Science
Cassini spots source of geysers on Saturn moon
The vents from which icy geysers erupt on Enceladus are revealed in new images the vents' position changes over time
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First object seen from solar system's inner Oort cloud
Astronomers had theorised that a distant shell of comets called the Oort cloud had an inner region now they have found its first native son
Invention: Flat-panel ion thrusters
This week's new patents include microscopic spacecraft thrusters, a gadget with a nose for radiation and a microphone that uses a laser to detect sound
Ferocious California fires kill off aliens
Deliberately burning shrubland to prevent the next big blaze could harm diversity of native species, according to a study
Ecotourists scare away endangered wildlife
Nature-loving visitors to protected animal reserves can make carnivorous animals like bobcats and coyotes scarper, a new study says (full text available to subscribers)
World's farmers turn to raw sewage for irrigation
As water becomes ever more scarce, much of the world's food could not be grown at all without wastewater from urban sewers, says a new 50-city study
Computers tell their life stories to reduce waste
Installing radio frequency tags on all computer parts could speed up recycling programmes and cut the number of used PCs dumped on landfill sites
Eleven new streams of stars found in Milky Way
The streams were likely ripped from dwarf galaxies that were gobbled up by our Milky Way long ago
Computer model of bees probes the hive mind
How do bees know where to find the best nectar? A colony of virtual bees may provide the answer (full text available to subscribers)
Fussy fish pick a partner from afar
In the race to become a father, it's the female who calls the shots, at least among blue-green chinook salmon
NASA backs troubled rocket design
Officials say NASA will stick with the Ares I design despite rumours that it is considering an alternative
Milky Way keeps tight grip on its neighbour
The Large Magellanic Cloud is not breaking free of the Milky Way's cluster of galaxies after all, according to the latest measurements on our galaxy
How to ensure animated clones get lost in the crowd
Challenging people to spot cloned characters in a crowd has revealed tricks to help animators produce more realistic epic scenes
Farms in Brazil and India must adapt or roast in heat
Agriculture in Brazil and India cannot avoid the effects of global warming, but low-latitude countries can take steps to limit the damage, says study
Biggest 3D galaxy map to probe dark energy's history
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has entered a new phase, probing to greater distances to study the universe's expansion history
Bisexuality passed on by 'hyper-heterosexuals'
'Gay genes' persist because female relatives of homosexual and bisexual men have more children than those of straight men
Great Planet Debate ends in stalemate
What is a planet? As Pluto's lost status hangs in the balance, astronomers agree that we need a new way of looking at the solar system
Go online to find your future spouse
The internet has overtaken more traditional avenues for people in the US to find their perfect mate
Martian dust speck seen at highest magnification ever
The Phoenix lander's atomic force microscope took the image, shown at a higher magnification than anything ever seen from another planet
Craving fatty food? Blame it on childhood illness
Severe childhood ear infections make sufferers twice as likely to be obese in later life
Arsenic-eating bacteria rewrite evolutionary history
Photosynthesis using arsenic instead of water might have evolved before "normal" oxygenic photosynthesis
Stone Age mass graves reveal green Sahara
Sahara desert was lush and people thrived 10,000 years ago - before the climate changed for the worse
Moisturisers cause cancer in mice - but don't panic
Four common skin treatments put mice at high risk of skin cancer but effect in humans not known
Virtual hand gets under the skin
An accurate animation of the human hand's anatomy produces stunningly realistic movement and may finally reveal how the complex components work together
Humans are biased towards the beautiful
Uglier people were twice as likely to get booted off a Dutch TV game show than attractive players (full text available to subscribers)
Robotic observatory in Antarctica shuts down
After operating for several months in constant darkness, the PLATO observatory has abruptly lost power it may revive when the Sun returns
Cassini returns close-up images of moon's 'tiger stripes'
Images taken during the probe's recent flyby of Enceladus may contain clues about the moon's geysers, which spew from stripe-like fractures
'Beer goggles' are real - it's official
For the first time, a controlled scientific experiment has shown that people's faces do seem more attractive when we have been drinking
Quantum strangeness breaks the light barrier
When entangled quantum particles signal one another, the signals move at least 10,000 times faster than light
Rise of the rat-brained robots
Robots controlled by cultured rat neurons could help researchers develop treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's and epilepsy
Offshore oil drilling in the US: what's at stake?
In an apparent U-turn, Presidential candidate Barack Obama is now considering offshore drilling
Comment: Why Prince Charles is right and wrong on GM
In the Prince's latest rant against genetically modified crops, the real issue that of food security gets lost in the tirade
Hooting owls reveal motives of the dawn chorus
Male owls impress females at dusk by singing on an empty stomach. Does that solve the mystery of why songbirds sing at dawn?
