The winner of the element crossword challenge (published in volume 412 issue 9) is:

Chin-Fen Teo, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.

The award entitles the winner to select a Springer book of her choice up to a value of €100,-.

Our Congratulations!

Solution

figure a
figure b

Across

1 Concerns vision and perception. 3 Noose, frequently found in a drummer’s set. 6 Show off to impress me. 9 Not to cross if red. 10 Not a state you want your gadgets in. 13 Released their Power in 1990. Tear. 15 Once …. a time. 17 A drink, a push, a blow. 22 A close one at a funeral. 23 HiFi aims to make it truly realistic. 24 Previously. Add a Big Apple for pain. 25 S(h)ort of a firm. 26 Eternal and mostly ethereal surrounding. 27 Rules from an authority. 29 Possibly the result of a shr(i)ek. 30 Displace as a higher authority. 32 Un-less. 34 Keeping the eyes on the horizon might help if this. 35 Romantic movie land. 36 Manifests in 19 down. 37 Turn off 58 across. 40 A condition of being tight. A time of speech. 41 Applies to about 50% of humans. 43 is greater than this by forty two. 45 A typical dosage of 52 across. 46 Decorative element in a pond maybe. Complain grumpily. 48 The Boss (in enterprise terms). 50 Limb-wrap. 51 This hole isn’t fascinating. 52 Extracts made in various flavors. 54 Carnivores. A sword shaken. 56 Reliable. 57 Path for life of oriental origin. 58 What 16 down can do. 59 A lure for 54 across. 60 Comfortable. 61 What else could it be (here at the end)?

Down

1 seen more than once. 2 Was, then. 3 Joins with market, man or vision. 4 Popular dimension of the tiniest things. 5 Short for leisure, note or bill. 6 Imperial representation of gravity? British trade unit. 7 Anti off. 8 Isolation at its best. 10 Electron mover 11 Fleecing? No! Do this to your home! 12 Generously given, thankfully accepted! 14 ment to be absent when abiding the 27 across. 16 Airborne’s detector. 18 Not for horse racing, not for a good mood. 19 A possible manifestation of 6 down. Not a note. 20 Keeps your door in place. 21 Resembles density. 23 You may want to hear it from a priest – not your neighbor. 25 Complex by multiple means. 26 Anti-box? 28 Representation of time gone by. 29 To give a rather negative feedback. 30 Good to have for your working life after your work-life. 31 A sort of fuzziness seen around a saint’s head. 33 Back. 34 Your password should be this. 38 Left? Right? A choice. 39 What a grill ideally does to the outside only. 42 Greek god of arrows. Love it. 44 Interstellar “fog”. 45 Center! Carbonaceous metal-rich mineral?? 47 Over. 49 Do what you are told! 52 Decades, in years. 53 Ice creams crispy companion. 55 Structural element in wider spans. Almost central element of monarchies. 57 A mouthful in Southeast Asia.