November 2009 Issue: Astronaut 3.0

November 2009 Cover

Features

Inside Astronaut Boot Camp

What does it take to prep humans for a trip to an asteroid or a martian moon? Starvation? Isolation? Recycling feces for food? NASA's newest astronauts begin a grueling training regimen this fall to find out
By Dawn Stover

PopSci's Brilliant 10

Meet ten young geniuses shaking up science today. They're helping to keep us healthy, prevent disasters, and make green energy cheaper than coal. Lucky for us, our future is in their capable hands

Personal Chemistry

Every day we're exposed to thousands of man-made chemicals, some of which seep into our bodies and remain there for decades. What that means for our health, we don't fully understand--but I subjected myself to a battery of new tests in search of answers. By Arianne Cohen

Green Dream: Custom-Made Aluminum Windows Save Money and Energy

The build continues, plus four green doors and windows to retrofit your own home

Headlines

• Will a Shortage of Nuclear Isotopes Mean Less Effective Medical Tests?
• Earthquake-Proof Skyscrapers Hide From Seismic Waves
• The LHC's Restart Checklist
• It's About Time: A Power Line That Sheds Heavy Ice
• A Material Based on Sharkskin Stops Bacterial Breakouts
• The Martian Torture Chamber

What's New

• The First Snowmobile With Air Shocks Goes Farther, Faster
• What a Leaner, Greener General Motors Will Look Like
• Fully Loaded: The Ultimate Backyard Observatory for Stargazers
• The Washing Machine That Swaps Water For Dirt-Busting Plastic Pellets

How 2.0

• You Built What?! A Real-Life Version of Lunar Lander
• How I Built a DIY Kindle
• Gray Matter: An Elemental Recipe For Creating Great Showers of Sparks
• Ask a Geek: How Do I Pick A Company To Host My Website?>

FYI

• Could a Human Beat a T. Rex in Arm Wrestling?
• What Would Happen if I Ate a Teaspoonful of White Dwarf Star?

Megapixels

• Thinking Cap
• Fowl Line