持下，山地研究持续发展，在这个气候迅速变化的时代，这对人类社会至关重要。

Runoff water rushes through the valley below El Altar, Ecuador's fifth-tallest volcano. The Ecuadorian Andes were the cradle of mountain science, pioneered by Alexander von Humboldt. Two centuries on, mountain research continues to build on Humboldt's foundations, with key relevance for human society in the era of rapid climate change.

2019-09-20

封面图展示的是通过原子力显微镜探针施加的电压脉冲激发一氧化碳（分子式CO）分子（C是灰色；O是红色），从而使其从一个定制的合成前体中解离，生成“环碳”（分子式C18）——这是一种环状分子，由18个碳原子通过单键和三键交替连接构成。C18和它的前体可以通过原子操纵进行融合，开辟了一条创造其他复杂富碳分子的道路，这些富碳分子有可能应用于分子电子学。

Voltage pulses applied through an atomic force microscope tip prompt CO molecules (C, gray; O, red) to dissociate from a custom synthesized precursor to create cyclo[18]carbon (C18)—a ring-shaped molecule with 18 carbon atoms joined by alternating single and triple bonds. C18 and its precursors can be fused by atom manipulation, opening a route to create other elusive carbon-rich molecules with possible applications in molecular electronics.

2019-09-27

封面插图展示的是基因呈现出的一个蓝图，通过指导分子机制创造出一个成年人，但表型也取决于环境因素。图中显示的是遗传上不同的个体（图中高亮显示），他们可能在不同的发育条件下表现出其他表型，以背景阴影显示。本期特刊探讨了基因型向表型转化的复杂性，包括不同的环境如何影响表型的发展。

Genes present a blueprint directing molecular machinery to create an adult human, but phenotype also depends on environmental factors. Shown are genetically distinct individuals (highlighted) shadowed by other phenotypes they may have displayed under different developmental conditions. This special issue examines the complexity of translating genotype to phenotype, including how varied environments may affect the developing phenotype.

2019-10-04

封面插图描绘的是人类作为社会性动物，语言是我们存在的核心部分。人类庞大的大脑及其所使用的语言都在影响我们的生活，但哪一个更为有效地塑造了我们周围的世界呢？本期特刊着重介绍了近期对语言进化的一些见解，涉及语言产生和解释的大脑结构，以及这种灵活的功能是如何创造含义的。

Human beings are social animals, and language is central to our existence. Both the large human brain and the language it enables have influenced our lives, but which has more effectively shaped the world around us? This special issue highlights some recent insights into the evolution of language, the brain structures involved in the production and interpretation of language, and how this flexible function creates meaning.