Big bang or big bounce? The science of how the universe may have started.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=big-bang-or-big-bounce

This is an excellent article that explains and brings to light new research on the beginning of our universe. It explains the need for a quantum theory of gravity to possibly explain how our universe began. The article also includes details on the complex science surrounding this issue.

The future of ethanol

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/oct/03-anything-into-ethanol

This article focuses on the future of ethanol and the science behind it. New companies are testing emerging technologies in the production of ethanol from gases produced by waste products (garbage, wood chips, etc.). Companies like Coskata and Range Fuels are establishing new methods of producing ethanol at higher yields than what corn currently allows and for much cheaper. They claim that the $1 per gallon of ethanol pinnacle is possible with this technology. One of the key elements that allows these companies to bring the price down is using a bacteria to ferment the syngas (product from gasification of the source) into ethanol. As the science involved in this process improves and the projects begin to scale up, this promises to be the future of ethanol production.

New study devles into the science of luck and superstition

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/10/03/feeling-powerless-grab-your-lucky-rabbits-foot/

This study provides interesting insight into the vulnerable human psyche. It tests the correlation between uncomfortable/uncontrollable situations and a person's desire to find meaning. The studies performed showed that subjects who felt they were not in control of a situation were more likely to see patterns (visually or in certain situations) than those who were in control. The study backs the idea that people are more likely to act irrationally when they are in an uncontrollable situation.