Supplements fingered in sprinters' positive dope tests
With two of the fastest-ever 100-metre runners, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, failing drug tests, poorly labelled dietary supplements may be to blame
What Reddit likes: Things that make a meme explode
Want to score high on Reddit? Timing is crucial but choose the correct subreddit, post often and the Reddit community will love you
The strange ape that's rewriting our family tree
The story of our evolution seemed clear. But a string of recent discoveries in Africa is forcing us to radically rethink it
Control sex for humanity's future
The way we reproduce may have unexpected consequences for the future of humanity, suggests biological anthropologist Robert Martin in How We Do It
Ultimate moon shot reveals the sun's flare
Shot by a shadow tracker, this image of our star will help explain why the sun's upper atmosphere is so hot
Why is the rich US in such poor health?
In the wake of a startling report highlighting the US's poor health compared with other wealthy nations, its study director Laudan Aron searches for answers
Free online MIT courses are an education revolution
Online learning is the biggest shake-up of education since the advent of the printing press, says Anant Agarwal, an MIT computing specialist
Volcano's screams may explain eruption's awesome power
When Alaska's Redoubt volcano erupted in 2009, a series of tiny tremors created a "seismic scream" – yielding clues to what goes on beneath the surface
NASA urged to seek live Martians with 2020 rover
We have the technology to look for microbes alive right now on Mars, and at least one astrobiologists says failing to grab this opportunity is absurd
People in their 90s are getting smarter
More mental stimulation seems to be behind an improvement in cognitive performance for the oldest members of society, shows a Danish study
Sun's quiet spell not the start of a mini ice age
The sun's recent weak activity is no potentially climate-altering Maunder minimum but proof of a new facet to the sun's magnetic dynamo
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