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March

Table of Contents March 2013

Technology is changing humans at an accelerating pace. Life after Homo sapiens begins right now, but the Neanderthal can still be found lurking inside our DNA. In this issue, learn how to stop a global blackout, why chronic fatigue became such a debacle, and whether or not an immune boost can make you smarter.

FEATURES

Evolution's Next Stage

by Steven Kotler

Driven by technological advances, humans are changing faster than ever. Coming soon: our next stage, Homo evolutus.

Interbreeding With Neanderthals

by Carl Zimmer

Telltale evidence of ancient liaisons with Neanderthals and other extinct human relatives can be found in the DNA of billions of people.

The Broken Vaccine

by Melinda Wenner Moyer

Whooping cough is on the rise, exposing a worrisome trend: The vaccine that holds it in check is losing its potency, and nobody is sure why.

A NASA Expert's Guide to Saturn

by Paul Raeburn

From a bulging portfolio of more than 300,000 snapshots, a NASA imaging expert picks the most stunning views of Saturn, its rings, and its strange and varied moons.

Chasing the Shadow Virus: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and XMRV

by Hillary Johnson

In one of the most bruising science debacles of the decade, researchers hoped to track down the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome—but ended up studying an artifact created in the lab.

DEPARTMENTS

Big Idea

Matrix Learning

by Steven Kotler

Downloading lessons into the brain might sound like sci-fi, but technology that activates neural patterns might soon help us practice while asleep.

Hot Science

What to Read, View and Visit This Month

by Gemma Tarlach

Cylons return to a screen near you; the monstrous science behind Frankenstein; plus, the limitations of memory (and what you can do about them).

Discover Calendar

March Calendar

by Elisa Neckar

Save the date to celebrate Einstein's birthday (March 14) and check out these other must-sees for the month.

Notes From Earth

Alien Life on Earth

by David Toomey

Do we tread among a host of alternative life-forms—a shadow biosphere that parallels life as we know it?

Vital Signs

Fatigue Factor

by H. Lee Kagan

Exhaustion is a baffling symptom of anything from sleep deficit to cancer. This doctor had only one hour to solve the case of the weary woman in his Baja village clinic.

The Brain

Can Boosting Immunity Make You Smarter?

by Carl Zimmer

The body's defense cells engage the brain in an intricate dialogue that may help raise IQ.

Out There

Beware the Superflare

by Corey S. Powell

Getting ready for a devastating solar storm just might require some impossible-seeming physics.

Urban Skygazer

March Sky: Fertile Crescent Moon

by Corey S. Powell

The crescent moon offers more than bedtime story symbolism.