LATEST NEWS
Big bang's afterglow may reveal birthplace of comets
00:01 02 December 2008
A shell of icy bodies called the Oort Cloud is too far away to see – but its signature may be hidden in remnant radiation from the big bang
Rare celestial trio dazzles sky watchers
20:00 01 December 2008 | 10 comments
On Monday, Venus, Jupiter and the Moon form a tight triangle on the sky - the Sun's glare blocks most such 'conjunctions'
Brains of autistic children slower at processing sound
18:09 01 December 2008 | 3 comments
A brain scan shows that children with autism respond more slowly to sound stimuli, offering a clue to the condition
Antarctic islands surpass Galapagos for biodiversity
16:05 01 December 2008 | 1 comment
More sea and land animals live on the South Orkney Islands than on the tropical Galapagos Islands, a new survey shows
Invention: Supersonic hurricane neutraliser
16:04 01 December 2008 | 9 comments
Flying jets in circles at supersonic speed inside a hurricane could dissipate its destructive force, a patent application claims
Amazon destruction gathers pace
14:47 01 December 2008 | 1 comment
After three years of decline, the rate at which Brazil's rainforest is being cleared rose again, with 12,000 sq km cleared in 12 months
Molecular fireworks could produce '30-minute genomes'
FEATURE: 13:40 01 December 2008 | 3 comments
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 | 5 comments
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
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
Should the US taxpayer support green cars for rich people?
15:25 01 December 2008 - updated 15:29 01 December 2008
Should a company that makes electric cars receive state support, even when it's vehicles are only for the rich?
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...
