Letters: Woolley thinking

Tim Radford (Lost in space, G2, 21 May) repeats the story that the astronomer royal, Sir Richard Woolley, had described space travel as "utter bilge", implying a lack of vision on behalf of the British establishment. I met Woolley when he came to talk to Liverpool University's Astronomical Society soon after the Apollo moon missions and asked him his views on space travel. He held to the same op

Senate rejects GM food labeling amendment to farm bill

Bernie Sanders of Vermont says he will continue to push for declaration on packaging of genetically modified ingredientsThe Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would allow states to require labeling of genetically modified foods.Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said his amendment was an attempt to clarify that states can require the labels, as several legislatures

Mes Aynak highlights Afghanistan's dilemma over protecting heritage

Quest for copper riches in Mes Aynak develops as battle between culture and commerceThe ruins of Mes Aynak straddle a copper deposit so rich that many of the rocks are brilliant green with oxidised ore from a seam of metal first exploited 5,000 years ago.The remaining copper cannot be extracted without destroying not just the ruins but the entire hill they perch on, and efforts to develop

Glowing cockroach and social media lacewing in top 10 new species - in pictures

A glow-in-the-dark cockroach, a harp-shaped carnivorous sponge and the smallest vertebrate on Earth are among the top 10 newly discovered species selected by a global committee of taxonomists

The French protect their language like the British protect their currency | Andrew Gallix

A row over using English in universities has blown up in France, where language is at the heart of the national identityThe front page of Libération, one of France's leading dailies, was printed entirely in English on Tuesday. "Let's do it," ran the banner headline. Sounding like a Nike slogan penned by Cole Porter, it in fact referred to a new bill, which, if passed, would allow some univers

Afghan mine delays at ancient site delight archaeologists

Renegotiation of contract with Chinese company mean more time for dig at former Buddhist settlementThe forts and temples of the ancient Buddhist town at Mes Aynak in Afghanistan throng with the biggest crowds they have seen in more than 14 centuries. Nearby, rows of sheet metal housing built for Chinese miners are almost empty.Hundreds of archaeologists are working at the site to excavate

Matt Ridley's misguided climate policy | Dana Nuccitelli

If we're fortunate that climate consequences will take a decade longer, we're still not doing nearly enough to solve the problemIn an opinion article for the London Times this past Monday, writer Matt Ridley discussed his interpretation of a new paper which suggests that the Earth's climate sensitivity may be a bit lower than current best estimates. Climate sensitivity refers to the average a

The secret life of internet climate trolls: part two - video

The Climate Desk team meet nuclear physicist and troll-slaying online truth crusader Rosi Reed

Rules for writing: block that metaphor!

Figures of speech are to be applauded when used wisely, but start employing 'epicentres' and 'seismic shifts', and you're in dangerLord Foulkes of Cumnock, the former Labour Scotland minister, said the other day of Nigel Farage: "He is like a bull in a china shop and has just come into Scottish politics with flat feet and muddied the water." (The Ukip leader, heckled by protesters in Edinburg

Eric Weinstein might just have found the answer to physics' problems

A physicist has formulated a mathematical theory that purports to explain why the universe works the way it does – and it feels like 'the answer'Two years ago, a mathematician and physicist whom I've known for more than 20 years arranged to meet me in a bar in New York. What he was about to show me, he explained, were ideas that he'd been working on for the past two decades. As he took me thr

Africa's soil diversity mapped for the first time

Atlas drawn up by international experts aims to expand understanding of soil and how Africa can manage it sustainablyA team of international experts has drawn up the Soil Atlas of Africa – the first such book mapping this key natural resource – to help farmers, land managers and policymakers understand the diversity and importance of soil, and the need to manage it through sustainable use.

Roll over Einstein: meet Weinstein | Alok Jha

What are we to make of a man who left academia more than two decades ago but claims to have solved some of the most intractable problems in physics?There are a lot of open questions in modern physics.Most of the universe is missing, for example. The atoms we know about account for less than 5% of the mass of the observable universe - the rest is dark matter (around 25% of the mass of the u

What we can learn from Ingrid Loyau-Kennet's grace under pressure | Anouchka Grose

In Woolwich, a seemingly ordinary woman did something extraordinary. Her humanity may well have saved livesAt the scene of Wednesday's killing in Woolwich, Ingrid Loyau-Kennet got off a bus and spoke to the two killers, seemingly concerned only to keep them calm and stop them hurting anybody else. In photographs taken by other witnesses, we see her standing just a few feet away from a man hol

