Editor's Note

  1. Health & Medicine

    Why stress doesn’t just stay in your head

    Chronic stress may start in the brain, but new research reveals that its influences on the body roam far and wide.

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  2. Astronomy

    Finding joy and inspiration in the pursuit of knowledge

    Editor in Chief Eva Emerson ruminates on the power of knowledge, and the ways scientists are refining how we think about the aging human brain, far away comets and even the speed of light.

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  3. Science & Society

    Contemplating the coming of the drones

    Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, contemplates the pros and cons of small drones flocking to our skies and the science behind them, discussed in this issue's feature on animal flight research.

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  4. Science & Society

    Science’s self-criticism makes the enterprise stronger

    Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, considers the the tensions between statistical correctness and headline grabbing research discussed in this issue's part one of a two part feature examining the state of science in the age of publish-or-perish.

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  5. Ecosystems

    Lessons for the new year

    SN Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, reflects on looking to nature for insights on how to constructively look ahead - even if just a year -drawing from a handful of this issues natural science stories for her 2015 resolutions.

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  6. Science & Society

    Science inspires awe — and arguments

    As an eventful year in the sciences concludes, one that sparked both triumph and tragedy, SN's Editor in Chief contemplates 2014's most interesting stories.

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  7. Planetary Science

    Preparing for disaster, celebrating success

    Science cannot prevent all disasters or solve all the problems they spawn, but it can point to the best ways to prepare, making disasters less damaging than they might otherwise be

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  8. Astronomy

    A still mysterious solar system

    Whether or not a Planet X exists, the puzzle, like a good mystery, delights the mind. But better than any novel, the puzzle’s solution has the potential to reveal something new and unexpected about our solar system.

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  9. Neuroscience

    A species of invention

    From early humans painting on cave walls to modern-day engineers devising ways to help people move better, the drive to innovate is simply part of who humans are.

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  10. Astronomy

    Comet-crazed, and for good reason

    Coming to the edge of knowledge, especially about what’s out in space, fires the imagination.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Zero calories and other awe-inspiring science tales

    In this issue, reporters look at artificial sweeteners, resurrecting a West Coast plant, quasiparticles and the future of our magazine and its parent non-profit, SSP.

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  12. Life

    Thoughtful approach to antibiotic resistance

    Changing how people think about antibiotics is already showing promise in reducing antibiotic use and costs. It’s doubtful, however, that any single strategy will be enough.

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