See below for more info
 A MYSTERY ILLUSTRATION made by an 18th-century astronomer has revealed the most massive flare from the Sun ever recorded. When next one erupts – as scientists are now certain one will – the flare will wreak global chaos and likely bring our modern interconnected civilisation to a standstill. Read about superflares from the Sun, plus, a revolutionary technique that reveals your brain in a new light and could combat behaviours from addiction to depression. Find out also why the top athletes win, and if we are facing aGattaca-style world of predictive genetics that could typecast us from birth.
|
YOUR GENETIC FUTUREIn the next three years, we should know if we are facing a Gattaca-style world in which a person’s genome predicts their destiny, says Elizabeth Finkel.
BRED TO WINHard work and training push elite athletes to the edge of their ability, but genetics also plays a key role in their ultimate performance, explains Becky McCall.
LIGHT SWITCHFor the first time, science has cracked the code to controlling parts of the brain and even behaviour. Dan Cossins explores a revolution in the making.
SUN STORMSOnly now do scientists realise just how powerful an 1859 solar flare was – and the catastrophic damage such flares could wreak on our modern interconnected world, writesRichard A. Lovett.
THE BIG SELLJust what drives us to consume can be explained in the nuances of our brain and the way in which we evolved, explains Dean Buonomano.
ATOM SMASHERWhen powerful particle beams stopped circling the Tevatron last year, the U.S. monster had smashed more than a quadrillion particles together. But the mega machine may yet have the last word in physics, says Devin Powell.
MALARIA'S LAST STANDPromising results from the world’s biggest malaria trial could transform the landscape of infection for this devastating disease, says Meera Senthiligam.
PORTRAIT:
Vanessa Peterson, materials scientist.
NEWS:
The latest science news from around the world.
TRIVIA:
Try to wrap your head around these brain-teasers.
WEIRD SCIENCE:
Glow-in-the-dark cats.
RUNDOWN:
Science by the numbers.
SNAPSHOT:
The cycle of cell death and regeneration inside you.
DIAGNOSIS:
Why certain sounds can trigger discomfort, anxiety and rage.
COMPETITION:
The answer can be found at cosmosmagazine.com.
HITLIST:
Bizarre mating rituals from around the animal world.
FOREWORD:
Editor-in-chief Wilson da Silva on how we can avert catastrophe from massive solar flares.
FEEDBACK:
Letters from our readers, and the winners of the latest “Where in the COSMOS?” competition.
GALLERY: WILDSIDE
Even from behind the lens, a photographer can establish a special relationship with a wild animal. A little bit of ourselves is revealed in each of these award-winning portraits, part of the acclaimed Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition run by London’s Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine. Words by Becky Crew.
TRAVELOGUE: A WORLD APART
Conservancies in Namibia are setting the standard for world conservation practice despite poor resources. Richard Conniff finds out why.
FICTION: INTERWEAVE
We still have a long way to go in the total induction and management of cognitive emotional states. I see it as the ultimate art form. Original fiction by Christopher K. Miller.
REVIEWS
Cosmos talks books with virologist Nessa Carey, and documentary film-maker and science communicator Richard Smith chats about his new series, Australia: A Time Traveller’s Guide. We also review the latest science books, DVDs and apps, and reveal what’s been creating a buzz at Cosmos.
OPINION: THE GREATER RISK
In the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, smog remains a far bigger health risk in Japan than leaking nuclear radiation, argues Johnathan Hughes.