February 2010
Scientific American Magazine

Digital subscribers-sign in for full access

Cover; February 2010; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

Table of Contents; February 2010; by Staff Editor; 2 Page(s)

From the Editor; February 2010; by Mariette DiChristina; 1 Page(s)

ÿÿContinuum of Change

Letters; February 2010; by Staff Editor; 2 Page(s)

The Oil Crisis; Biotech Food; Brain Pills

50, 100 and 150 Years Ago; February 2010; by Daniel C. Schlenoff; 1 Page(s)

Cosmic Dust; Working Bacteria; Yeast for Bread

Poisoned Shipments; February 2010; by Madhusree Mukerjee; 2 Page(s)

Are strange, illicit sinkings making the Mediterranean toxic?

Negating "Climategate"; February 2010; by David Biello; 1 Page(s)

Copenhagen talks and climate science survive stolen e-mail debacle

Python Boom; February 2010; by Michael Tennesen; 3 Page(s)

Big snakes poised to change U.S. ecosystems

Mouse Mash-Up; February 2010; by Megan Scudellari; 3 Page(s)

To better study disease, mice that reflect human DNA diversity

Lost Giants; February 2010; by Charles Q. Choi; 2 Page(s)

Did mammoths vanish before, during and after humans arrived?

Naked Gaming; February 2010; by Susan Kuchinskas; 1 Page(s)

Good-bye, controller: an Xbox upgrade reads natural gestures

Bigger, Better Broadband; February 2010; by Michael Moyer; 1 Page(s)

New regulatory rules should change the way Americans get online

Perspectives - Comparatively Easy; February 2010; by The Editors; 1 Page(s)

Weighing the risks and benefits of medical procedures is unquestionably a good thing

Sustainable Developments - Fixing the Broken Policy Process; February 2010; by Jeffrey D. Sachs; 1 Page(s)

Greater transparency and limits on lobbyist influence would promote better long-range strategies

Skeptic - Cultivate Your Garden; February 2010; by Michael Shermer; 1 Page(s)

How a lack of control leads to superstition and what can be done about it

Critical Mass - The Real Promise of Synthetic Biology; February 2010; by Lawrence M. Krauss; 1 Page(s)

Scientists are closing in on the ability to make life from scratch, with potential consequences both good and bad

Cloudy with a Chance of Stars; February 2010; by Erick T. Young; 8 Page(s)

Making a star is no easy thing

The Naked Truth; February 2010; by Nina G. Jablonski; 8 Page(s)

Recent findings lay bare the origins of human hairlessness—and hint that naked skin was a key factor in the emergence of other human traits

Better Mileage Now; February 2010; by Ben Knight; 6 Page(s)

Emerging technologies could make the internal-combustion engine substantially more fuel-efficient, even as green vehicles make inroads

The Art of Bacterial Warfare; February 2010; by B. Brett Finlay; 8 Page(s)

New research reveals how bacteria hijack our body's cells and outwit our immune system—and how we can use their own weapons against them

Fixing the Global Nitrogen Problem; February 2010; by Alan R. Townsend and Robert W. Howarth; 8 Page(s)

Humanity depends on nitrogen to fertilize croplands, but growing global use is damaging the environment and threatening human health. How can we chart a more sustainable path?

Seeing Forbidden Colors; February 2010; by Vincent A. Billock and Brian H. Tsou; 6 Page(s)

People can be made to see reddish green and yellowish blue—colors forbidden by theories of color perception. These and other hallucinations provide a window into the phenomenon of visual opponency

The Prolific Afterlife of Whales; February 2010; by Crispin T. S. Little; 6 Page(s)

On the deep seafloor, the carcasses of the largest mammals give life to unique ecosystems

Ask the Experts; February 2010; by Katherine Harmon; 1 Page(s)

Can people ever lose their fingerprints?

Recommended; February 2010; by Kate Wong; 1 Page(s)

The Science of Bling; Time Theory; Youthful Aging

Anti-Gravity: Greenhouse Bananas; February 2010; by Steve Mirsky; 1 Page(s)

Two men tout stuff you didn't learn in school, if you went to a good school