Table of Contents
Foreword xi
Introduction xiv
Part 1 Bacteria/Microorganisms
The Teeming Metropolis of You: from California Magazine Brendan Buhler 3
Our Body the Ecosystem: from Popular Science Virginia Hughes 8
The Peanut Puzzle: from The New Yorker Jerome Groopman 16
Part 2 Animals
The Long, Curious, Extravagant Evolution of Feathers: from National Geographic Carl Zimmer 29
How to Hatch a Dinosaur: from Wired Thomas Hayden 35
Faster. Higher. Squeakier.: from Outside Michael Behar 44
Trivedi. The Wipeout Gene: from Scientific American Bijal P 53
Deep Intellect: from Orion SY Montgomery 65
Moffett. Ants & the Art of War: from Scientific American Mark W 78
Part 3 Humans (the Good)
The Scent of Your Thoughts: from Scientific American Deborah Blum 89
Sleeping with the Enemy: from The New Yorker Elizabeth Kolbert 97
The Touchy-Feely (but Totally Scientific!) Methods of Wallace J. Nichols: from Outside Michael Roberts 119
Part 4 Humans (the Bad)
The Feedback Loop: from Wired Thomas Goetz 131
What You Don't Know Can Kill You: from Discover Jason Daley 145
Beautiful Brains: from National Geographic David Dobbs 156
The Brain on Trial: from The Atlantic David Eagleman 167
Part 5 Society and Environment
Crush Point: from The New Yorker John Seabrook 189
Ill Wind: from Discover David Kirby 206
The City Solution: from National Geographic Robert Kunzig 217
Part 6 Technology
Test-Tube Burgers: from The New Yorker Michael Specter 229
Mad Science: from Wired Mark McClusky 245
Dream Machine: from The New Yorker Rivka Galchen 258
The Crypto-Currency: from The New Yorker Joshua Davis 276
Mind vs. Machine: from The Atlantic Brian Christian 289
Contributors' Notes 315
Other Notable Science and Nature Writing of 2011 321