40th Anniversary

"New research will increasingly be driven by ... evolutionary theory," says Melvin Konner.

Melvin Konner on the Evolution of Childhood

The anthropologist and physician talks about how our understanding of child development will change

Astronomers like Rik Hill scan the heavens from Arizona looking for errant asteroids.

Asteroid Hunters

Astronomers are determined to protect human beings from inanimate outer space invaders

NASA is studying a mission, for launch in the 2020s, that would visit the only moon known to have an extensive atmosphere—Titan, a satellite of Saturn.

What's Next in Space?

Probes and landers sent into the final frontier will bring us closer to answering cosmic mysteries

Using scaffolds and a patients own cells grown in a laboratory, researchers are building replacement body parts.

Organs Made to Order

It won't be long before surgeons routinely install replacement body parts created in the laboratory

Melinda Gates, with caregivers in Rampur Bhuligadha, India, says infant deaths can be halved by 2025.

Melinda French Gates on Saving Lives

The co-chair of the world's largest philanthropy talks about what can be done to improve global health and poverty

"Bacteria can talk to each other," says Bonnie Bassler. "Not only can they talk, but they are multilingual." And she knows how to speak their languages.

Listening to Bacteria

By studying microbial communications, Bonnie Bassler has come up with new ways to treat disease

In Japan, violence has faded as its population has aged.

The Age of Peace

Maturing populations may mean a less violent future for many societies torn by internal conflict

Experts say these crops if grown widely, could help feed the hungry.

Five Game-Changing Crops That Could Help Feed the Hungry

Food security experts say these crops, if grown more widely, could help feed the hungry

Invest in the poorest of the poor, advises Rosamond Naylor.

Rosamond Naylor on Feeding the World

The economist discusses the stresses that climate change and a greater world population will have on our food supply

The United States, not China, will dominate world affairs, George Friedman believes.

George Friedman on World War III

The geopolitical scientist predicts which nations will be fighting for world power in 2050

A "living skyscraper" could rise from the shallows of Lake Michigan and serve Chicago.

The Rise of Urban Farming

Grow fruits and vegetables in city towers? Advocates give a green thumbs up

The discovery of new species is driven by new technologies, targeted surveys of little-studied ecosystems and a determined effort to identify plants and animals before their habitat is lost. The kipunji is one of 300 mammal species discovered in the past decade; it is thought to be Africa’s rarest monkey.

Meet the New Species

From old-world primates to patch-nosed salamanders, new creatures are being discovered every day

Brian Boutin, a Nature Conservancy biologist, stands protectively over a newly planted bald cypress sapling. Park managers hope to slow the submersion of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

Rising Seas Endanger Wetland Wildlife

For scientists in a remote corner of coastal North Carolina, ignoring global warming is not an option

Richard Branson, shown here in a replica spaceship, wants to place CO2-intensive activities above Earth.

Richard Branson on Space Travel

The billionaire entertainment mogul talks about the future of transportation and clean energy

Shai Agassi, at a corporate facility outside Tel Aviv, founded a company whose name reflects his determination to improve the world.

Charging Ahead With a New Electric Car

An entrepreneur hits the road with a new approach for an all-electric car that overcomes its biggest shortcoming

Nancy Knowlton is a marine biologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and a leading authority on coral reefs.

By the Numbers: A Marine Advisory

Scientists say the outlook for the world's oceans is bleak—unless we stop overfishing and reduce air and water pollution

Jellyfish such as these Northeast Pacific sea nettles in Monterey Bay Aquarium, are brainless, bloodless and mostly aimless.

Jellyfish: The Next King of the Sea

As the world's oceans are degraded, will they be dominated by jellyfish?

The Obamas worship at African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

Anticipation

We salute the basic human urge to remember the future

African slaves brought their art of basket weaving to the American South. See samples such as this wave basket through November 28 at African Art.

What's Up

Nina Simon advises museums how to involve visitors in the design of exhibitions.

Nina Simon, Museum Visionary

The author helps museums create systems in which visitors participate in exhibition design

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