Features

• The Great Cosmic Roller-Coaster Ride

  Could cosmic inflation be a sign that our universe is embedded in a far vaster realm

  Cliff Burgess and Fernando Quevedo   | November 1, 2007  | 1

• The Nuclear Threat

  A look at strike capabilities worldwide, and how a bomb would affect single cities and people.

  Mark Fischetti   | November 1, 2007  | 2

• A Need for New Warheads?

  The U.S. government's proposal to build the first new nuclear warhead in two decades raises a host of questions

  David Biello   | November 1, 2007  |

• Playing Defense against Lou Gehrig's Disease

  Researchers have proposed potential therapies for a paralyzing disorder once thought to be untreatable

  Patrick Aebischer and Ann C. Kato   | November 1, 2007  |

• Brilliant Displays

  A new technology that mimics the way nature gives bright color to butterfly wings can make cell phone displays clearly legible, even in the sun's glare

  M. Mitchell Waldrop   | November 1, 2007  |

• Blood Cells for Sale

  There's more to blood banking than just bagging blood

  Emily Harrison   | November 1, 2007  |

• Nuclear Weapons in a New World

  Countries are altering their nuclear arsenals, prompting the U.S. to refurbish its own warheads

  November 1, 2007  | 1

• The Science of Doing Good

  Information technology, satellite imaging and research carried out in disaster-relief areas have begun to transform humanitarian aid into a more efficient and less haphazard endeavor

  Sheri Fink   | November 1, 2007  |

• Cell Defenses and the Sunshine Vitamin

  Scientists now recognize that vitamin D does much more than build strong bones and that many people are not getting enough of it. Is widespread D deficiency contributing to major illnesses?

  Luz E. Tavera-Mendoza and John H. White   | November 1, 2007  | 10