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Autism may make brains of women but not men more male

The finding that autism may shape male and female brains differently suggests that one controversial view of the condition needs rethinking


Firework view flaunts Perseid meteors' illusory origin

An amateur photographer uses this composite image to show how the brightest meteor shower of the year appears to fall from one constellation


Newmatics: antique tubular messaging returnsMovie Camera

Sometimes digital communication just can't cut it, says Jacob Aron – time to bring the pneumatic tube networks out of retirement


An elementary history lesson

In A Tale of Seven Elements, Eric Scerri reveals the remarkable human stories that explain how we filled the gaps in the periodic table


Hyperloop: Musk unveils high-speed pneumatic transport

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, says a system of pods inside depressurised tubes could whisk commuters between San Francisco and Los Angeles in half an hour


Words prompt us to notice what our subconscious sees

An optical illusion can hide an object from our consciousness, but hearing its name helps us see it, revealing deep links between vision and language


Play with antimatter from the comfort of your home

Citizen science has come to particle physics with an experiment at CERN that asks members of the public to help figure out whether antimatter falls up


The fracking debate needs more light, less heat

Both advocates and opponents of fracking are overstating their cases. To move forward we need a broader discussion about sustainable energy policy


Whose stem cells are they anyway?

Patients are right to question government control of their body parts. It's time for a shake-up


Mars chefs ready to emerge from simulated mission

Spending 120 days in a locked habitat, a crew of six showed how to make a long space mission more palatable using a non-perishable pantry


First bone tools suggest Neanderthals taught us skills

Specialised tools dating back 50,000 years indicate that Neanderthals may have created polished bone implements in Europe and showed us how it's done


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