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People have always tried to look at our planet in new and different ways, and through the years they've invented a number of methods with which to do so. Here's a look at some of the notable moments in the history of Earth monitoring.
Technology will soon allow the world to be mapped in near-real time and at high resolution. Declan Butler investigates the potential for operational monitoring of the planet.
Theoreticians have combined their expertise to form a network to help other scientists design materials or understand biological pathways. Katharine Sanderson reports.
John Sotos reckons that Abraham Lincoln had a rare, cancer-causing genetic disease. Brendan Maher talks to him about the diagnosis, and the ghoulish hobby of posthumous study.