Personalised learning lets children study at their own pace
A growing number of schools are turning to personalised learning to enable every child to progress at the best speed for them
Gravity's secret: How relativity meets quantum physics
Some neat tricks with gravity could finally probe how it affects the quantum realm and allow us to devise a theory of everything, says Michael Brooks
'Super-powered oven' suggests Venus once had continents
The first lab analogue study of Venus's surface composition finds that it might be made of granite, a key component of Earth's continents
Vitamin D's benefit may lie in syncing our body clocks
The sunshine hormone seems to stave off a myriad of disorders - from cancer to infertility. Could vitamin D work by regulating our circadian rhythms?
Feedback: Particle softly vanishes away
Red tape cuts red tape, tying ministers up, modelling the festive tree and more
Raise a toast to drugs that could replace alcohol
Drugs that are taken instead of alcohol, or which reduce the urge to consume it, should be treated carefully, but if they reduce harm, they must be allowed
You could be wearing your alibi right now
Your Fitbit could tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Personal data from wearable technology is now being used in court
White wine may not really exist
Grapes used to make some of the famed white wines in fact contain anthocyanin pigments that give red wine its colour, which could solve a winemaking mystery
Ice floe serves as lab for drifting Arctic explorers
Two Norwegians are enduring darkness for months on end as they conduct experiments from a hovercraft floating on Arctic ice
Exclusive: Jane Hawking tells her Theory of Everything
She married, divorced and then professionally reconciled with science icon Stephen Hawking. Read her feelings about the film that tells their incredible story
Wi-Fi could let robots roam around the ISS
Robot helpers on the International Space Station are getting a new navigation system run by the orbiting outpost's own Wi-Fi
High and dry? Party drug could target excess drinking
A patent has been filed for a drug that produces some of ecstasy's euphoric effects – and seems to put the brakes on boozing
Alcohol archaeology: I recreate beverages with heritage
Resurrecting ancient beers and wines is a subtle alchemy, but Patrick McGovern knows all the tricks. Who's for an Etruscan ale?
Masculine-sounding lawyers less likely to win in court
The outcome of Supreme Court cases can be affected by how masculine a lawyer's voice sounds - but not in the way you might expect
Loneliness is a modern epidemic in need of treatment
Being lonely is seriously bad for your health. Clues from our ancient past and the animal kingdom could guide the search for solutions, say John and Stephanie Cacioppo
2014 review: The most awesome stories of the year
The elixir of youth, a switch to turn consciousness on and off, electric life forms… and more. This is the news you just have to tell your friends about
Man vs sherry trifle: Can I eat myself drunk?
Graham Lawton attempts to get mashed on potatoes and sauced on sauce. It's a sobering insight into what really happens to the booze we cook with
Russia boasts best mental agility at World Mind Games
The world's top minds gathered in China last month to compete in five classic tests of cognition, including chess, go and draughts
Split-colour bird is half male, half female
What's red and white and feathered all over? A northern cardinal with the plumage of both a male and female
Reverb: Why we dig messy sound
From concert-hall designers to pop record producers, everyone in the music industry knows we love reverb. But why, asks sound guru Trevor Cox
Become an instant expert on the best science of 2014
Our editors pick their favourite features, interview, comment, video and more
Fancy naming a world after someone this Christmas?
Want to name an alien world? Keep your ideas on a tight leash, advises astronomer Heather Couper
The piste at the end of the universe
Weary of Whistler? Find Davos dull? For a vacation with a difference, blast off with our winter sports guide to the best off-earthly snow and ice
Y(ou)r q(ua)ntifi(e)d s(el)f, a short story
Whether or not your existence is noticed, whether you detect it or not, you are exquisite. And you are immersed in… yourself. By Michael Blumlein
Try the hardest crossword ever set by a computer
Silicon-chip logic is remorseless, but it can think laterally enough to flummox human minds. Up for the challenge? There's a prize to be won if you are
Pitch us a movie and win an invite to our writing room
Send us an elevator pitch and you could find yourself developing your best screenplay idea in the company of a hand-picked crew of writing professionals
The mystery of yawning: We all do it, but why?
Hot, tired brains and an excess of stress hormones. Could these be the reasons why we yawn, asks neuroscientist Simon Thompson
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