#1: Vaccine Phobia Becomes a Public-Health Threat
Autism research is progressing quickly, but without a solid diagnosis, some still blame vaccines.
by Andrew Grant
#43: Five Big Additions to Darwin's Theory of Evolution
He had the main idea right, but in the past 150 years, scientists have filled out a lot more of the picture.
#2: NASA Braces for Course Correction
After the end of the disastrous space shuttle program, it's not at all clear where the space agency is going—or if it has enough money, skills, or buy-in to get there.
#3: Meet Ardi, Your First Human Ancestor
A big analysis of the 4.4-million-year-old fossil shows that humans left the trees before leaving the forest and getting much smarter.
#4: Stem Cell Science Takes Off
Obama brought a big policy improvement, and researchers made big leaps with the science.
#5: Astronomer Alan Dressler
Hot on the trail of the first galaxies in the universe
#6: Swine Flu Outbreak Sweeps the Globe
A scary build-up leads to a mostly mild conclusion.
#7: The Graphene Revolution
Flexible, see-through, one-atom-thick sheets of carbon could be a key component for futuristic solar cells, batteries, and roll-up LCD screens—and perhaps even microchips.
#8: Earth-like Worlds Come Into View
Newly discovered planets are becoming ever smaller, lighter, and more familiar to us earthlings.
#9: Experimental Coal Plant Stashes CO2 Underground
If FutureGen can successfully sequester its emissions, it could be a model for clean energy in the future.
#10: Economist George Loewenstein
He explains the psychology behind the current financial meltdown—and how we can overcome our dark side.
#26: Biologist J. Craig Venter
The pioneering scientist/entrepreneur on biology's next leap: digitally designed life-forms that could produce novel drugs, renewable fuels, and plentiful food for tomorrow’s world.
#60: Geographer Mark Serreze
He says a big Arctic melt is inevitable and readies us for what comes next.
