Scientific American Magazine  

December 2009 Issue Highlights
   
 

Illuminating the Lilliputian: 10 Bioscapes Photo Contest Winners Revealed

A gallery of images captured by light microscopy reveals the high art of the natural world
By Gary Stix


The Double Life of ATP in Humans

The molecule ATP, famous as an essential energy source inside cells, also carries critical messages between cells. That dual role is suggesting fresh ideas for fighting human diseases
By Baljit S. Khakh and Geoffrey Burnstock


 

What Undersea Vents Reveal about Life's Origins

Analyses of a recently discovered type of hot vent ecosystem on the seafloor suggest new possibilities for how life evolved
By Alexander S. Bradley


Arctic Climate Threat--Methane from Thawing Permafrost

Arctic permafrost is already thawing, creating lakes that emit methane. The heat-trapping gas could dramatically accelerate global warming. How big is the threat? What can be done?
By Katey Walter Anthony


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