LATEST NEWS
Brazilian rainforest destruction on the up once more
14:47 01 December 2008
After three years of decline, the rate at which Brazil's rainforest is being cleared rose again in 2008
Molecular fireworks could produce '30-minute genomes'
FEATURE: 13:40 01 December 2008 | 1 comment
A Californian startup has unveiled a technique that could sequence single person's genome for under $1000
Hands-free phones not risk-free for drivers
12:27 01 December 2008 | 1 comment
Using a phone headset is more distracting to a driver than having a motormouth passenger in the car
How landslides can be the key to ignition
11:25 01 December 2008
Rocks exposed to air during landslides can warm up enough to spark a fire under the right conditions
Smart drug implant has batteries included
NEWS: 11:15 01 December 2008
A medical implant that doubles as a battery as it corrodes could power targeted drug release
Robot gliders take the ocean's pulse
FEATURE: 11:12 01 December 2008 | 3 comments
Self-guided underwater gliders are proving an invaluable tool for oceanographers monitoring the deep seas for signs of climate change
Heat we emit could warm the Earth
THIS WEEK: 11:11 01 December 2008 | 15 comments
Even if we succeed in curbing emissions, the heat our energy use releases into the environment might begin warming the planet
Space shuttle lands safely in California
18:59 30 November 2008 | 4 comments
The shuttle Endeavour touched down in California after thunderstorms and high winds prevented a landing in Florida
Which virus will birds give us next?
IN BRIEF: 10:02 30 November 2008 | 2 comments
One common form of cold virus turns out to have started in birds – and the discovery is helping to show how animal viruses spread to people
Scanners avoid destructive tests on ancient manuscripts
NEWS: 11:32 29 November 2008 | 3 comments
Near-infrared scanners can detect when ancient manuscripts need to be restored without damaging the documents
SPACE
Did lack of comet impacts help life evolve?
The debris left over by comet collisions across nearby solar systems shows that ours is the least battered, possibly explaining why life developed on Earth
THE LAST WORD
What was his name? It'll come to me
Why, after you've spent hours trying to remember somebody's name, does the answer arrive in the middle of the night when you're not even trying?
FAVOURITE COMMENT
Invention: Uncrewed plane powered by hydrogen
"One word: Hindenburg." Tex Smith
COMPETITION
Feedback Competition 2008: Glad Timings We Bring
Imagine three time travellers arriving, bearing gifts from the future. Tell us what the gifts would be, and win a bag of Christmas treats!
SHORT SHARP SCIENCE BLOG
New rifts threaten break-up of massive ice shelf
11:08 01 December 2008 - updated 12:10 01 December 2008
As the world climate summit opens in Poznan, Poland, dramatically timed news from Antarctica underlines the precarious nature of the planet. An ice bridge linking a gigantic ice shelf to two Antarctic islands is close to collapse, according to satellite...
Cub reporter savaged over climate-change scepticism
10:16 01 December 2008 - updated 10:58 01 December 2008
A couple of totally bogus stories on climate change promoting theories of "global cooling" came out last week on the otherwise mainstream US political website Politico.com.The first article by Politco's Energy and Environment reporter Erika Lovley reports on "a growing...
Guitar Hero controller hacked to help amputees
17:23 28 November 2008 - updated 17:24 28 November 2008
The latest generation of prosthetics being developed in the US are incredibly advanced. But the latest piece of research kit is a cheap piece of videogame hardware: the controller to axe-man simulator Guitar Hero
