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RESURRECTING THE LOST TORTOISES OF THE GALÁPAGOS • They enthralled sailors. They inspired Darwin. Then, by the mid-19th century, the iconic Floreana tortoises were gone. Here’s how a group of persistent scientists unlocked the secrets to bringing them back.

AFTER CENTURIES OF DECLINE, HOPE ON THE ISLANDS • Human exploitation of the Galápagos giant tortoise led to a sharp decrease in all species, three of which became extinct. Decades of conservation efforts, such as captive breeding and control of invasive animals, reversed the population falloff.

Reviving Giants • Galápagos giant tortoises adapted to their isolated habitats and evolved into 15 species, varying in size and shell shape. After human activity decimated the iconic creatures, conservationists worked to repopulate these keystone species. Hybrids with Floreana genes will soon be the first tortoises to return to Floreana Island, where they have long been extinct.

The DAREDEVILS Who Keep Lagos MOVING • In the Nigerian metropolis, motorcycle taxi drivers contend with harassment, chaotic streets, and gnarly accidents. But without them, the city of 20 million would grind to a halt.

THE POTENT PROMISES (AND PERILS) OF MODERN CANNABIS • These days pot is more popular and more powerful than ever before. And it’s being used and studied in ways that are prompting fresh and surprising discoveries. Here we tackle some of the most critical questions being raised by today’s stronger, stranger, ever more accessible weed.

HOW CANNABIS CHEMISTS ENGINEER A SUPERIOR HIGH • Enterprising weed scientists are remixing marijuana into startlingly powerful concentrates, leading consumers into heady new realms where buds can’t take them.

A NEW TOOL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CHRONIC PAIN? • For decades, scientists have sought a nonaddictive means of treating people in ongoing agony. Now cannabis is inspiring a safer way forward.

THE MYSTERY OF WEED SICKNESS • Strong new strains and forms of cannabis are linked to a set of symptoms that have doctors puzzled—and diagnoses of the strange syndrome are on the rise.

Europe’s WILY WANDERER • Savvy and opportunistic, the golden jackal is one of the most successful carnivores of the modern era.

How do you SAVE the EVERGLADES from TENS OF THOUSANDS of ROGUE SNAKES? • In Florida, non-native pythons pose a huge habitat threat. Shrewd fashion designers are offering a novel solution.

THE GREAT MOON RUSH • As NASA prepares to return explorers to the moon, big plans are already taking shape to develop this virtually untouched realm to suit human needs. Here’s what the lunar surface could become if we’re lucky. And what it might turn into if we’re not.

HOW TO START BUILDING ON THE MOON • The next several decades will stand out as unlike any others in the moon’s 4.5 billionyear history. If all goes to plan, the moon will become an outpost, perhaps with a bit of the feel of a 1950s sci-fi show crossed with the industrial outskirts of Newark Airport. By 2080, there could be a thriving lunar economy supporting game-changing science. But to build it, scientists and engineers will need to start small, and take three milestone steps.

What KATRINA TAUGHT US • Two decades after the hurricane devastated New Orleans, $14 billion has been spent on an elaborate coastal defense system. Will it be enough to stop the next megastorm?

PROTECTING A VULNERABLE COAST • Informed by the catastrophe of...