Chromosome that causes Down's silenced for first time
A gene therapy that switches off the extra copy of chromosome 21 which causes Down's syndrome brings hope of reversing symptoms of the disorder
Biometric touchscreen recognises prints for first time
A touchscreen that recognises users by their fingerprints could usher in a new era of secure computing in public places
Cosmic collisions spin stellar corpses into gold
A smash involving two neutron stars has spat out 10 moons' worth of gold, and may explain how the universe got its stock of the precious metal
First look into workings of the Neanderthal brain
Exclusive: in a technological breakthrough, the system of gene switches in Neanderthals has been uncovered, allowing us to assess their mental life
Black hole feasting may help crack four cosmic puzzles
The supermassive black hole at our galaxy's heart has started gobbling a cloud of gas. Watching the feast could help us solve four long-standing mysteries
Fungus foray: Which London tube line is mouldiest?
The Jubilee line is the youngest and smartest of all London Underground lines but it's mouldier than the much older Central and Bakerloo lines
Race to Mars: Who will be first to the Red Planet?
Two private teams say they will get people to Mars within the next 10 years. Find out how they plan to pull it off – and if the astronauts can come back
$25 gadget lets hackers seize control of a car
After journalist Michael Hastings's death, there were rumours that his car had been hacked. Now two researchers say they can do it for real
Fragility of entanglement no bar to quantum secrets
A cryptography scheme works even after the delicate entanglement that enables it has been destroyed – suggesting the property is more practical than thought
Five NASA spacewalks aborted thanks to bad suits
Astronaut Luca Parmitano's helmet filling with water today isn't the first wardrobe malfunction in space – we bring you four more aborted spacewalks
How to talk a computer into creating a program for you
Using everyday language to program computers is an important first step towards empowering people who are not familiar with computer code
3D-printed rocket engine gets its first fiery test
It's not just for trinkets – NASA has now used 3D printing to create a crucial part of a rocket engine
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