These are busy times for Plus. Apart from celebrating our 50th issue by putting together a bumper collection of in-depth articles, news and reviews, we're also working on various special projects, some of which have already gone live, and some of which will reach you over the next few weeks and months. Here's a sneak preview of what's in store for 2009...

The computer animation used in movies and games is now so lifelike, it is very hard to believe that you are actually watching a surface built from simple shapes of triangles. Phil Dench tells Plus how he uses mathematics to help bring these models to life.

Why length matters

New insights into gene permutations

Web users to write "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxies"

How will the UK do in the 2012 Olympics?

The world celebrates a great anniversary and Plus joins the party

The European Science Foundation backs systems biology

Innumeracy costs UK taxpayers up to £2.4 billion a year.

The UK Statistics Authority fulfills its duty to keep the government honest

Help secure the future of Plus