Scientific American Body Magazine

December 2007

FEATURES

The Artificial Heart: Not Just a Pump
The goal of building a safe artificial heart has frustrated bioengineers for more than four decades. At last, an end could be in sight
By Wray Herbert

Where is the AIDS Vaccine?
Science gets closer, but a fully effective vaccine against HIV remains elusive
By JR Minkel

Getting to Know Nutraceuticals
Claims for some of these food-based dietary supplements stand up to scientific scrutiny, but others falter
By Thomas Hayden

The Skinny on the Environment
The very structure of our communities may predispose us to inactivity and obesity. Now researchers are remodeling cities for healthier kids
By Kathryn Brown

5 New Year's Resolutions You Owe Yourself
We questioned health professionals and plumbed the scientific literature in a quest for the most life-enhancing New Year's resolutions possible
By Charles Q. Choi

Special Report: Managing Diabetes
More than 171 million people have this increasingly common condition. But lizard spit, new monitors and an array of other drugs and devices can help control diabetes better than ever

Is There Really an Autism Epidemic?
A closer look at the statistics suggests something more than a simple rise in incidence
By Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz

The Ultimate Blood Test
A pricey way to determine health risks: 250 tests at once
By Philip Yam

Saving Troubled Knees
Silk scaffolds, grafts from pigs and green tea extracts might someday help keep injured and vulnerable joints active
By Karen Hopkin

Testosterone's Bad Rep
Hormones don't necessarily make men violent, but they do cause them to seek social dominance
By Christopher Mims