August 2011
Scientific American Magazine

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Cover; August 2011; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

Table of Contents; August 2011; by Staff Editor; 2 Page(s)

From the Editor; August 2011; by Mariette DiChristina; 1 Page(s)

A Future with Science

Letters; August 2011; by The Editors; 2 Page(s)

Letters to the editor from the April 2011 issue of Scientific American

Science Agenda: Stand and Deliver; August 2011; by The Editors; 1 Page(s)

Reenergizing science and math education in the U.S. has to begin with the teachers

Forum: A Dearth of New Meds; August 2011; by Kenneth I. Kaitin; Christopher P. Milne; 1 Page(s)

Drugs to treat neuropsychiatric disorders have become too risky for big pharma

Mental Illness in a Dish; August 2011; by Tim Requarth; 1 Page(s)

A new technique offers scientists an unprecedented window into complex psychiatric disorders

A Skill Better than Rudolph's; August 2011; by Anne-Marie Hodge; 1 Page(s)

Reindeer can spot predators and food against a snowy backdrop thanks to an unusual ability to see UV light

Ageless. No Plastic Surgery Required; August 2011; by John Matson; 1 Page(s)

A new study may help scientists determine when stars were born

Parsing the Twitterverse; August 2011; by Francie Diep; 1 Page(s)

Smarter language processors are helping experts analyze millions of short-text messages from across the Internet

What Is It?; August 2011; by Ann Chin; 1 Page(s)

Exploding with lightning

Anatomy of an Outbreak; August 2011; by Carrie Arnold; 1 Page(s)

Researchers untangle the genetics of how a crippling virus mutated and spread via mosquito from Africa to Asia

All Together Now; August 2011; by Mary Carmichael; 1 Page(s)

Scientists take peer review public

E. coli on the March; August 2011; by Christine Gorman; 1 Page(s)

Toxic strains of a common gut microbe are multiplying

News Scans; August 2011; by George Hackett; 1 Page(s)

In Brief

Going Viral; August 2011; by Jessica Wapner; 1 Page(s)

New hepatitis C drugs owe their success to HIV

Mouth Wide Open; August 2011; by Francie Diep; 1 Page(s)

An aquatic scientist describes the challenges of studying creatures that live deep under the sea

The Mind-Reading Salmon; August 2011; by Charles Seife; 1 Page(s)

The true meaning of statistical significance

Where House Cats Roam; August 2011; by Madhumita Venkataramanan; 1 Page(s)

Researchers compare the mysterious wanderings of pet and stray felines

Cryogenic Cooking; August 2011; by W. Wayt Gibbs; Nathan Myhrvold; 1 Page(s)

Liquid nitrogen can transform oil, berries and even hamburgers

The Science of Health: How Do Tumors Grow?; August 2011; by Cassandra Willyard; 2 Page(s)

An alternative explanation for cancer's origins could lead to better therapies

Technofiles: The Perils of Copy Protection; August 2011; by David Pogue; 2 Page(s)

Tech companies handcuff our files to protect against digital pirates. The strategy isn't just annoying for customers—it could be hurting sales

Does the Multiverse Really Exist?; August 2011; by George F. R. Ellis; 6 Page(s)

Proof of parallel universes radically different from our own may still lie beyond the domain of science

The Evolution of Grandparents; August 2011; by Rachel Caspari; 6 Page(s)

Senior citizens may have been the secret of our species' success

How To Build a Better Learner; August 2011; by Gary Stix; 8 Page(s)

Brain studies suggest new ways to improve reading, writing and arithmetic—and even social skills

The False Promise of Biofuels; August 2011; by David Biello; 8 Page(s)

The breakthroughs needed to replace oil with plant-based fuels are proving difficult to achieve

Treasure in the Trees; August 2011; by Nina Bai; 2 Page(s)

Nests offer clues about natural history, climate change and their owners' mating habits

A Breath of Fresh Air; August 2011; by Steven M. Rowe; J. P. Clancy; Eric J. Sorscher; 6 Page(s)

Fundamental understanding of basic biology has set the stage for new treatments for cystic fibrosis

How New York Beat Crime; August 2011; by Franklin E. Zimring; 6 Page(s)

With its judicious use of cops and innovative methods, the Big Apple is a model for how to stem homicides, muggings and other ills

Why Math Works; August 2011; by Mario Livio; 4 Page(s)

Is math invented or discovered? A leading astrophysicist suggests that the answer to the millennia-old question is both

Zahi Hawass, Egypt's Indiana Jones and One-Time Mubarak Ally, Tries to Cozy Up to Pro-Democracy Activists; August 2011; by Interview by Jeffrey Bartholet; 4 Page(s)

Egypt had a revolution, but Zahi Hawass, the larger-than-life minister of antiquities, is still calling his own shots and making no apologies

Recommended; August 2011; by Kate Wong; 1 Page(s)

Books and recommendation from Scientific American

Skeptic: Globaloney; August 2011; by Michael Shermer; 1 Page(s)

Why the world is not flat... yet

Anti-Gravity: Out of the Brains of Babes; August 2011; by Steve Mirsky; 1 Page(s)

Small children can have big ideas

50, 100, 150 Years Ago; August 2011; by Daniel C. Schlenoff; 1 Page(s)

Innovation and discovery as chronicled in Scientific American

Graphic Science: Bombarded; August 2011; by Mark Fischetti; 1 Page(s)

More and more electromagnetic radiation of our own making fills the "empty" air