Designer babies are on the horizon but aren't here yet
IVF is inexorably opening the door to a future where parents can choose desirable traits in their children
Stutters in Earth's spin change day length
The clearest ever view of how long a day is shows that Earth's spin has stuttered three times in the past decade
Musicians jam long-distance on superfast networks
Reducing video and audio time delays online lets band members who are thousands of miles apart rehearse or even perform together
30-kilometre ice crack makes PIG calve
Space pictures reveal that the longest glacier in Antarctica has calved an iceberg the size of New York City after a huge crack split the ice shelf
Blood test to estimate your age and predict health
Measuring levels of just 22 metabolites could reveal your age to within 10 years, and possibly predict ill health to come
Bug Mac and flies: Are insects really food's future? 
Insects could be the solution to an impending global food crisis, but not in the way you might think, says Sandrine Ceurstemont
Sun's cosmic ray shadow is solar storm predictor
The sun creates a shadow on cosmic ray detectors that varies with its magnetic activity and could lead to an early warning system for solar storms
Bag your dream job with a little help from an avatar
My Automated Conversation Coach is a 3D avatar who is able to recognise your gestures and facial expressions and give you useful advice on getting that job
NASA's 2020 Mars rover will be a rock collector
The Curiosity clone will directly seek out signs of past life and will collect rock samples, although it is unclear how they will be sent back to Earth
Brightening the clouds touted as a way to save corals
Making clouds brighter by spraying sea salt into the air could locally cool the oceans, reducing one of the threats facing coral reefs
Rice-husks could make much longer-lasting batteries
Electrodes made from the silicon derived from rice husks may prevent lithium ion batteries from degrading when they are charged and drained
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