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September

Table of Contents September 2012

Discover Magazine's mission is to enable readers to lead richer lives by explaining and expanding their universe. Each month we bring you in depth information and analysis from various topics ranging from technology and space to the living world we live in.

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FEATURES

Start-Up  Nations  on the  High Seas

by Adam Piore

Autonomous communities,  floating in international waters, would allow political pioneers to test novel forms of government. 

Controlling Brains With a Flick of a Light Switch

by Amy Barth

Using the new science of optogenetics, scientists can activate or shut down neural pathways, altering behavior and heralding a true cure for psychiatric disease. 

The Voyage to Find Out How Earth Was Born

by Tim Folger

A daredevil spacecraft is giving us our first look at the asteroid Vesta—a unique survivor from the demolition derby that created our own celestial home. 

Can Facebook-Style Elections Produce Candidates We Actually "Like"?

by David H. Freedman

In the coming decade,  online primaries and elections might loosen  America’s gridlock politics. 

Building a Better World With Chemicals

New materials could let us make everything from programmable matter to materials that heal themselves.

Islam’s  High-Tech Backlash 

by Nina Burleigh

After the Arab Spring: A chilling reminder that social media can foster political oppression. 

DEPARTMENTS

Getting Personal

Getting Personal: How I Became Bait for Bloodsucking Leeches

by Mark Siddall

Vital Signs: A Storm Inside

by Tony Dajer

ER doctors cannot explain a young  woman’s sudden confusion and pain. What are they missing?

Impatient Futurist

House Calls for the 21st Century: Carrying a Doctor in Your Pocket

by David H. Freedman

Home diagnosis kits will soon let you give yourself a checkup whenever and wherever you want.

How Do You Train Astronauts When You Don't Have Any Spaceships? 

by Vince Beiser

With the shuttles retired, today’s space  explorers are preparing for Russian rockets, private capsules, and uncertain destinations. 

Hot Science: The Best New Science Culture

by Mary Beth Griggs, Sophia Li, Eric A. Powell, Veronique Greenwood, Emma Bryce, Fangfei Shen

Killing machines, theft machines, and sex machines

Editor's Note: Election Predictions—for 2032

by Corey S. Powell

Today's technology is shaping the politics not just of today but for decades to come.

Big Idea: Detect Alien Life on a Tight Budget 

by Paul Raeburn

Billions of planets in our galaxy have the potential for life. Now  astronomers are developing powerful yet affordable ways to find it.

20 Things You Didn't Know About...

20 Things You Didn't Know About... Autopsies

by David H. Freedman

Some show misdiagnoses, some involve pruning shears, and some have included tasting sessions.

DATA

Pop! Goes the Pig Dung 

by Joseph Bernstein

Science sleuths solve the mystery of exploding manure pits.

The Contrarian: Set Scientists Free to Create New Life-Forms

by Delthia Ricks

It's time for us to learn to stop worrying and love synthetic biology.

How to Heal  a Scarred Heart 

by Elizabeth Svoboda

“You should be able to convert any cell to the cell type you like,” says the creator of a new biotech trick.

Tomorrow’s Zoo:  Cloned Dodos and Cyborg Giraffes? 

by Jennifer Abbasi

Some animals might look a lot different in human-guided future.

The Graffiti Code Breaker

by Adam Hadhazy

New software makes connections helps cops keep tabs on gang activity.

A More Scientific Obesity Test Says: It's Even Worse Than You Think

by Andrew Grant

The widely used Body Mass Index (BMI) is crude and should be replaced; here's a more modern suggestion.

The Velociraptor-Like Robot That Could Save Your Life

by Valerie Ross

A balancing trick used by geckos, and possibly dinosaurs, is helping to make more agile and helpful rescue robots.

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