F. Stuart Chapin III, known as Terry, has been a professor of ecology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks since 1973. He studies the effects of changes in climate and wildfire on Alaskan ecology, with a particular focus on developing sustainable ecosystems and human communities. In this issue, Chapin introduces a five-part feature on the effects of climate change on the biosphere. "Scientific assessments now clearly demonstrate the ecological and societal consequences of human-induced climate change," says Chapin.
As professor of cell biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Bruce Spiegelman studies the molecular basis of cell differentiation and tissue development, as well as the biochemical mechanisms of metabolic diseases such as obesity and insulin-resistant diabetes. In "The Skinny Fat," Spiegelman suggests that brown fat may one day burn energy, instead of storing it. "With the worldwide epidemic of obesity, diabetes and other diseases, it's interesting to ...
