Researchers revive bacteria from the era of the dinosaurs
Aug 1st 2020FAR FROM the life-sustaining light of the sun, the deep sea floor appears barren and desolate. Its appearance, however,…
A strange material may make protective helmets more so
Aug 1st 2020ANYONE WHO has experimented as a child with maize starch and water knows about shear-thickening. A mixture of these…
The hunt for the origins of SARS-CoV-2 will look beyond China
The virus may have been born in South-East AsiaJul 22nd 2020ONE OF THE great questions of the past six months is where SARS-CoV-2,…
Is there life on Mars?
Jul 21st 2020AROUND 3.5BN years ago conditions on Earth and Mars were similar. Both had thick atmospheres and liquid water on…
Trials of a vaccine and new drug raise hope of beating covid-19
The latest tests with Oxford University’s vaccine, and interferon beta, look promisingJul 20th 2020IN EARLY JANUARY researchers…
Stopping pollution with pine needles
Jul 18th 2020KILLING TWO birds with one stone is a desirable objective, but rarely an achievable one. However, Dinesh Mohan of…
A new material helps transistors become vanishingly small
Jul 18th 2020THERE IS AN old joke in the semiconductor business that the number of people predicting the death of Moore’s law…
Magnetometers based on diamonds will make navigation easier
Jul 18th 2020MAGNETIC COMPASSES have guided sailors for centuries, but a compass tells you only in which direction you are pointing,…
Comet NEOWISE lights up northern skies
Jul 18th 2020A VISITOR IS hanging in the night skies of the northern hemisphere. Comet neowise was discovered on March 27th by…