A MILITARY SURGE Knickknacks, sweetheart pins, and correspo n-dence from American GIs during World War II are hot. Daphne, Alabama–based arms and militaria expert Christopher Mitchell advises: ■ Start looking close to home. There may be old medals, American dress uniforms, or even German helmets or daggers, in a relative’s attic, hope chest, or basement. ■ Buy from reputable dealers. “They began faking German stuff the day the war ended,” Mitchell says. ■ Buy the very best you can afford. Instead of buying three belts for $15 each, buy one in wonderful condition for $45.

YOU CAN’T GIVE THIS AWAY

■ Beanie Babies: “Prices have gone down to next to zero,”

says Philip Weiss, an Oceanside, New York–based appraiser.

■ Victorian furniture: The lace-and-doilies look is past passé for all but the most practical purposes.

■ Ohio art pottery and Depression-era glass: Reproductions and a glut of supply on the Web melted this market.

■ limited-edition items: “People want something unique,” says Tim Luke, a Stuart, Florida–based appraiser.

Science & Technology

TRAFFIC BUSTERS MIT’s Smart Cities team has a solution for traffic congestion: Small, electrically charged cars with folding chassis. The wheels turn 360 degrees—ideal for urban streets. Likely cities to get them first: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

A meteorite that crashed in northwest Canada may bear evidence of extraterrestrial life. It contains tiny bubbles that may have held the universe’s earliest life forms. “Where they come from, we don’t know,” says cosmic minerologist Michael Zolensky, “but they’re not from around here.”

TOO HOT FOR COMFORT

Global temperatures will increase between 3. 2° and 7. 1°F in this century, says a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Meanwhile, English businessman Sir Richard Branson is sponsoring the Virgin Earth Challenge: The first person who figures out how to remove billions of tons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere might win a $25 million prize. Climate scientists and environmentalists will evaluate submissions.