Big Idea: Physicists Carve a Niche in Time
05.07.2012 Six years ago, physicists hid an object behind an invisibility cloak for the first time. Now they're cloaking actual events.
by Adam Piore
Turning Lymph Nodes Into Liver-Growing Factories
If your liver fails, having 40 small but functional livers scattered around your body might be the next best thing. 04.11.2012
Big Idea: Seeing Crime Before It Happens
Can remote sensors give us Minority Report-like powers to detect people who will soon break the law? 01.23.2012
How Pot, Cocaine, and Hunger Intersect in the Brain
Researchers are studying the role that the endocannabinoid system plays in cravings, and using their findings to try to control our excesses. 12.01.2011
We Can Now Safely Sequence a Fetus' Genome. Is the World Ready for This?
Researchers can now get the entire genome of a fetus just by sampling the mother's blood. While this could help new parents prepare, it may also lead to more abortions and more carefully selected offspring. 09.21.2011
Darpa Challenge Inspires 4 Plans to Make Computers 40x More Efficient
We're not too far away from supercomputers that could use half a gigawatt—as much energy as a small city. So chip researchers are looking to make giant steps in getting processors' power consumption under control. 08.30.2011
A Shock to the Heartland
This week's earthquake in Virginia calls to mind another part of the country that faces a surprising level of earthquake risk: the New Madrid Seismic Zone, near the middle of the Mississippi River. 08.25.2011
We're Looking for a Few Good Astronauts
NASA's about to take a long break from manned flight, but job opportunities for astronauts are looking better than ever. 07.19.2011
Could Dirt Help Heal the Climate?
One of the simplest keys to fighting global warming may be right under our feet. 06.30.2011
Accidental Paleontology in L.A.
The sites of large construction projects are often rich sources of fossils, especially in California, where they're protected by law. 06.19.2011
Should Conservationists Allow Some Species to Die Out?
In the battle to save endangered animals, some environmentalists say we should ignore the charismatic pandas and condors and instead practice "conservation triage." 05.09.2011
Can Bill Gates Buy a Better World?
The billionaire's foundation has been criticized for being insider-ish and attention-grabbing, but the organization has recently had some big successes. 02.04.2011
We're Looking for a Few Clean War Machines
In order to protect supply lines, the U.S. military is making a big push into green energy, from biofuel-burning planes to geothermal-powered bases to an all-green carrier strike group. 01.24.2011
What Is Killing America’s Bats?
Wildlife biologists seem to have a better handle on the fungus that's decimating bat populations. But some other groups of animals are facing similar steep declines. 01.07.2011
The End of Easy Oil
Canada’s tar sands will soon be our top source of imported oil. But will that energy be worth the costs? 12.01.2010
How Solar Power Could Become Cheaper Than Coal
Engineers are using leading-edge physics to try to make photovoltaic cells a mainstream power source. 11.01.2010
How Climate Change Shaped Humanity
Could the study of hard times in the past teach us how to deal with global warming in the future? 10.03.2010
Your Brain in Real Time
Surgeons and scientists are teaming up to study living brains in action. 03.30.2010
5 Reasons Science [Hearts] Google
The company that tamed the Web is now helping researchers see the world with fresh eyes. 01.19.2010
The Banks That Prevent—Rather Than Cause—Global Crises
Seed banks put some much-needed wild vigor back into today's specialized varieties, protecting critical crops from being wiped out. 11.20.2009
The Search for Aliens Gets Harder—But More Encouraging
Saturn's surprising moons have broadened scientists' ideas about where extraterrestrial life might be found. 11.16.2009
The Easiest Way to Fight Global Warming?
Simply cleaning up soot could work wonders for the climate. 09.08.2009
8 Ways Scientists Look at—But Don't Yet See—Dark Matter
Scientists hunt for the unseen matter that glues together the cosmos. But some wonder whether it even exists. 06.22.2009
Life After Silicon—How Graphene Could Revolutionize Electronics
Will the next generation of computers, phones, and even energy storage be built on a form of carbon? 05.19.2009
The Inspiring Boom in "Super-Earths"
At last we are finding rocky planets like our own. But some are pretty weird: The smallest may have a mineral-vapor atmosphere that condenses as lava rain or rock snow. 05.08.2009
Where Do Old Colliders Go to Die?
After the LHC comes online, old accelerators will stand by, just in case they're necessary, get salvaged for spare parts, or just lie untouched in the ground for years. 04.04.2009
Sustainable Architecture Takes Cues From the Original Green: Nature
Glass that "breathes" like gills, solar cells that imitate leaves, and other biomimetic technologies 03.02.2009
