The economy: The prognoses for the German economy are darkening by the week. Is Germany headed for a major crisis? And what does the economic outlook mean for next year's national elections?

"The Authorities Are Afraid"

SPIEGEL interview with the Chinese dissident Dai Qing on the nostalgic Mao cult, the sleaze within the Communist Party's elite, and the generation change-over at the top of the party:

"Corruption, sleaze and buying one's way into office have taken on horrific dimensions in the party, in the apparatus of state and in the military. … Almost all the big companies function as subsidiaries of the regime. Either their managers are themselves civil servants, or they are related to comrades from the party or apparatus of state, by blood or by marriage. … It's more likely that the next team will only play a transitional role. We may have to wait for the fifth or sixth generation before China really changes. Who knows whether there will still be a Communist Party then."

"The Art Robbers"

"The Presence of the Past" series: The Nazis systematically looted museums, art galleries and depositories throughout Europe. But the Americans and Soviets also snatched away masses of great artwork after the end of the war. Even today, paintings that once belonged to Jews are on display in Paris, London and New York.

"Honey for the Bees"

France: Prime Minister Jospin is running into trouble with his Trotzkyist past. Boris Fraenkel, born on January 10, 1921, in Gdansk, is the master who won over the young Lionel Jospin for Trotskyism almost 40 years ago - a past which the French prime minister long denied and has now had to acknowledge with tortuous explanations. One of the Trotskyists' key strategies was to conquer "apparatuses" of state and society. His teacher's stories confirm a suspicion which is awkward for Jospin and one that he has been unable to dispel to this day: apparently he allowed himself to be deployed as a "mole" to infiltrate the institutions, probably not just when he took up office in the Quai d'Orsay in 1965 but also on entering the Socialist Party towards the end of 1971, soon after it was founded by François Mitterrand.

"Fragrance under the Hood"

Chemistry: Scent researchers are in search of new smells for the perfumes and shampoos of the future in rain forests, mountain meadows and coral reefs, resorting to their fine sense of smell and high-tech. They can even capture the scents of soil and snow - and then reconstruct them in the laboratory. Thousands of flowers are necessary in order to extract just a few drops of pure jasmine oil by conventional means - a prohibitive process in both ecological and financial terms when it comes to exotic plants. But the so-called headspace process gives chemists a method that allows them to record the scent even of individual flowers as if they were using a scent recorder.

"Toughest Selection Procedure"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with BMW's head of motor sports Gerhard Berger on Bavarian Formula 1 engineering, the rebellion of the car manufacturers against Leo Kirch and the duel between the Schumacher brothers:

"We've demonstrated that it can also be done without the expensive luring of top people from your rivals. … It's a mix: about a dozen engineers who have already been involved in motor sports elsewhere, and 200 people from BMW's staff. We've mixed different cultures. … I would question whether there can be a different successful series of races. But the car manufacturers certainly have enough leverage to threaten Leo Kirch's return on investment. That's why I think it's only a matter of time before a sensible discussion begins between Kirch and the manufacturers. … In every era, the best drivers have always been a combination of natural talent, work ethic and cleverness. In Canada, Ralf Schumacher displayed those qualities and patiently waited for his chance to come."

"Orphans of the Art of Healing"

Medicine: Over four million Germans suffer from diseases that are so rare that it is not worthwhile developing drugs against them. Many of the patients, often children, die as a result. Will a new law offering more incentives to the pharmaceutical industry really manage to bring relief? With the new financial incentives, specialising in drugs against so-called "orphan diseases" could pay off particularly for smaller companies. But as yet there are far too few companies to meet the huge demand. Meanwhile, more and more affected parents are refusing to resign to their fate. Numerous patient initiatives are starting to be set up.

"Rescuing the Emperor"

Archaeology: Beijing's chief archaeologists are worried. The paint is chipping off the world-famous, Ancient Chinese terracotta army. When they were discovered, the underworld warriors were still coated in a colourful layer of powder. Now the next world army stands in its pit a faded, dirty ochre. In desperation, the Chinese are periodically interrupting their excavations. Most of the clay figures are still enclosed by soil. To save the layers of paint, the Chinese are currently working with the solvent polyethyleneglycol. As soon as they have been laid bare from the moist soil, the figures are immediately sprayed with this tincture. Another team is experimenting with bandages, covering the clay warriors in pre-soaked cotton wool. The technique is time-consuming, but should pay off.

"Nobody Picks a Fight with Me"

SPIEGEL interview with American rap star Marshall Mathers, alias Eminem, on his reputation as the villain of the pop industry, white hiphop and his latest musical project "D12":

"I just describe how I see the shit. I don't pretend to be anyone that I'm not. I know my generation's problems, and I also know the frustration experienced by blacks. After all, I don't come from some high-income family. … I don't ask people to do anything. I tell stories about myself, my feelings, my life. Besides, it's still parents who are responsible for their children. They have to explain right and wrong, morality and immorality to them. … These people only get so outraged because I have so many white fans and rap has suddenly become important. Hiphop wasn't a problem as long as it was confined to the Bronx, South Central Los Angeles or Detroit - but since white kids have started showing an interest in it, the media, the white ones of course, have pounced upon our music and are screaming: The kids are in danger!"

"Flight and Fugue"

Music: The pianist Grete Sultan was a celebrated interpreter of Bach and Schönberg in pre-war Berlin. The Nazis prohibited her from playing the piano and murdered almost her entire family. She managed to escape to New York. New recordings are now to be released to mark her 95th birthday. For the past sixty years, Grete Sultan has been a part of New York's New Music scene. She receives her pupils, and they drive her to concerts. Never being interested in playing to the gallery, she never became a star. "All I ever wanted to do was play."

"Lara Croft in the Killing Field"