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April 2018

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Features

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BE(A)WARE

Will robots become self-aware? Will they have rights? Will they be in charge? Here are five scenarios from our future dominated by artificial intelligence.

Vanessa Brandon

Saving Miss Vanessa

A new therapy that uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer is offering hope to patients with advanced disease

The cell starts rounding up and loses its spikes

A Cancer Vaccine?

Summoning a patient’s own immune system to attack rogue tumor cells

An illustration depicting the life cycle of a cancer cell

A DNA-Based Attack

A newly approved treatment is a milestone in gene therapy for cancer.

Tech titans collage

Tomorrow Land

The tech titans of Silicon Valley tell us what they think is coming soon to a PLANET near you—from brain implants to robot sex.

FutureOfBeer

Buzzed Lightyear

Strap on your beer goggles and join us on a hops-fueled rocket ride To insobriety...and beyond!

Mayor Dale Ross

The Future’s So Bright (He’s Gotta Wear Shades)

A high-wattage Texas Republican has become the unlikeliest hero of the green revolution. But can his electrifying example transform America’s power structure?

Departments

Discussion

Discussion of our March Issue

Tall Tales

California’s Giant Sequoias tell the story of our conflicted relationship with nature

Finding Dora

The artist best remembered as Picasso’s muse steps out of his shadow.

In Bitcoin We Trust

What Benjamin Franklin and Jefferson Davis can teach today’s cryptocurrency creators.

The Great Feather Heist

The curious case of a young American’s brazen raid on a British museum’s priceless collection.

Dogged Pursuit

Canines may soon be on the front lines in the fight against artifact smuggling.

Necessary Truths

A new memorial remembers the thousands of African-Americans who were lynched.

Make It Funky

What was it about the Hammond organ that made the legendary James Brown say please, please, please?

Tap Dance

With wiretapping in the headlines and smart speakers in millions of homes, historian Brian Hochman takes us back to the early days of eavesdropping.

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