Scientific American Magazine

We comprehend the universe and our place in it. But there are limits to what we can explain at present. Will research at the boundaries of science reveal a special role for intelligent life?

Some 15 billion years ago the universe emerged from a hot, dense sea of matter and energy. As the cosmos expanded and cooled, it spawned galaxies, stars, planets and life

The elements that make up the earth and its inhabitants were created by earlier generations of stars

The formation of this planet and its atmosphere gave rise to life, which shaped the earth's subsequent development. Our future lies in interpreting this geologic past

Growing evidence supports the idea that the emergence of catalytic RNA was a crucial early step. How that RNA came into being remains unknown

The history of life is not necessarily progressive;it is certainly not predictable. The earth's creatures have evolved through a series of contingent and fortuitous events

Language, foresight, musical skills and other hallmarks of intelligence are connected through an underlying facility that enhances rapid movements

Yes, as we engineer replacement bodies and brains using nanotechnology. We will then live longer, possess greater wisdom and enjoy capabilities as yet unimagined

Hope for an environmentally sustainable future lies in evolving institutions technology and global concern

The earth remains the only inhabited world known so far, but scientists are finding that the universe abounds with the chemistry of life