Articles from 06/2010
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Scientific [Mis]Communication
In a world with nearly unlimited supplies of information, attention is a precious commodity. How can scientists and journalists captivate audiences without deceiving them?
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Sexy Beasts
From vibrator sales to troubles with monogamy, evidence aboundsthat Homo sapiens is an exceedingly sexual species. A new book argues that understanding how this sexuality evolved helps to explain our unique creativity inside — as well as outside — the conjugal bedroom.
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The Once and Future Genome
On the tenth anniversary of the sequencing of the human genome, what is that remarkable feat’s legacy, and what does it mean for the future?
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Slow Burn
Since 1962, a coal fire has been raging beneath Centralia, Pennsylvania, and it may continue burning for centuries. When the very ground beneath your feet catches fire, how can you extinguish the blaze?
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Questionable Answers
Many dramatic research results rely on the reports of survey respondents, who are prone to error, exaggeration, and misperception. Is there any place for self-reported results in science?
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On Pleasure
In How Pleasure Works, Paul Bloom argues that understanding why we like what we do—from food and sex to art, science, and religion—is critical to comprehending the human experience.
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Slippery Cellularities
Synthetic biology can mean reconstructing organisms, redesigning biology, or recreating life—and each of these uses has different implications.
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An Embarrassment of Riches
Kepler’s planetary gold rush, a Japanese spacecraft that rides sunlight, a virtual Cambrian explosion, and the problem of performance metrics.
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Books to Read Now
June releases follow a wizard-bearded scientist on his quest to end aging; mine the essence of pleasure; and explore why being wrong is central to the human experience.
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Burning Questions
Contrary to a handful of recent media reports, in the battle against skin cancer, sunscreen is still beneficial, and sunburns and tanning salons are the key enemies.
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Beneath the Surface
Powerful computer simulations may be the best method available to quantify the amount of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon—and to predict where it will go.
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Frozen Foodies
The South Pole may be the most desolate region on Earth. But even at the bottom of the world, people have to eat. Here’s how they do it in Antarctica.
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A Titanic Challenge
What might a glut of hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico—and a dearth of them on Saturn's moon, Titan—imply about humanity's long-term prospects?
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Is Population a Problem?
Will 9 billion people max out the Earth's natural resources? Or is overconsumption the real planetary threat? Three experts discuss the Gordian knot of wealth, fertility, and environmental impact — and why making do with less stuff matters so much.
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Suicidal Tendencies
High-profile suicides of public intellectuals have contributed to the stereotype of “tormented genius.” But are smarter people really more likely to take their own lives?
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fMRI on Trial
If neuroimaging can reliably discern truth from falsehood, should brain scans be admissible evidence in court cases?
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Pandora’s Seed
From obesity to chronique fatigue syndrome, jihadism to urban ennui, the costs of civilization are becoming ever more apparent. Spencer Wells explores adapting to a world where accelerating change is the new status quo.
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Food Fight, Conclusion
What's the surest path to sustainable food security?Highly efficient farming that draws on the arsenal of modern technology? Diversified agriculture driven by the conservation of nature and culture?In their closing statements, our debaters remain steadfast in their opposing stances.
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Greener Pastures
Dominant theory says that desertification is caused by overgrazing. Operation Hope, winner of the 2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge, has upended this idea—restoring degraded African grasslands into lush, green pasture.
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Spineless But Deadly
New research reveals the origins of “mystery blobs,” the feeding habits of carnivorous sponges, and the lethal lifecycle of a jelly fungus.
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Books to Read Now
June releases follow cave divers into the bowels of the Earth; chart the geography of hunger; and explore the science of false memories, inflated confidence, and distorted senses.
Now on SEEDMAGAZINE.COM
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Ideas
I Tried Almost Everything Else
John Rinn, snowboarder, skateboarder, and “genomic origamist,” on why we should dumpster-dive in our genomes and the inspiration of a middle-distance runner.
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Ideas
Going, Going, Gone
The second most common element in the universe is increasingly rare on Earth—except, for now, in America.
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Ideas
Earth-like Planets Aren’t Rare
Renowned planetary scientist James Kasting on the odds of finding another Earth-like planet and the power of science fiction.
