Lizard penises evolve super-fast
They say size matters, but what of speed? In some lizards, penises have been evolving incredibly quickly – up to six times faster than other traits
Over a barrel? Falling oil prices and the environment
A halving of oil prices is hailed as good news for cash-strapped consumers. But there could also be unexpected gains for the environment, says Fred Pearce
The UK's Cancer Drugs Fund does more harm than good
A controversial fund for expensive new cancer medicines is good for big pharma but has brought real harm for patients, says health economist Karl Claxton
Focus on surveillance as US military's tweets hacked
As governments look at security policies following the Charlie Hebdo massacre, the US Central Command's Twitter feed was briefly the victim of a hacking war
Space weather report to keep GPS on track
A new service called FLARECAST will predict destructive solar storms minute-by-minute to warn when satellites are in danger
Expensive cancer drugs pushed off England's NHS list
The National Health Service in England is to stop funding some costly cancer drugs, while others criticise its fund for being unfair and ill-conceived
Swooping frigatebird swipes fish from pelican's mouth
Wildlife photographer Michael Poliza snapped this photo of a frigatebird living up to its Hawaiian name of "thief" off the coast of the Galapagos Islands
War on drugs: The Kiwi comedown has lessons for all
Hailed as a better way than prohibition, there is much to learn from New Zealand's stalled attempt to legalise new highs, says campaigner Ross Bell
Talking gibbonish: Deciphering the banter of the apes
New ways to decode animal chatter reveal a lot about what they are saying. And the answers could unravel human language too
What you 'like' on Facebook gives away your personality
A machine-learning algorithm can now predict your personality using nothing but what you like on Facebook – and it knows you better than your family does
Human brains have a groovy feature that chimps' don't
Our brains and those of chimpanzees are built differently in the areas that give us our unique language and social skills
Aphids suck the blood of their ant masters' young
A type of aphid that usually peacefully serves ants can turn on its masters, infiltrating their nests and feasting on the blood of their young
Three searches for the wellsprings of creativity
Do you need to be extraordinary? Wealthy and white? Or can anyone be creative? Three books come at the question from different angles
Quiet cuttlefish robot dives through underwater forest
By copying the undulating swimming skills of cuttlefish, a low-key underwater robot is able to tackle obstacles in its way
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