A probe intended to study the Trojan asteroids takes off
Oct 12th 2021THE STORY of the Trojan war, as told by Homer and related down the centuries, is one of intrigue and heroes. And,…
Why there are so many species of serpent
Oct 16th 2021THE CAENOZOIC—the era of Earth’s history since an asteroid strike 66m years ago ended the dinosaurs’ reign—is…
A novel technique can discover new allergens
Oct 13th 2021FOR MANY, eating out is a pleasure. For the 5% or so of people who suffer from food allergies, though, it is anything…
An exploration of Earth’s defences will launch next month
Oct 13th 2021THE DEPARTURE of Lucy is not the only forthcoming mission with asteroids as its destination. On November 24th DART…
How to tell biological from non-biological molecules
Oct 13th 2021Portland, OregonWOULD YOU like the vanilla in your custard to come from a field of lovely orchids or a barrel of…
A probe intended to study the Trojan asteroids takes off shortly
Oct 9th 2021 THE TALE of the Trojan war, as told by Homer, is one of intrigue and heroes. And, as is the way of characters from…
The Moon and Mars give up more secrets
Oct 7th 2021THIS PICTURE of a set of sedimentary rocks, just published in Science, could have come from any geology textbook….
This year’s Nobel prizes brought both delight and disbelief
Oct 9th 2021SCIENTISTS SOMETIMES refer elliptically to winning a Nobel prize as “the trip to Stockholm”. Not this year, it…
A novel way to heat and cool things
Oct 7th 2021REFRIGERATORS AND air-conditioners are old and clunky technology, and represent a field ripe for disruption. They…
A malaria vaccine is approved by the World Health Organisation
Oct 6th 2021MALARIA IS ONE of medical science’s most formidable foes. The search for a vaccine has been going on for decades….