The eye’s structure holds information about the health of the mind
BECAUSE it is locked away inside the skull, the brain is hard to study. Looking at it requires finicky machines which use magnetism…
Physicists investigate why matter and antimatter are not mirror images
AS MISMATCHES go, it’s a big one. When physicists bring the Standard Model of particle physics and Einstein’s general theory…
A Chinese company plans to launch a rocket into orbit this year
THE first rockets were Chinese. In the 1230s the armies of the Song dynasty, who were fighting Mongol invaders, started launching…
E-cigarettes are almost certainly better than smoking
FOR decades, doctors and governments have been trying to wean smokers from their habit. It is a tricky task. Nicotine is as addictive…
When faced with a killer whale should you fight or flee?
THAT the best form of defence is attack is an old maxim. In reality, it is frequently untrue; running away is a far better option….
Shoemakers bring bespoke footwear to the high street
AMONG the boutiques in the canal district of Amsterdam is a shoe shop, called W-21, that has a selection of stylish footwear in…
A mummy’s final meal adds to an ancient mystery
HOW to prepare for a trip to the mountains concerned hikers five millennia ago as much as it does today. That is the conclusion…
The centenary of the 20th century’s worst catastrophe
ON JUNE 29th 1918 MartÃn Salazar, Spain’s inspector-general of health, stood up in front of the Royal Academy of Medicine in…
Making medical clothing that kills bugs
AROUND the beginning of the 20th century the medical profession underwent an image makeover. Doctors swapped their traditional…