Scientific American Magazine

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Scientific American Magazine
May 2008
FEATURES

Feature The Chaotic Genesis of Planets
Long viewed as a stately procession to a foregone conclusion, planetary formation turns out to be startlingly chaotic
By Douglas N. C. Lin

Feature Regulating Evolution: How Gene Switches Make Life
Switches within DNA that govern when and where genes are turned on enable genomes to generate the great diversity of animal forms from very similar sets of genes
By Sean B. Carroll, Nicolas Gompel and Benjamin Prudhomme


Feature Nuclear Fuel Recycling: More Trouble Than It's Worth
Plans are afoot to reuse spent reactor fuel in the U.S. But the advantages of the scheme pale in comparison with its dangers
By Frank N. von Hippel


Feature Science 2.0 -- Is Open Access Science the Future?
Is posting raw results online, for all to see, a great tool or a great risk?
By M. Mitchell Waldrop


Feature How Cells Clean House
Worn-out proteins, malfunctioning organelles, invading microorganisms: all are swept up by tiny internal "vacuum cleaners" that keep a living cell healthy. If the process, called autophagy, can be kept in good working order, aging itself might be delayed
By Daniel J. Klionsky and Vojo Deretic


Feature Hooked from the First Cigarette
New findings reveal that cigarette addiction can arise astonishingly fast. But the research could lead to therapies that make quitting easier
By Joseph R. DiFranza


Feature Fighting Killer Worms
Bloodsucking worms called schistosomes are among the world's most worrisome human parasites. A new genome sequence and powerful genetic tools promise to help crack their secrets
By Patrick Skelly



Departments


50, 100 and 150 years ago

100 Years Ago: Whitest Printing Plant in the World
Articles from past issues of Scientific American


100 Years Ago in Scientific American: The Wright Brothers' First Flight
An article from the May 1908 issue of Scientific American


From the Editors

Do-It-Yourself Science
Have hands-on fun with astrophysics, evolution and neuroscience


In Brief

News Scan Briefs


Insights

Dark Forces at Work
Ten years ago two teams discovered that the universe will expand forever at an ever faster rate, thanks to an unseen energy. The leader of one of the groups, Saul Perlmutter, expects that new observations will soon illuminate the universe's dark side


Letters to the Editors

Mailbag: Is Fluoride Dangerous? Is a Solar Grand Plan a Good Idea?
Fluoridation; Solar Power; Congress and Science


Reviews

Flatland the Movie, against Happiness
Animated Dimensions -- Desperate Contentment -- Crucial Numbers


Updates

Whatever Happened to the Pioneer Spacecraft?
More Pioneer Anomalies -- Black Hole Labs -- Hair-Raising Work -- Tuna Triumph


Working Knowledge

How Do Green Roofs Work?


News Scan
Opinion

SciAm.com

Feature
Self-experimenters
This month our Web site features an eight-part series on scientists who used themselves as guinea pigs. Among them is Kevin Warwick, who wired his nervous system into the Internet—and his wife.

Strange but True
Survival in Space Unprotected Is Possible (Briefly)
But don’t linger in the interstellar vacuum or hold your breath.

News
Food Containers Leach a Potentially Harmful Chemical
Is bisphenol A, a major ingredient in many plastics, healthy for children and other living things?

Podcast
A Star Is Flung
The star called HE 0437-5439 looks like it was tossed out of the Large Magellanic Cloud by a hypothesized black hole.

Video
Scientific American Hears from Climate Skeptics
We dared to visit the Heartland Institute’s anti–climate change conference.

In Memoriam
Arthur C. Clarke, R.I.P.
The accomplishments of the legendary writer extend far beyond 2001.

 
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