SA Special Editions Vol 30 Issue 4s

Special Edition

Volume 30, Issue 4s

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Features

Humans Are Still Evolving

For 30,000 years our species has been changing remarkably quickly. And we're not done yet

These Alternative Economies Are Inspirations for a Sustainable World

Making peace with the biosphere will require building communities and relationships that are focused on protecting life—human and nonhuman

Humans Evolved to Be Friendly

Cooperation made Homo sapiens the last human species standing

What Ancient Mass Extinctions Tell Us about the Future

Carbon dioxide has done plenty of damage before

In the Fight against Infectious Disease, Social Changes Are the New Medicine

Vaccines and drugs drove a century of progress, but today’s contagions thrive on inequality

The Permanent, Unmistakable Mark Human Beings Have Left on Planet Earth

Humans are profoundly altering the earth. Is our impact enough to matter across geologic time? Some say it is. Welcome to the Anthropocene

To Solve Real-World Problems, We Need Interdisciplinary Science

Solving today’s complex, global problems will take interdisciplinary science

1 World, 10 Billion People: Who Thrives, and Who Falls Behind?

Quality of life on an increasingly crowded planet depends on decisions made today

How Scientists Discovered the Staggering Complexity of Human Evolution

Darwin would be delighted by the story his successors have revealed

Artificial Intelligence Will Serve Humans, Not Enslave Them

AI will serve our species, not control it

What Makes the Human Brain Special

Parts of the brain involved in language and cognition have enlarged greatly over an evolutionary timescale

"Positive Cities" Can Improve the Planet as Well as People's Lives

Urban areas can improve the planet as well as people's lives if we design them to be much more resourceful with energy, water, food and minerals

Unlimited Information Is Transforming Society

Technology is blurring the lines between consumers and producers, amateurs and professionals, and laypeople and experts. We’re just starting to understand the implications

Can Humans Outsmart Extinction?

If we do it right, we could become a long-term stabilizing force for the planet

The Arctic Is Breaking Climate Records, Altering Weather Worldwide

The Arctic climate is shattering record after record, altering weather worldwide

How Climate Change Is Making It Harder to Predict Outbreaks

Climate change is accelerating the spread of disease—and making it much harder to predict outbreaks

GDP Is the Wrong Tool for Measuring What Matters

It’s time to replace gross domestic product with real metrics of well-being and sustainability

How Economic Inequality Harms the Environment

Power imbalances facilitate environmental degradation—and the poor suffer the consequences

Departments

From the Editor
The Story of Us
News
Humans Could Live up to 150 Years, New Research Suggests
The Science Agenda
The Term "Anthropocene" Is Popular--and Problematic