The January-February 2010 issue of the Utne Reader has five very different, but equally captivating, illustrations by members of theispot.com.

Jon Reinfurt shows us a geoengineer in action.  What's a geoengineer? A techno-optimistic scientist who believes high-tech fixes can be applied to climate change.

Margaret Cusack's stitched illustrations pair off with an interview with sociologist Richard Sennett.  Sennett explains how working with our hands enhances critical thinking, radicalizes labor, and makes us proud.

Jesse Kuhn's art for "Why do I get so Lost?" captures the bewilderment of that experience with both empathy and humor. The article seeks to discover why people's sense of direction varies so wildly.

Tim Gough tackles the crippling world of the gelotophobe in "When Humor Humiliates." A gelotophobe feels the same anger, shame and fear from playful teasing that they would feel as the butt of aggressive ridicule.

Richard Borge brings his complex concepting abilities to bear on "Why Your Heart Aches When it Breaks," which examines new research on social emotions like empathy and appreciation.  Turns out the way people describe potent feelings is more than metaphor: it's scientifically accurate.