Nature is a battlefield, and they're born to fight: Parasites are hungry, ruthless, and cunning. The elite among them have even succeeded in infiltrating the most protected area of the human body—the brain. Once established there, these "settlements" can have critical consequences...

Not only can parasites that penetrate the blood-brain barrier have dire physical effects, they can also change our brain chemistry to manipulate our behavior, mood, and personality. Some neuroparasites are actually able to hijack control of the brain and reprogram it to make their host serve their purposes!

Check out the current issue of iD and come face to face with these creepy-crawly intruders, which could effectively turn millions of us into "pod people."

They are the biggest challenge a diver will ever face, and scientists view them as the uncharted treasure troves of the 21st century: Blue holes—aqueous sinkholes leading to underwater caves in the ocean floor—are one of nature's most intriguing formations.

Blue holes are entrances to extensive underwater realms. Each hole is the terminal of a funnel that extends hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the water. These funnels lead to submerged cave systems that researchers are just beginning to explore—intrepid divers are getting a glimpse of veritable parallel universes, which no human had ever before laid eyes on...

Discover what wonders are in store beneath the ocean floor: Dive into the April issue of iD and see what it takes to navigate the labyrinth beneath the sea.

Bitter cold and a scarcity of sustenance are no match for these winter warriors: Wild boars can find food in places where other animals would soon starve to death. They know that the true treasures of the woods are buried below the snow—and they are well equipped to reach them.

While other woodland creatures are hibernating, these robust swine are banding together and getting down to business. They use their muscular snout to root around in the ground and uproot all that they encounter. In this way they shape the soil ecosystem, mixing nutrients throughout the layers and consuming the larvae of agricultural pests.

Get up close and personal with the big pigs in the pack: Pick up the current issue of iD and enter the kingdom of the wild boars.

The next world war will not begin with a bang but with a click, or the tap of a finger on a trackpad, because every infrastructure and communication system today depends on something that follows no rules — the Internet, a place where the boundaries between good and evil are more blurred than anywhere else in what is already an extremely complex world.

Cybertroops are mobilizing in the digital dimension. These soldiers wear no uniforms, but they are masters of blitzkrieg, ambush, and infiltration. Their mission is to destroy, subvert, and sabotage, and they're waging a war throughout the vastness of the Internet that could plunge the world into disaster. The implications of their treacherous activities are not limited to the virtual realm: The U.S. government has decided that any large-scale hacking attack from abroad will be deemed an act of war, and the nation is prepared to respond with military force...

In the February issue of iD, explore what would happen if the Internet and all the systems that depend on it were disabled due to a massive cyberattack. How well would we fare if we were forced to roll back into the analog age?

For centuries members of this clandestine society have been suspected of pulling the strings behind the scenes. Even today Freemasons are still thought of as covertly endeavoring to rule the world. But is it possible they're already in charge?

With purported ties to organizations as diverse as the Mafia, the CIA, and the KKK, and an alleged stronghold in Washington D.C. dating back to the time of America's Founding Fathers, Freemasons are not written about in textbooks but have nevertheless had a tremendous impact on the history of the world.

Its members are sworn to secrecy, so very few things are known about this ancient order. It's also not known what percentage of a government apparatus must be in the hands of an organization for it to control a nation's political system.

Read about Freemason history and their modern potential in the latest issue of iD, as well as an account of the power of ancient symbols such as the cross, the pentagram, the swastika, and the Eye of Providence atop the pyramid on the back of the one-dollar bill.

Fighter jets are triumphs of technology that have amplified modern warfare and prompted a quest for air supremacy. But which country possesses the most elite fleet?

Raptors, Tomcats, MiGs, Sukhois — they're all packed with high-tech equipment right up to the cockpit roof. Fighter jets can break the sound barrier within seconds of taking off, they're virtually invisible to radar, and they're outfitted with sophisticated weaponry. Still, when it comes to a one-on-one dogfight in the air, a pilot's life can depend on which of these aircraft he's sitting in.

Technological innovations make planes faster, more maneuverable, and more deadly, but they also produce intense conditions that both plane and pilot must be able to withstand. Find out what it takes to be king of the skies in February's issue of iD.

Nature has equipped these fantastic fauna with unique traits that should have ensured their existential success, but those gifts have resulted in a biological compromise — one that ultimately compromises the creatures' ability to evade predators.

For instance, the capybara is one of the best divers in South America. So why haven't you heard much about the "plummetary" prowess of the planet's largest rodent? And why was this mammal once classified as a fish?

Felines that prowl the desert, fairy tale escape artists, sightless vibration-code masters... Meet extraordinary animals whose claim to fame can also be their fatal flaw in the current issue of iD.

Where does your willpower come from? What motivates you to do the things you do, especially in the face of obstacles? It's all in your head...

While some people are able to activate a super-motivational force that compels them to exceed their limits, others find they consistently fall short of success. They are being sabotaged by own their brain.

Neurologists, psychologists, and brain researchers examine the hidden neural pathways of motivation in the current issue of iD. Read about the areas of the brain that govern our ability to persevere, as well as those responsible for demotivating us into throwing in the towel. Learn techniques to strengthen your willpower and increase your endurance from the toughest elite military unit on the planet — the Navy SEALs.

Power, sex, money, connections: Explore the dark forces of motivation in the latest issue of iD.

Animals that hatch from an egg face their toughest challenge at the moment of their birth — they expend a tremendous amount of effort just being born. In fact, escaping the egg is one of the most physically taxing and exhausting processes that these creatures will ever have to undergo. And many of them must do it alone, without the help of the mother that laid them.

The egg is one of nature's toughest fortresses. In the December issue of iD, observe how animals like birds, turtles, and crocodiles form within the shell. Learn about the various hatching processes and how newly formed critters overcome their calcium fortress to burst out into the light of day.

See what it takes to break free — it's a do-or-die ordeal.