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News 46 minutes ago
Phytoplankton Population Drops 40 Percent Since 1950
Researchers find trouble among phytoplankton, the base of the food chain, which has implications for the marine food web and the world's carbon cycle.

Special Interactive Feature
When the Sea Saved Humanity, Made Interactive
This Web-only article is a special rich-media presentation of the feature, "When the Sea Saved Humanity," which appears in the August 2010 issue of Scientific American. The presentation was created by Zemi media. Find all our other interactive offerings here.

Mind Matters
Illusions: Colors Out of Space [Slide Show]
This is the 11th article in the Mind Matters series on the neuroscience behind visual illusions
More Mind Matters >

Ask the Experts
How Does a Heat Wave Affect the Human Body?
Some might like it hot, but extreme heat can overpower the human body. An expert from the CDC explains how heat kills and why fans are worthless in the face of truly high temperatures
More Ask the Experts >

Extreme Tech
U.S. Navy Laser Weapon Shoots Down Drones in Test [Video]
During a recent test, a Navy laser using a tracking system from Raytheon shot down four unmanned aerial vehicles
More Extreme Tech >

Technology
News 23 hours ago
Electric Carmakers Focus on Incentives, Not Carbon Prices
Industrial officials meeting in Detroit this week recognize strong federal investment in renewables and ask for that to continue
Reuters 6 hours ago
Ten key indicators show global warming "undeniable"

Energy
In-Depth Reports 6/15/10
Urban Visions: The Future of Cities
What will population centers look like in 20 years' time? Innovations in transportation, energy production and technology will have to keep pace with a host of challenges
In-Depth Reports 5/14/10
The Laser at 50: Advancing Science through Beams of Coherent Light
May 16 marks the 50th anniversary of the first working laser, invented at Hughes Research Laboratories in 1960. We take a look at the past, present and potential future of this groundbreaking technology

Editor's Pick

In-Depth Reports 6/24/10
Personalized Medicine in the Genomic EraWhen the human genome draft was announced 10 years ago, many researchers and policymakers anticipated using the newly sequenced code to develop a wealth of diagnostic and treatment capabilities. But the genetic components of disease have proved more complex

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