http://discovermagazine.com Science, Technology, and The Future http://discovermagazine.com/2008/apr/04-a-dose-of-human-kindness-now-in-chemical-form A test involving sharing money with strangers shows that the hormone oxytocin may increase generosity and enhance our ability to see others' viewpoints. Jennifer Barone 2008-04-04T06:41:36Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2008/may/03-biofuel-farming-looks-to-be-an-environmental-disaster Turning jungle into savanna to grow biofuels is a terrible idea: A new study finds that by using corn for fuel in the U.S., we may increase greenhouse gases for the next 167 years. Jennifer Barone and Amber Fields 2008-04-04T02:30:39Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2008/feb/hope-may-be-useless-against-cancer Forget what you thought about optimism: Psychologist James Coyne and his colleagues followed 1,093 adults, all of whom had advanced head and neck cancer. “We were surprised to find absolutely no relationship” between emotion and survival, Coyne says. Jennifer Barone 2008-02-11T04:26:36Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/dec/how-to-excuse-yourself-from-your-body Once you see—and feel—a virtual self, your mind can move into a mannequin. Josie Glausiusz 2008-03-25T05:57:32Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/nov/big-boned-how-your-skeleton-can-make-you-fat Bones help fix themselves by controlling the body's metabolism. Josie Glausiusz 2007-11-23T09:19:59Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/oct/climate-change-triggers-bloodshed When climate change makes it hard to find food, animals decrease their numbers through cannabilism, while humans do it through warfare. Josie Glausiusz 2008-03-25T06:01:05Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/sep/the-goldilocks-method-for-curing-autism A mutation in the gene FMR1 causes neurons to have long, thin branches, often resulting in retardation. A mutation in the gene PAK produces malfunctioning neurons that have short, fat branches. A mouse with both mutations has normal neurons that work just right—like Goldilocks. Josie Glausiusz 2007-08-23T06:03:16Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/aug/raw-data-oldest-star Astronomers find a star almost as old as the big bang. Josie Glausiusz 2007-08-17T07:25:47Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac When researchers injected a common soil bacteria into mice, it activates a set of serotonin-releasing neurons in the brain—the same nerves targeted by Prozac. Simply inhaling M. vaccae—you get a dose just by taking a walk in the wild or rooting around in the garden—could help elicit a jolly state of mind. Josie Glausiusz 2007-08-01T11:07:29Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jun/raw-data-message-in-a-bacterium Japanese researchers have encoded E = mc² in binary into the DNA of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Encoding our most important information in a bacterial genome could ensure that our legacy lives on, even after humans are extinct. The same technology could conceivably let biotech companies patent or copyright GMOs by encoding a brand name within the organism's genetic code. Josie Glausiusz 2007-08-01T11:19:59Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/may/dawn-of-the-dexterous-ape Evidence of tool-wielding chimps extends back more than 4,000 years, but how the apes learned the skill remains a mystery. Josie Glausiusz 2007-08-01T11:27:15Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/mar/raw-data-scents-and-scents-ability Our clumsy noses won't win any sniffing contests, but we can use them to find chocolate. Josie Glausiusz 2007-08-02T07:17:58Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2007/feb/titan-ethane-smog-dust-smust Smog-and-ethane powder rains on Saturn's giant moon Titan—and covers it in a mile-thick layer. Josie Glausiusz 2007-08-02T07:16:09Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2006/dec/p16-protein-aging-healing-cancer The same protein that prevents cancer may also encourage aging. Jessica Ruvinsky 2007-08-02T04:50:12Z Print Article http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/beautiful-daughters Natural selection may be driving the beautiful people to have girls. Jessica Ruvinsky 2007-08-02T04:48:12Z Print Article