May 1999 Contents

ARTICLES

Carbon Nanotubes as Molecular Quantum Wires

The long cylindrical fullerenes called carbon nanotubes are the smallest metallic wires yet made. A flurry of recent experiments is revealing the quantum properties of electron transport along these molecular wires — Cees Dekker

One Hundred Years of Astronomy in America

In honor of the American Astronomical Society's centennial, we celebrate American astronomy's remarkable century of technological innovation and breathtaking, ever-expanding discovery

A Continuous Model of Computation

Physicists should consider an alternative to the Turing-machine model of computation — Joseph F. Traub

DEPARTMENTS

Search and Discovery

• At last we have an undisputed observation of "direct" CP violation in kaon decay

• Spherical torus may improve tokamak cost and performance

• Baltimore Meeting to Focus on Optoelectronics and Laser Science

• Crystallographers to Meet in Buffalo this Month

Washington Reports

• At APS centennial, past presidential science advisers recall some pleasures and pains of a fretful job

• Backgrounds of eight former presidential science advisers

Physics Community

• In a tight academic job market, union activism grows among graduate students

• DOE opens WIPP for nuclear waste burial

• Physicist wins religion prize

• Synchrotron gets green light in Canada

• Web Watch

Books

Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam: A Life in Physics, J. A. Wheeler with K. Ford (reviewed by M. Goldhaber)

Quantum Mechanics, E. Merzbacher (reviewed by D. Greenberger)

Classical Dynamics: A Contemporary Approach, J. V. Jose and E. J. Saletan (reviewed by M. E. Mayer)

The Defining Years in Nuclear Physics: 1932-1960s, M. Mladjenovic (reviewed by H. Feshbach)

The Electrical Nature of Storms, D. R. MacGorman and W. D. Rust (reviewed by E. R. Williams)

Foundations of Modern Cosmology, J. F. Hawley and K. A. Holcomb (reviewed by P. R. Shapiro)

Plus ...

Our regular sections: Physics Update, Letters, New Products, We Hear That, and Information Exchange.