Another exciting week in science. Here is a quick round-up.

• How do you make transparent electronic paper (e-paper)? Why, with transparent transistors of course. The transistors are made of single "nanowires," or tiny cylindrical structures that were assembled on glass or thin films of flexible plastic.
• Electronics and biology are becoming better friends. To develop selective measurement techniques for diagnostics, drug research, and the detection of poisons, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried/Munich have created a bioelectronic hybrid system. The new system does not kill or damage the cell, allowing for better measurements. Their test was using serotonin.
• What are the effects of cigarette taxes? A new study found that cigarette taxes do reduce smoking but can lead to bootlegging. Lead researcher Dr Donna Shelley noted, "Although interest in quitting was high among the smokers interviewed, bootleggers created an environment in which discounted cigarettes were easier to access than cessation services." This just shows that any public health policy needs to be approached from multiple angles for it to be effective.
• Still on smoking, it turns out that second-hand smoke leads to elevated levels of carcinogens in people. The research showed that nonsmoking restaurant and bar employees absorb a potent carcinogen -not considered safe at any level- while working in places where they had to breathe tobacco smoke from customers and co-workers. The carcinogen, NNK, is found in the body only as a result of using tobacco or breathing secondhand smoke.
• Finally, another smoking-related find, but this one offers hope: What Happens to Your Body if You Stop Smoking Right Now shows the timeline of events that your body goes through once you stop smoking. Hint: the effects start in 20 minutes!