Features

• When the Sea Saved Humanity

  Shortly after Homo sapiens arose harsh climate conditions nearly extinguished our species. Recent finds suggest that the small population that gave rise to all humans alive today survived by exploiting a unique combination of resources along the southern coast of Africa

  Curtis W. Marean   | August 1, 2010  | 27

• Robot Pills

  A voyage through the human body is no longer mere fantasy. Tiny devices may soon perform surgery, administer drugs and help diagnose disease

  Paolo Dario and Arianna Menciassi   | August 1, 2010  | 6

• Origins: Going Back to Where the Story Really Starts

  Sometimes we forget where a story really starts. Are electric cars new? Where did malaria start? Who invented spaghetti? Read on, for the surprising origins of many strange and familiar things

  Brendan Borrell , Melinda Wenner Moyer and Mike May   | August 1, 2010  | 9

• 'Super-Earths': Could They Harbor Life?

  The night skies are littered with distant planets, but what are they really like? Theoretical models suggest that a surprising number of "exoplanets" could be similar to Earth—and may even support life

  Dimitar D. Sasselov and Diana Valencia   | August 1, 2010  | 21

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  The Hacker in Your Hardware: The Next Security Threat

  As if software viruses weren't bad enough, the microchips that power every aspect of our digital world are vulnerable to tampering in the factory. The consequences could be dire

  John Villasenor   | August 1, 2010  | 15

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  How Acidification Threatens Oceans from the Inside Out

  Carbon dioxide emissions are making the oceans more acidic, imperiling the growth and reproduction of species from plankton to squid

  Marah J. Hardt and Carl Safina   | August 1, 2010  | 24

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  Plastic Surf: The Unhealthful Afterlife of Toys and Packaging

  Small remnants of toys, bottles and packaging persist in the ocean, harming marine life and possibly even us

  Jennifer Ackerman   | August 1, 2010  | 14

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  Filming the Invisible in 4D: New Microscopy Makes Movies of Nanoscale Objects in Action

  Picture this: a movie revealing the inner workings of a cell or showing a nanomachine in action. A new microscopy is making such imaging possible

  Ahmed H. Zewail   | August 1, 2010  | 14