The World in 2063:  What does the future hold? In this special 50th issue of COSMOS, Australia's #1 science magazine, we ask leading scientists to imagine the world 50 years from now. Radical changes in population, climate and food supply are certain by 2063; but equally certain are paradigm-shifting breakthroughs that will transform health, energy, the environment and food technology. The world in 2063: glimpse the future in this feature-packed issue of COSMOS.

OUTBREAK: As human populations multiply, new animal-borne diseases are crossing the species barrier. COSMOS looks at the 13 deadliest emerging contagious diseases, and asks, we catch the next lethal virus before it catches us out? We also dive into the untapped chemical treasures in marine organisms - will they lead us to new life-saving medicines? And the risks and rewards of developing new drugs, from the lab to your pharmacy shelf. Don't miss this special issue on the frontlines of medical research. Plus, can plants see, hear and smell? And, sail the frontiers of balloon astronomy, where the opportunities for new cosmic discoveries are sky high.

SEEKING ALIEN LIFE: With more than 2,300 planets discovered outside the Solar System, we're closer than ever to locating new life – or finding future homes for humans. Will we finally meet our galactic neighbours? Plus, meet the extremophiles – denizens of the hottest, deepest and most devastated landscapes on Earth, and find out how these weird creatures could help develop new drugs for astronauts. Don’t miss these stories and others on cosmic rays, travelling at the speed of sound, how organic LED technology began its life as seaweed, why scientists in the 1950s went to war and many more.

TOXIC SUGAR: Worse than alcohol - adding fructose, the sugar from fruit, to processed foods iscreating a global health crisis. Find out why you need to avoid it. And, the rise of obesity – are our genes to blame? Don't miss this new research on the human body. Plus how a simple pill could slow ageing, why nanomachines willrevolutionise medicine and technology, and see our spectacular gallery on the microworld. We also travel south for the 100th anniversary of Douglas Mawson's fateful exploration of Antarctica, revisit brilliant mathematician Alan Turing’s tragic life and find out how the ancient Antikythera device predicted the future.

Out now in COSMOS: Don't miss the free 32-page guide to surviving postgraduate life, packed with essential information on the hottest and most in-demand fields in science. This special issue on the brain unveils the hidden power of your mind: how words, thoughts and senses enter your consciousness; how neuroscience can boost your brainpower and read your thoughts – and why the military wants to invest in it. Plus, we road test five ways to space, find out when we’ll be mining the Moon and asteroids for resources, and how hibernation techniques can save lives. Stay in touch with the latest opinion, news and reviews from the frontiers of science.

Startling discoveries in Asia have forced a radical rethink of human evolution. In our 31-page human evolution special, the scientist leading investigations into a possible new human species takes us there in his own words. Plus, diary excerpts from the forgotten co-father of evolution, Alfred Wallace; how we evolved from a hairy ancestral primate into today's naked apes; and, meet your descendant: how will evolution change us in the future. Also this issue: artists redraw the periodic table of elements, and the scientists who live at the edge: scaling glaciers and filming volcanic eruptions in the name of research.

An incredible find in Australia's far north could prove to be the most significant archaeological discovery yet made, and Cosmos contributing editor Elizabeth Finkel had rare access to the site. Plus: rethinking energy - an international cohort of scientists, youth and business leaders have identified five promising technologies that could meet and exceed the surging energy demand expected by 2030. Here's how adopting these technologies will transform our lives. We also skate down sand dunes to ponder the mystery of the physics of dune song, find out why flu strains go viral and take a ringside seat beside thedirty world of plant sex.

A mystery illustration made by an 18th-century astronomer has revealed the most massive flare from the Sun ever recorded. When next one erupts – as scientists are now certain one will – the flare will wreak global chaos and likely bring our modern interconnected civilisation to a standstill. Read about superflares from the Sun, plus, a revolutionary technique that reveals your brain in a new light and could combat behaviours from addiction to depression. Find out also why the top athletes win, and if we are facing a Gattaca-style world of predictive genetics that could typecast us from birth.

As we face global ageing epidemic and the prospect of brain deterioration, a revolution in genetics is transforming the way we'll live in the future. Are you ready for a smarter, longer lifetime? It may be closer than you think. Plus, we look at the shaky foundations for putting the science of predicting earthquakes on trial, meet the world’s most astonishing predator, discover a clock so precise it would lose less than a second in the entire history of the universe and travel to South Australia to find out about the cutting-edge science and technology transforming this resource-rich state.