 Why do you spend a third of your life asleep? What are the consequences of depriving ourselves, and why do we dream? In a 17-page special report, COSMOS tackles these ever-present questions.
Also discover where Australia’s vaccination rates are dropping dangerously; meet the man leading a revolution in archaeology; get reacquainted with the elusive neutrino; and see the lasers of the future capturing atoms and detecting ripples in space-time. Plus, this issue has a science-fiction double and our first 11-page University Open Day Guide.
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FEATURES
Sleep mode
Why must we spend one third of our lives asleep? Sleep has been a puzzle for centuries and only now are the pieces being revealed, says
Tina Hesman Saey. Problem is, so few pieces fit together.
Dying to sleep
Skipping on our nightly slumber can bring on a slew of diseases impair your brain function and even result in early death.
Tina Hesman Saey has the latest research.
In your dreams
Rather than meaningless nocturnal frolics, dreams may be key to emotional well-being and memory function. And what you dream about may be just as significant, as
Emma Young discovers.
Phantom empire
No longer a sideshow in the carnival of physics, the neutrino has been elevated to be the leading contender for dark matter and dark energy. Heather Catchpole reacquaints us with this elusive particle.
The light fantastic
Conceived by Einstein and brought to life by a handful of visionaries, the laser has become a fundamental part of modern medicine, communications and industry.
Ron Cowen traces the discovery.
Bright future
Next generation lasers may not light up, but they will snap atoms in action and detect ripples in space-time, as
Lisa Grossman discovers.
Tomb Raider
One of the world’s foremost authorities on the Maya, Arthur Demarest has uncovered some of the most spectacular artefacts ever found, and is an integral part of community development programs in Guatemala.
A numbers game
Vaccines have vanquished diseases and saved millions of lives, but they are under siege. Children are dying of diseases we thought were left behind last century, and
Fiona MacDonald investigates why.
EXPRESS
PORTRAIT:
Anton Tadich, physicist
NEWS:
The latest in science from around the globe.
TRIVIA:
Do you have all the answers?
HIT LIST:
The most destructive volcanic eruptions of all time
RUNDOWN:
Science by numbers
MENAGERIE:
The strange but cute long-eared jerboa
COMPETITION:
How tall is Mount Olympus?
SCIENCE WEEK:
Your guide to Australia’s largest festival, National Science Week: 13-22 August 2010
REGULAR SECTIONS
FOREWORD:
A word from the editor: Jumping at shadows Cosmos
FEEDBACK:
Letters from our readers, who have opinions and like to travel.
GALLERY: LIFE AQUATIC
Almost every square metre of land has been mapped, yet 99% of the Earth’s biosphere – our oceans – is still virtually unexplored. In 2000, an international group of scientists set out on the 10-year Census of Marine Life to discover at least 5,600 new species in a timely stock take of life beneath the surface of our water world.
FICTION: THE TROUBLE WITH QWERTY
My computer could now talk. If there was a problem or an error, it could politely inform me, and we could discuss the matter. It now appeared there was a problem ... me. Original new fiction, by New Zealander Stephen Ross.
FICTION: VELVET REVOLUTION
Deep inside the thick living wood of the house, the Felichairs were fomenting sharp-clawed revolution. Again. Original new fiction by Australian Jenny Blackford.
REVIEWS
Pandora’s Seed by Spencer Wells, On Fact and Fiction by David Goodstein, Mars: A Survival Guide by Guy Murphy, Imperfect Creation by Marcelo Gleiser and The Science of Liberty by Timothy Ferris. We also review the new film: Creation, as well as the first work of fiction by renowned biologist, E.O. Wilson, Anthill: A Novel. Plus, our list of the top five books in science fact and science fiction. And, don’t miss your chance to win tickets to the World Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne in September.
ISSUES & IDEAS: EVERY SCIENTIST NEEDS A WIFE
The way we fund science is designed for a time when all senior researchers were men, says Carola Vinuesa. It’s time to bring science into the 21st century.
Why do you spend a third of your life asleep? What are the consequences of depriving ourselves, and why do we dream? In a 17-page special report, COSMOS tackles these ever-present questions.
