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news features opinion fiction reviews gadgets media room	Online news Saturday, 21 November 2009 Video shows massive star forming Astronomers have made a detailed study of a star-forming region in the Orion Nebula, for the first time getting a close look at the birth of a massive star. read more U.N. finally draws link between population bomb and climate change Slowing population growth would help battle global warming, says an unprecedented report that links demographic pressure and climate change. read more Other news Why failed HIV vaccine increased infection COSMOS wins Magazine of the Year Outlandish planet has wonky orbit Climate change damaging the deep sea Denmark seeks climate breakthrough as clock ticks to showdown 'Crikey steveirwini' is new species of snail View all news COSMOS magazine: current issue On sale in newsstands now! COSMIC ROULETTE Was Charles Darwin the genius behind the great revolution in science, or did he merely state the obvious? Richard Conniff reads between the lines. Also in this issue: THE END OF EVOLUTION - The forces that drive evolution are disappearing, says Steve Jones, who argues that we are undergoing a 'grand averaging', totally new in history. Also in this issue: SNOWBALL EARTH - 800 million years ago, a climate lurch left Earth entombed in ice and almost devoid of life. But could it have been the catalyst for complex life? Subscribe now to Cosmos magazine! View the full contents Online features Bushfires: Spot by satellite, warn by phone by Philip Frost \| Combining satellite data with mobile phones offers a cheap and effective tool for managing fires. read more New hope for world's weirdest flower by Sarah Stewart \| Deep in the Southeast Asian jungle blooms the world's biggest single flower; a massive fleshy orb which has evolved to attract insects by mimicking rotting meat. read more Read more features Selected COSMOS magazine features The science behind superheroes by Tim Dean \| They use their extraordinary powers to battle crime and save lives - and there's a healthy sprinkling of science behind their abilities. read more Webs of darkness by Ron Cowen \| Why has star formation abruptly ended in some of the biggest galaxies, but continues at a frenetic pace in smaller spirals? It takes a little mud wrestling to find the answers. read more Read more features Fiction Under The Shouting Sky Saturn hung overhead, a great pastel yellow ball. It took a special kind of imagination to see the planet for what it really was. read more Dark Matter One day, the star Alpha Centauri A went out. No bang, no nova, nothing. What's next? read more Read more fiction Reviews Decoding the Heavens In 1900, a group of sponge divers were blown off course in the Mediterranean Sea. They happened across an Ancient Greek shipwreck and made a remarkable discovery. read more The Decisive Moment: How the Brain Makes Up its Mind Whether you’re a pilot responsible for a split-second decision or merely shopping for a couch, the way your brain does it is a fascinating process. read more Read more reviews	COSMOS newsletter! Sign up to the COSMOS newsletter Enter your email address Receive regular updates highlighting the latest in science from COSMOS. Unscientific poll Will world leaders make any useful progress at the U.N. climate negotiations in Copenhagen next month?: Yes – They have no choice. Maybe – I had high hopes of Obama, but the U.S. has lost its way. No – World leaders have still not grasped the gravity of the problem our planet faces.

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