Key information from this month’s issue:

• DIABETES Type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes is on the rise. But now scientists find that the incidence of type 1 diabetes is also soaring at a rate of 3 to 5 percent a year worldwide. Previously called juvenile diabetes, it can be crippling and lead to early death. Though the cause is still a mystery, hygiene, gluten-rich diets and obesity have all been implicated as culprits. Future research and public heath measures that explore prevention methods are needed. See: Science of Health: A Diabetes Cliffhanger

• CANCER Conventional wisdom holds that screening for prostate cancer saves lives. Studies show, however, that screenings do not greatly decrease the risk of death, and hundreds of thousands of men have likely suffered severe side effects as a result of unnecessary treatment. In most cases, screening for prostate cancer but being less aggressive in treatment may prove to be an effective compromise. See: Medicine: The Great Prostate Cancer Debate

• SPACE President Obama’s chief science advisor John Holdren is in favor of cooperating with China on future space missions.Federal legislation known as the “Wolf clause” prohibits NASA from pursuing such joint efforts. The White House is pushing back, trading legal memos with congressional investigators on the constitutionality of the Wolf clause. See: Advances: Tensions over Taikonauts

• PUBLIC HEALTH Thanks to multiple factors, from the evolution of insecticide resistance to increased international travel, bed bugs have returned. Scientists recently identified several aspects of bed bug biology and behavior that could lead to novel ways of detecting and eradicating the pests. See: Sustainability: More Food, Less Energy

• SUSTAINABILITY Worldwide, we are eating more chocolate. Americans are projected to spend $700 million on chocolate for Valentine’s Day alone. But the cacao tree—the source of chocolate—is under threat from pests, fungal infections, climate change, and farmers’ lack of access to fertilizers and other products that enhance yields. Researchers are working to bolster the fragile tree through selective breeding, farmer education and pest-management techniques. See: Sustainable Agriculture: The Future of Chocolate

• GOOGLE SCIENCE FAIR The $50,000 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Science in Action award, powered by the Google Science Fair, will be given for the first time in 2012. The award will celebrate a project that addresses a social, environmental or health issue and makes a practical difference in the lives of a group or community. See: From the Editor