Table of Contents

In This Issue

Mars: Myth and Reality
by Norman H. Horowitz
A long-cherished dream of life dies hard.

Chairman of the Board
Ruben Mettler has old ties to Caltech and new responsibilities.

The Tax Compliance Game
Caltech economists are modeling the tax system — with often surprising results.

Pauling at 85
Chemists celebrate a birthday with a special salute.

Particles in Motion: The Case of the Loaded Die
by Bradley T. Werner
Modern tools answering age-old questions turn up an interesting application.

Speaking of Communication
by Edward C. Posner, Rodney M. Goodman, and Robert L. McEliece
Complex, high-speed communications systems generate new problems to solve.

Departments

Research in Progress
The Neuron-Silicon Connection
Travels of a Terrane

Books
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter — by Richard P. Feynman

Letters

Random Walk