Scientific American May 2010-05


E-Book Content

CONTENTS FEATURES ■ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN May 2010 Volume 302 Number 5 ■ ASTROPHYSICS 38 Through Neutrino Eyes By Graciela B. Gelmini, Alexander Kusenko and Thomas J. Weiler 46 Neutrinos are no longer just a curiosity of physics but a practical tool for deciphering features of the sun, supernovae and more. MEDICINE 46 Your Inner Healers By Konrad Hochedlinger Meet the newest stem cells. Made by reprogramming cells from your own body, they could bypass ethical and technical problems raised by embryonic stem cells. TRANSPORTATION 54 Revolutionary Rail By Stuart F. Brown New investments may finally bring high-speed trains to the U.S. 54 NEUROSCIENCE 60 Uncanny Sight in the Blind By Beatrice de Gelder Some people who are blind from brain damage have “blindsight”: an ability to respond to what their eyes detect without knowing they can see anything. 60 78 CLIMATE CHANGE 66 Arctic Plants Feel the Heat By Matthew Sturm Global warming is dramatically revamping not only the ice but also tundra and forests at the top of the world, greening some parts and browning others. INNOVATIONS 74 A Better Lens on Disease By Mike May 66 Computerized pathology slides promise to help physicians give patients faster and more accurate diagnoses. FOOD SCIENCE 78 Breeding Cassava to Feed the Poor By Nagib Nassar and Rodomiro Ortiz The world’s third-largest source of calories could be made more productive and nutritious, helping to alleviate malnutrition in many places. 2 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN sad0510Toc4p.indd 2 ON THE COVER Stem cells potentially can be converted into any tissue needing repair. A newly invented type holds enormous promise for medicine. Illustration by Bryan Christie Design. M a y 2 0 10 3/24/10 5:36:55 PM This page intentionally left blank w w w. S c i en ti fi c A m e r i c a n .c o m CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS ■ 6 8 12 From the Editor Letters 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago 14 News Scan 12 14 RESEARCH & DISCOVERY ■ ■ ■ Generating mug shots from traces of DNA. Origin of Earth’s magnetic field timed to life’s start. Why the chameleon’s tongue works in the cold. 17 MEDICINE & HEALTH ■ ■ ■ Refi ned carbs bad; saturated fat not so bad. Kidney donors live just as long as those with two. Intestinal microbes drive obesity. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT ■ ■ A common herbicide triggers sex changes. Climate errors prompt review by science academies. TECHNOLOGY ■ ■ By the Editors Sustainable Developments By Jeffrey D. Sachs Complex policy issues need expert and public debate. 34 Critical Mass By Lawrence M. Krauss We must adjust to our unparalleled ability to shape the world’s evolution. Perspectives Marketing unhealthy foods to kids should be banned. 32 36 Skeptic 86 Recommended 88 Anti Gravity Decoding weather. The universe. The pill. By Steve Mirsky What if past giants of science had Twitter? By Michael Shermer Comparative history helps to explain Haiti’s poverty. GO TO .COM 30 Consumer Electronics: More Than Just Fun and Games 32 Video games, e-readers, smart phones and other gadgets have changed the way we interact with one another and with the world around us. What’s next? (Hint: Get used to those 3-D glasses.) More at www.ScientificAmerican.com/may2010 TIM PANNELL Corbis 30 Forget genetic engineering? Fungi can modify crops. Better plastic bottle recycling via organic catalysts. Scien
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