December 2010
Scientific American Magazine

Digital subscribers-sign in for full access

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

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

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

Science That Matters

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

Letters to the editor from the August 2010 issue of Scientific American

Science Agenda: Defying Pollitics; December 2010; by The Editors; 1 Page(s)

The laws of physics are the least of NASA's challenges

Forum: To Tell the Truth; December 2010; by Hank Greely; 1 Page(s)

Did Marc Hauser know what he was doing?

Black Plants and Twilight Zones; December 2010; by Bryn Nelson; 1 Page(s)

Discoveries of distant planets are challenging theorists to think deeply about extraterrestrial life

Pinning Down a Deadly Shape Shifter; December 2010; by Mary Carmichael; 1 Page(s)

A parasite's genome is yielding clues to how malaria kills

The Incredible, Edible Foam; December 2010; by W. Wayt Gibbs, Nathan Myhrvold; 1 Page(s)

Mathematicians are still struggling to understand what happens atop your morning cappuccino

Hawking Was Right (Probably); December 2010; by John Matson; 1 Page(s)

Researchers may have re-created an elusive black hole phenomenon in the lab

Body Armor with Batteries; December 2010; by Anna Kuchment; 1 Page(s)

Patent No. 7,805,767

Out with a Bang; December 2010; by Kate Wong; 1 Page(s)

Volcanic eruptions may have wiped out the Neandertals

What Is It?; December 2010; by Anna Kuchment; 1 Page(s)

Preppy in Papau

A Global Call to Action on Chronic Diseases; December 2010; by Christine Gorman; 1 Page(s)

Most deaths from cancer and heart disease now occur in the poorer parts of the world

Dear Santa: Please Send Owl Puke; December 2010; by Anna Kuchment; 1 Page(s)

SA asked scientists to recommend their favorite educational gifts for kid

Know the Flow; December 2010; by Michael Moyer; 1 Page(s)

The engineer and recent MacArthur "genius" grant winner thinks we have much to learn from the humble jellyfish

The Science of "Disestimation"; December 2010; by Charles Seife; 1 Page(s)

Why we shouldn't put our faith in opinion polls

A Click of the Tongue; December 2010; by Lisa Song; 1 Page(s)

Linguists have found a new application for ultrasound—decoding dying languages

The Science of Health: The Heart-Brain Connection; December 2010; by Christine Gorman; 2 Page(s)

Could exercising regularly and not smoking help to delay dementia?

Technofiles: Talk to the Machine; December 2010; by David Pogue; 1 Page(s)

Speech-recognition programs are no longer clumsy exercises in futility

World Changing Ideas; December 2010; by The Editors, John Pavlus, Tom Vanderbilt, Elizabeth Svoboda, Melinda Wenner Moyer, Mary Carmichael, Matthew L. Wald,; 10 Page(s)

Ten thoughts, trends and technologies that have the power to transform our lives

A Geometric Theory of Everything; December 2010; by A. Garrett Lisi, James Owen Weatherall; 8 Page(s)

Deep down, the particles and forces of the universe are a manifestation of exquisite geometry

Blood from Stone; December 2010; by Mary H. Schweitzer; 8 Page(s)

Mounting evidence from dinosaur bones shows that, contrary to common belief, organic materials can sometimes survive in fossils for millions of years

Life Unseen; December 2010; by Davide Castelvecchi; 6 Page(s)

Microscopic landscapes show a surprising diversity of forms

Hallucinogens as Medicine; December 2010; by Roland R. Griffiths, Charles S. Grob; 4 Page(s)

In a matter of hours, mind-altering substances may induce profound psychological realignments that can take decades to achieve on a therapist's couch

Long Live the Web; December 2010; by Tim Berners-Lee; 6 Page(s)

The Web is critical not merely to the digital revolution but to our continued prosperity—and even our liberty. Like democracy itself, it needs defending

Jane of the Jungle; December 2010; by Kate Wong; 2 Page(s)

Primatologist Jane Goodall shares insights from her 50 years among chimpanzees

Jump-Starting the Orbital Economy; December 2010; by David H. Freedman; 6 Page(s)

Why NASA's plan to get out of the manned spaceflight business may (finally) make space travel routine

Cyborg Beetles; December 2010; by Michel M. Maharbiz, Hirotaka Sato; 6 Page(s)

Tiny flying robots that are part machine and part insect may one day save lives in wars and disasters

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

Books and recommendations from Scientific American

Skeptic: The Conspiracy Theory Detector; December 2010; by Michael Shermer; 1 Page(s)

How to tell the difference between true and false conspiracy theories

Anti-Gravity: Fatuous Fantasies; December 2010; by Steve Mirsky; 1 Page(s)

When it comes to counting calories, a mind is a terrible thing to your waist

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

Innovation and discovery as chronicled in Scientific American

Graphic Science: Silent Seas; December 2010; by Mark Fischetti; 1 Page(s)

The world's fisheries continue to collapse, although smart controls could help