Dangerous biofilm bacteria evolve to be easy to treat
Pathogenic bacteria have evolved into a less harmful form in the lab, suggesting that in future, infections could be tackled with therapies that encourage this change
Official planet namer listens to voice of the people
The International Astronomical Union is now taking input from public campaigns to name celestial bodies – though it won't be a complete free-for-all
Infinity's end: Time to ditch the never-ending story?
We might have more success in explaining how the universe works if we abandoned the idea that some things go on for ever, says Amanda Gefter
New cloud-forest mammal looks like living teddy bear
Meet the adorable olinguito, a newly discovered species found living in the cloud forests of the Andes
Robot comedian stands up well against human rivals
How funny can a robot be? Celeste Biever finds a robot stand-up less stressful to watch than human comics – but it would have problems with a rowdy audience
Beyond 3D printing: The all-in-one factory
3D printers are so passé. The Microfactory not only prints objects, it can drill and etch too, making it far more versatile
Oddball space neutrinos may be spawn of dark matter
Novel idea would explain puzzling features of some recently detected deep-space neutrinos – and suggest an unusual identity for mysterious dark matter
Ancient climate change picked the crops we eat today
A spike in CO2 in the atmosphere after the last ice age may explain the choice of plants humans now cultivate for food, such as wheat and barley
Breathing new life into the pneumatic dream
High-speed underground transit systems were first devised more than a century ago. Can Elon Musk's Hyperloop succeed where they failed?
Watch virtual people flee to plan escape routes
A system that places virtual humans in real buildings and simulates disasters could help planners see how people would behave in an emergency
Earth's central heating is thinning Greenland
Poor Greenland. Not only is its ice sheet melting thanks to rising temperatures, its rocks are being attacked by heat from below
Giant magnet makes Milky Way black hole a slow eater
A newly discovered pulsar has allowed a magnet surrounding the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy to be measured
Micropayments now ready to slash price of online news
Using online currencies like Bitcoin to make small payments could make news stories and songs a steal
Milky Way galaxy is even lighter than thought
The latest weigh-in of our home galaxy shows much less mass from dark matter, which means we may live in a cosmic oddball
Specialist care for elderly could fix crisis in ER
As waiting times skyrocket in UK accident and emergency units, pilot studies suggest dedicated geriatric teams could improve treatment for everyone
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