Rosetta: landing site chosen for first comet mission
J marks the spot. The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission will touch down on the flattest part of the comet
Curtain closing on Higgs boson photon soap opera
The Higgs boson's unusual decay into photons sparked dramatic speculation about multiple Higgses and exotic particles – but the final word may now be out
It's time to criminalise serious scientific misconduct
Research misconduct degrades trust in science and causes real-world harm. As such, it should be a crime akin to fraud, argues Richard Smith
Two views of the future of science in Scotland
Would Scottish science benefit if the country became independent of the UK? Not a doubt, says Stephen J. Watson. Not a chance, argues Andrew Miller
Brains can power up to get around Alzheimer's plaques
Can people really ramp up their brain activity to compensate for the protein clumps associated with Alzheimer's disease?
Ethical trap: robot paralysed by choice of who to save
Can a robot learn right from wrong? Attempts to imbue robots, self-driving cars and military machines with a sense of ethics reveal just how hard this is
Robotic hand to feel its way to deep-sea discoveries
A three-fingered hand with a keen sense of touch could probe the murky depths when other sensors fail, helping to fix problems at deep-sea oil and gas wells
Linking cannabis and suicide doesn't prove causation
A study linking daily cannabis use to suicide got a lot of coverage earlier this week, but, Michael Slezak says, correlation does not mean causation
Just obeying orders? Rethinking obedience and atrocity
Ordinary people can commit atrocities simply by following orders, iconic 1960s experiments concluded – but this notion of the "banality of evil" is wrong
Ultimate human stem cells created in the lab
A new type of human stem cell, never seen in nature, should be better at making replacement organs than existing stem cells
Icequake before and after snapped by NASA scouts
NASA scientists practising for a future satellite mission chanced across a magnitude 6 earthquake rearranging Arctic terrain
Pinpoint key ports to stop aquatic invaders
Finding the hubs and ships most likely to spread invaders could go a long way to stopping species from doing billions of dollars in damage
Urban wastelands worth millions for what they give us
Abandoned lots in cities may seem like a waste of space, but the ecosystem services they provide can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars
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