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Issue 16
FEATURES
THE PROBLEM WITH PHYSICSPhysicist Peter Woit challenges the state of physics and suggests it might be time to admit that string theory has failed. Includes perspectives from leading experts, such as Michio Kaku, co-founder of string theory; physicist and author Paul Davies; Michael Turner, who coined the term 'dark energy'; and Philip Anderson, co-proponent of the Higgs boson. 
AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO THE SUB-ATOMIC WORLDJacqui Hayes takes you on a guided tour of the sub-atomic world, detailing all the weird and wonderful particles that make up our world, from the curious 'strange' quark, to the elusive electron neutrino all the way through to the missing link: the Higgs boson. 
STEPHEN HAWKING: GENIUS OR FADING FORCE?He is perhaps the most widely recognisable scientist alive today. Stephen Hawking epitomises the ideal of the disembodied intellect, but the question is, how much impact has he really made on science in his career? In this exclusive interview, Robin McKie takes a rare opportunity to sit down with Hawking himself to reveal the man behind the myth. 
THE RIDDLE OF DARK ENERGYAmongst all the conundrums facing science in the 21st century, one of the most mysterious is why our universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate. Bruce Dorminey traces the history of the so-called dark energy driving this expansion, from Einstein's fated cosmological constant, to observations of the most distant galaxies in the universe. 
CHILDREN OF MARSHow did physicist Paul Davies come to propose that life arose on Mars and then seeded the Earth? Here he elucidates a theory that could offer us insights into the nature and origins of life. 
THE ORGANIC DELUSIONIs organic food really better for us … and for the environment? That's what a lot of people instinctively think, but how does it stack up under the scrutiny of science? Elizabeth Finkel analyses the many claims for organic food, its health and environmental benefits, and asks whether organic food could really feed the planet. The conclusion will shock you. 
MYSTERY OF THE DYING FROGSDozens of species of frogs have been disappearing worldwide, but it hasn't been climate change or pollution that's killing them. Scientists have been baffled, but new research has uncovered the culprit. Benjamin Lester treks from the rain forest to the lab to find out more. 
SECRETS OF THE LAST MAYA METROPOLISWhy did the last of the great Maya cities, collapse? Recently uncovered dig sites, off limits to normal visitors, have revealed tantalising hints at the cause of the demise of this once grand civilisation. Rebecca Martin journeys deep into the jungle with a squad of archaeologists to shed light on this mystery. REGULAR SECTIONS
Hostile climate
When we think of weather, we tend to think only of our own world. However, a tour through our Solar System shows how wild and diverse climates can be. In search of other worlds
Surrounded by sceptics, Gordon A.H. Walker set out to prove the existence of extrasolar planets. Offroad on the Red Planet
What might a manned Mars rover look like? One design team has a concept that's gaining traction. Surgery hard to swallow
Fancy having your appendix removed – via your mouth? Watch out for a controversial new surgical procedure coming to a hospital near you. Stamping out obesity
A new experimental shoe could encourage kids to 'earn' their TV time by exercising. But is it enough to stem the tide of child obesity? Or is it just a gimmick? Fanatical for fungi
One man's hobby of collecting data about mushrooms has yielded valuable insights into climate change. Rewriting the family tree
Researchers have created a 'supertree' to trace the convoluted evolution of our mammalian forebears. Orion's bullets
The origin of 'bullets' of gas hurtling through space is one of astronomy's most captivating mysteries. First contact
Thirty years after it appeared, an enigmatic radio signal from space is still puzzling SETI scientists. Foreword
Reflections on the past, and future, of physics. Feedback
Letters, and news from the Cosmos team. Express
Short science bites for a fast read. Fiction
"Family Values" by Sarah Genge Omnivore
Reviews of books and DVDs. Opinion
Deborah Blum wonders if there should be a science of the paranormal. 
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