Features

The Helmet Wars

Athletes in the U.S. suffer 3.8 million sports-related concussions each year. While helmet makers dither with small improvements, Swedish scientists have built something that could protect us all. By Tom Foster

Plus: What’s Behind The NFL Suicides?

Inside China’s Secret Arsenal

** The Chinese government is rapidly building a bigger, more sophisticated military. Here’s what they have, what they want, and what it means for the U.S.** By Peter W. Singer

2012: The Big Stories

** An at-a-glance summary of the year’s 25 most important scientific events.** By Colleen Park, illustration and design by Headcase Design

The Year In Science

Physics Enters A New Era By Sean CarrollStem Cells Sidestep Controversy By Clay RisenClimate Scientists Say It Again By Curtis BrainardAsia Take Two Routes To Space By Valerie RossEnergy Levels The Field By Abrahm LustgartenCrowdfunding Pays Off By Cliff RansomHackers Attack Mobile Phones By Robert LemosScience Funding Remains Strong By Juliet Eilperin

News Bytes From 2013

PopSci predicts the top news stories of the next year. By Miriam Kramer, Taylor Kubota, and Colleen Park

What’s New

Skis For Any SlopeThe Goods: January 2013’s Hottest GadgetsThe Practical Plug-InSpeakers From SpaceDustless DrillingThe Indestructible DrivePredictive Television

Headlines

Wild Among UsBullet ProofThe WarmupBlueprint: Fantastic VoyageF=ma: Clone Wars

How 2.0

You Built What?!: A Home for the Long HaulRoach ControlClever MeasuresAsk A Geek: Will Yanking A Portable Drive Destroy My Data?Retro Spinner

FYI

Why Don’t Spiders Get Trapped In Their Own Webs?

Megapixels

A Plasma Explosion On The Surface Of The Sun