October 2007
Scientific American Magazine

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Cover; October 2007; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

Table of Contents; October 2007; by Staff Editor; 3 Page(s)

From the Editor; October 2007; by John Rennie; 1 Page(s)

Choosing Targets

Letters; October 2007; by Staff Editor; 2 Page(s)

Rewilding; Network Coding; Traveler's Dilemma

50, 100 and 150 Years Ago; October 2007; by Daniel C. Schlenoff; 1 Page(s)

"White Flight"; Hypnotic Snakes; Treasure Ship

Updates; October 2007; by Philip Yam; 1 Page(s)

Helium Shortage; Cytokine Storm; Martian Dust Threat; Novel HIV Drug

Saving Gas and Lives; October 2007; by Mark Alpert; 2 Page(s)

Can the U.S. improve fuel economy without sacrificing safety?

Oceangoing Iron; October 2007; by Sourish Basu; 2 Page(s)

A venture to profit from a CO₂-eating algae bloom riles scientists

Surviving Side Effects; October 2007; by John Dudley Miller; 2 Page(s)

Security fears spawn ways to treat radiotherapy's downside

New Beginnings; October 2007; by Charles Q. Choi; 3 Page(s)

Ideas for a time before the big bang--which might be testable

Liquid Zoom; October 2007; by Steven Ashley; 1 Page(s)

Adaptive lenses change magnification without moving

Toxic Bulbs; October 2007; by David Appell; 3 Page(s)

Recycling rules vary for mercury-containing fluorescents

Easing Hormone Anxiety; October 2007; by Tabitha M. Powledge; 2 Page(s)

For women just past menopause, hormone pills seem safe

News Scan Briefs; October 2007; by Charles Q. Choi, JR Minkel, Sourish Basu, David Biello, Coco Ballantyne; 2 Page(s)

When Clean Living Isn't Longer Living; Paddle-Free Swimming; Hot Tails from the Squirrel; Data Points: Hit or Miss; Cohabitating Hominids; Bursting with Words; "Virgin Birth" Stem Cells; Suspensions for Safer Roads; How to Act Like a Male

SciAm Perspectives: Racing past the Moon; October 2007; by the Editors; 1 Page(s)

Competition matters less than conquering space

Sustainable Developments: Ending Malaria Deaths in Africa; October 2007; by Jeffrey D. Sachs; 2 Page(s)

Malaria, one of the world's worst killers, could be stopped soon

Skeptic: The Really Hard Science; October 2007; by Michael Shermer; 2 Page(s)

The most useful science blends data, theory and narrative

Anti Gravity: Carrots, Sticks and Robot Picks; October 2007; by Steve Mirsky; 1 Page(s)

Some strange science stories of recent vintage

Conservation for the People; October 2007; by Peter Kareiva and Michelle Marvier; 8 Page(s)

Pitting nature and biodiversity against people makes little sense. Many conservationists now argue that human health and well-being should be central to conservation efforts

The Future of Space Exploration; October 2007; by Steven Ashley and George Musser; 2 Page(s)

The launch of the Soviet Sputnik satellite half a century ago inaugurated the Space Age. What comes next?

To the Moon and Beyond; October 2007; by Charles Dingell, William A. Johns and Julie Kramer White; 7 Page(s)

Humans are returning to the moon. This time the plan is to stay a while

Five Essential Things to Do in Space; October 2007; by George Musser; 7 Page(s)

Planetary scientists have a quintet of goals for exploring the solar system

How Does Consciousness Happen?; October 2007; by Christof Koch and Susan Greenfield; 8 Page(s)

One of the greatest mysteries in science is how brain activity gives rise to subjective experience. Two leading neuroscientists compare their differing theories

The Diamond Age of Spintronics; October 2007; by David D. Awschalom, Ryan Epstein and Ronald Hanson; 8 Page(s)

Revolutionary electronic devices can harness the spins of electrons instead of their charge. Such devices might one day enable room-temperature quantum computers--made of diamond

Experimental Drugs on Trial; October 2007; by Beryl Lieff Benderly; 8 Page(s)

A controversial lawsuit challenges the FDA's system of controlling access to experimental drugs and, some say, the scientific basis of drug approval

Big Lab on a Tiny Chip; October 2007; by Charles Q. Choi; 4 Page(s)

Squeezing a chemistry lab down to fingernail size could provide instant medical tests at home and on the battlefield

Insights: The Trouble with Men; October 2007; by David Biello; 3 Page(s)

Deadbeat granddads, life-shortening sons and genetically bullying brothers--biologist Virpi Lummaa's studies reveal how evolutionary forces shape later generations

Working Knowledge: Heating Up; October 2007; by Mark Fischetti; 2 Page(s)

Geothermal energy

Reviews; October 2007; by Michelle Press; 1 Page(s)

Rapturous Sociability; Armageddon Avoided; The Allure of Venus

Ask the Experts; October 2007; by David Politzer, Lynne McLandsborough; 1 Page(s)

What is a "fictitious force"? Why do apple slices turn brown?

Fact or Fiction?; October 2007; by Nikhil Swaminathan; 1 Page(s)

Do helmets attract cars to cyclists?