The whole internet can't identify this mystery cocoon
An intricate structure of tiny poles and guy wires spotted in the Amazon has stumped entomologists and amateur bug-spotters
Voices from the past: Ancient secrets in today's words
Genome-cracking tools are helping us pull the past from modern languages, revealing ancient origins, migrations and relationships. Douglas Heaven listens in
Should babies have their genomes sequenced at birth?
The US National Institutes of Health will spend $25 million in the next five years to study the pros and cons of sequencing newborn babies' genomes
Samsung launch kickstarts the smartwatch boom
Watches that connect wirelessly to your phone could let you check texts without going into your pocket – and answer calls Dick Tracy style
'Boring' Higgs has powers we never dreamed of
The Higgs boson looked too well-behaved to reveal new physics, but now it seems it could solve two of our biggest cosmological mysteries
The rare red kites that keep blogs about their flights
Using the location data of four red kites, a new system automatically creates blog posts about what the birds have been up to
Biodiversity: Keep fighting the good fight
It's easy to become fatalistic about environmental problems, but it really is possible to stop destroying the natural world
Wrap brain in antibiotic film to protect after surgery
An antibiotic-laced polymer placed over the brain during surgery releases its drug slowly and effectively, melting away as it keeps bacteria at bay
Future factories let workers build a car from home
Machines that can be controlled over the internet open up the possibility of factory workers joining the home-working revolution
Death by Higgs rids cosmos of space brain threat
Using the Higgs boson to end the universe is the simplest way to eliminate disembodied brains that plague particle physics – even though they shouldn't exist
Brain gyms can work – if they train one skill at a time
A video game designed to improve older people's ability to multitask suggests well-designed brain-training games could give lasting benefits after all
Frugal science gets DIY diagnostics to world's poorest
From origami microscopes to bicycle pump nebulisers, frugal technology is really taking off in the poorest parts of the world
Stop global warming and save biodiversity? Yes, we can
We have the tools to preserve biodiversity and keep global warming in check by shrinking farms and providing economic incentives to keep wild lands
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