News | Popular | Blogs | Articles | Departments
Bringing Power to the People—by Plugging Into the Sahara
"Where there are few people, there is lots of renewable energy," says one clean-energy engineer.
by Elizabeth Svoboda
Out of the Blue, Into the Black
Commercial space travel is now almost within reach of ordinary citizens. But can small-a astronauts handle the ride?
One Giant Leap for Machine Kind
While human explorers remain stubbornly stuck in Earth orbit, robotic space probes are preparing for the next great age of exploration: drilling, rolling, sailing, and prospecting where nobody has gone before.
Your Brain Knows a Lot More Than You Realize
Neuroscientist David Eagleman explores the processes and skills of the subconscious mind, which our conscious selves rarely consider.
It's Complicated: The Lives of Dolphins & Scientists
In the escalating war over dolphin rights, two pioneers in the study of cetacean consciousness have sacrificed their decades-old friendship for their beliefs.
Building the Green-Collar Economy
The lure of renewable energy sources is that they help fight climate change. Four experts argue that the transition to a clean economy could also jump-start economic growth and put a new generation to work.
Departments
Winemaking: a Combination of Science, Nature, Art, and Footwork
Each glass tells you something about the wine's milieu as well as the vintner's approach.
by Rebecca Coffey
4 Sports Injuries That Are Pushing the Envelope of Modern Medicine
With so much on the line, athletes are willing to try new treatments that may be groundbreaking cures or just elaborate placebos.
by Mara Grunbaum
We Can Now Safely Sequence a Fetus' Genome. Is the World Ready for This?
Researchers can now get the entire genome of a fetus just by sampling the mother's blood. While this could help new parents prepare, it may also lead to more abortions and more carefully selected offspring.
by Amy Barth
Vital Signs: A Stress Case or a Serious Disease?
A dermatologist treats an anxious patient for her stress-induced lesions, but new symptoms signal a more serious, and very real, disease.
by Robert A. Norman
Editor's Note: Dream a Little Dream
Don't sell your species short; we can do some pretty impressive things.
by Corey S. Powell, editor in chief
The Brain: "I See," Said the Blind Man With an Artificial Retina
New ocular implants are already illuminating colors and shapes, and promise to become far better.
by Carl Zimmer
20 Things You Didn't Know About... Sausage
The ones that kill, the ones that fly long distances, and the ones made from pig bungs
by LeeAundra Keany
5 Questions for the Microbial Puppet-Master
Timothy Lu gets bacteria to make enzymes that attack their own biofilms, setting them up for the kill.
by Valerie Ross
Numbers: Deadly Produce, From E. Coli to Glass Shards to Apricot Pits
by Mara Grunbaum
The Bright, Hi-Tech Future of Food Preservation
Irradiating food? Pssh. Old news. Engineers are working on more effective (and cooler) techniques like super-high pressure, chemical coatings, and, yes, laser ovens.
by David H. Freedman; illustration by David Plunkert
Hot Science: The Best New Science Culture
The beauty of science, craziness of leaders, and rehabilitation of Ground Zero
by Caroline Spivack, Nicole Dyer, Veronique Greenwood, Valerie Ross, Katie Palmer, Gillian Conahan
9(unknown*no*no*0)&guid=ON){kind=small}
