2015 a watershed year for assisted suicide in the US
With bills introduced that could legalise the right to die in 20 more states, this year could be a turning point for the highly controversial practice
Tiny CubeSats could hitch a ride with ESA mission
The European Space Agency is calling for small, boxy spacecraft called CubeSats to hitch a ride with a mission in 2020 – perhaps the first CubeSat trip into deep space
Dawn spacecraft set for first visit to a dwarf planet
The asteroid-hopping spacecraft will arrive at Ceres on Friday, making it the first to visit a dwarf planet and the first to visit two different worlds
After handshakes, we sniff people's scent on our hand
People sniff their hands much of the time and especially after a handshake, suggesting the greeting might convey chemical signals
Victory declaration on net neutrality may be premature
The US Federal Communication Commission has taken an important step to ensure net neutrality – but dangers remain
I've found the real reason so many children are obese
Don't blame gluttony or genes for the obesity epidemic – it's our sedentary habits echoing down the generations, says obesity theorist Edward Archer
Giant robot eyes scan stars for dust
The huge eyes of the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona are staring across vast cosmic distances in the hope of finding signs of alien life
Suez superhighway: Stopping the tide of alien invaders
We're creating a thoroughfare for invasive species to pour into the Mediterranean from the Red Sea – but for once there is a way to stem the flow
Droughts in Syria and California linked to climate change
The two regions have recently suffered their worst droughts on record. And Syria's may have helped to trigger its civil war
Zombie simulator lets you plan your own apocalypse
The first model of a zombie epidemic to use real US census data lets you choose where the plague begins and how fast it spreads
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