Citizen scientists sift soil for new antibiotics
Volunteers around the world are helping researchers hunt for earth-dwelling bacteria that could yield a much-need antibiotic breakthrough
Eureka relived: Wash like an Egyptian
Ancient cosmetic recipes often claimed the endorsement of celebrities such as Cleopatra. But could they really have made her complexion so famously milky?
OK Glass? Wearables march on despite Google's setback
Google's wearable computer Glass may not have won many fans, but it was a vital step in the integration of human and machine, says Hal Hodson
Five bizarre rituals – and why people perform them
They often seem to make no sense, but we keep doing them. Here are five extraordinary examples from around the world that help explain the power of rituals
World leaders in Davos to focus on risks to humanity
Environmental issues and cutting-edge technologies rank high in the World Economic Forum's list of threats, announced ahead of its annual meeting in Switzerland
A drowned town has resurfaced – population one
The waters have dropped in Villa Epecuén, Argentina, to reveal the changes wrought by decades underwater – and allow one resident to return
Ukraine is left struggling as health workers flee
Fighting in eastern Ukraine has left the region without basic healthcare and at a high risk of TB and other infectious diseases
Cunning snails drug fish with insulin then eat them
Cone snails spray a chemical cocktail to knock out fish – and it contains a fast-working insulin molecule that could help drug development for diabetes
Rite reasons: Why your brain loves pointless rituals
Logic and reason sets our species apart, but we are also born with a mind for nonsensical rituals – and they may be even more crucial for our survival
Can bitcoin outgun the abuses of big data?
If bitcoin-like currencies take off, might people power stop big firms from invading our privacy? A bold thought from crashing together two new books
Soviet Union fall helped drug-resistant TB to take off
The first world war helped spread TB round the world, but it was the collapse of the Soviet Union that enabled the multidrug-resistant form to take off
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