Scientific American 2021 09.pdf

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SEPTEMBER 2021
SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM
Saving the
Mountain Lions
of Los Angeles
Stopping the
Methane Leaks of
the Permian Basin
BACK TO VENUS
Three new missions
will reveal the mysteries
of Earth’s evil twin
THE NEW
SCIENCE OF
AUTOIMMUNE
DISEASE
ON
L
RE
P
O
ECIA
RT
SP
H
E
ALT
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© 2021 Scientific American
SEPTEMBER 2021
VO L U M E 3 2 5 , N U M B E R 3
62
SPECIAL REPORT ON
AU TO I M M U N E D I S E A S E
P L A N E TA RY S C I E N C E
52 Lifting the Venus Curse
Three new space missions
are set to reinvigorate studies
of Earth’s long-neglected
neighbor, potentially revealing
how and why it became
our planet’s evil twin.
By Robin George Andrews
ENVIRONMENT
26
THE BODY AGAINST ITSELF
Millions suffer when the immune system, which
normally defends people, attacks them instead.
ON THE COVER
Although Mars now domi-
nates space exploration,
this was not aleays so.
During the early space
age, Venus was a choice
destination because of its
similariity to Earth—until
observations revealed it to
be a viciously inhospitable
place. Now three ambi-
tious missions are heading
back to Venus, seeking
to discover exactly
how Earth’s estranged
near twin lost its way.
Photograph by
NASA and JPL
28 Betrayal from Within
Disabling symptoms, vague tests, ineffec-
tive treatments: one person’s journey
into autoimmunity.
By Maria Konnikova
31 Autoimmune Disease,
by the Numbers
By Maddie Bender, Jen Christiansen
and Miriam Quick
62 Methane Hunters
Emerging technology can
pinpoint methane emissions,
but will oil and gas companies
and their regulators respond?
By Anna Kuchment
C O N S E R VAT I O N
34 How Autoimmunity Starts
Does the immune system attack organs
under stress?
By Stephani Sutherland
72 The Lions of Los Angeles
The Santa Monica mountain lions
are so inbred that they are starting
to show genetic defects.
An ambitious plan to build the
largest wildlife crossing in
the world could save them.
By Craig Pittman
40 Women at Risk
Why nearly four of every five people
with autoimmune disorders are female.
By Melinda Wenner Moyer
Nick Simonite
45 Damage Control
Scientists are developing targeted
therapies for autoimmune disease.
By Marla Broadfoot
September 2021, ScientificAmerican.com
1
© 2021 Scientific American
4 From the Editor
6 Letters
8 Science Agenda
The U.S. emergency response system is badly in need
of reform and investment.
By the Editors
10 Forum
White tigers are gorgeous, but they’re the result
of inbreeding, which is a disaster for the animals’ health.
By Azzedine Downes
8
12 Advances
A geologic view of kidney stone formation. Why some
people can’t stand the sound of chewing. A rainbow of
dyes made by
E. coli.
Tiny robots to take on microplastics.
23 Meter
The poetry of pine sap and resin.
By Roald Hoffmann
24 The Science of Health
New paths for poison ivy relief—and a vaccine—emerge.
By Claudia Wallis
12
80 Recommended
Climate action needs better stories. The power of
Occam’s razor. An interspecies language experiment
gone wrong. Sci-fi that saw the future.
By Amy Brady
82 Observatory
The lab-leak theory of COVID’s origins is not irrational,
even if its biggest advocate was.
By Naomi Oreskes
83 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago
By Mark Fischetti
84 Graphic Science
82
COVID’s hidden toll is reflected in excess death counts.
By Tanya Lewis and Amanda Montañez
Scientific American (ISSN 0036-8733), Volume 325, Number 3, September 2021, published monthly by Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc., 1 New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, N.Y. 10004-1562.
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Scientific American, September 2021
© 2021 Scientific American

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