The Apprentice: a psychological assessment | Dean Burnett

The Apprentice is a very popular TV show despite everyone seeming to hate it. There are interesting psychological reasons for why this is the caseI saw The Apprentice once, many years ago. I didn't like it. I felt it was everything that was wrong with modern culture and the media in general. I vowed never to watch it again, and assumed everyone else would feel similarly. They did not.Jump

Taking the fifth: how Lois Lerner of the IRS followed a well-trodden path | Tom McCarthy

The right to avoid questions from Congress has a long and contentious history. Just ask gangsters, Ken Lay … and EinsteinWhen IRS executive Lois Lerner asserted her right, under the fifth amendment, to avoid taking questions from the House oversight committee on Wednesday, she joined a long line of would-be witnesses to tell Congress to kiss off.The tactic came into vogue in the early 1950

Letters: Engineering can be as inspiring as space

The new British space race (To boldly go, G2, 21 May) has the potential to inspire young people and boost our economy. Space travel captures the imagination of budding young inventors and engineers – it is the stuff of childhood dreams. But there are other British industries at the forefront of technology that can inspire and propel young people towards careers in engineering and science. Withou

Dreaming of animals and other warning signs of neurodegeneration | Mo Costandi

Sleep disturbances may be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseasesThe latest issue of _Nature_ contains an Outlook supplement about the health impacts of poor sleep, including a feature I wrote about the link between sleep disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases, called "Amyloid awakenings". The title refers to a process called amyloidosis, by which mutate

Peering at bright screens after dark could harm health, doctor claims

Light from TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones may disrupt sleep and raise risk of obesity, heart disease and depressionWatching TV or using computers, tablets or smartphones after dark may cause sleep loss and resultant health problems, a leading doctor has warned.Peering at brightly lit screens at night disrupts the body's natural rhythms and raises the risk of medical conditions lin

Daniel Dennett: 'You can make Aristotle look like a flaming idiot'

Daniel Dennett, a cheerleader for Darwin and atheism, attracts fierce criticism for his views on free will. He talks about his new book and explains why philosophers have to walk a tightropeBig thinkers make for big targets and they don't come much bigger, physically and intellectually, than Daniel Dennett. The tall, 71-year-old philosopher looks every inch the enthusiastic sailor he is, with

Why are big cats' eyes round and domestic ones slitted?

Readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific conceptsI'd have thought that with common ancestors, the eyes would have evolved in similar ways._Carole Atkinson, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria_• Post questions and answers below or email them to nq@guardian.co.uk. Please include name, address and phone number*Cats*Zoology

Buzzing! by Anneliese Emmans Dean | Book Review | @GrrlScientist

A delightful partnership of science, poetry, photography and insects, this informative and witty book is an excellent introduction to common British minibeasts, intended especially for young naturalists. How can you introduce a young child to insects and give them a lifelong appreciation and respect for these important creatures? I think Anneliese Emmans Dean has found an appealing formula in

Botox silences women's faces – and freezes out empathy in body language | Jessie Cole

Young women are using Botox as a 'preventive measure', but facial paralysis inhibits the ability to mirror others' expressionsThe news that younger women than ever are resorting to Botox as a "preventive measure" has got me thinking about the time a few years ago when I went to stay with a friend. The face she greeted me with was not her face. One of her eyelids sagged, giving her a strange l

Animal astronauts return from space mission – video

A Russian space capsule containing mice, ghekos, gerbils, snails and fish returns to earth after a month-long mission in space

The secret life of internet climate trolls: part one - video

Climate Desk are invited to dinner by their most pernicious, climate-denying troll, Hoyt Connell

Don't Flush: Lifting the Lid on the Science of Poo and Wee by Richard & Mary Platt | Book Review | GrrlScientist

Join the Poo Crew as they guide you through time in this craptastic and pissarific children's book that tells you about the many amazing uses for poo and wee!After relocating to Germany, I was initially intrigued, then amused, by The Shelf that is built into many German toilets. This shelf is designed so Germans can carefully inspect their fæces before flushing. _What are they looking for?_ I

Close shaves on Everest: technology and success | Vanessa Heggie

Celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the climbing of Everest have a strong science and technology theme. It's important not to forget the small or everyday things too, because in this environment even the simplest technology – like a razor – can be crucial_For the want of a nail the shoe was lostFor the want of the shoe the horse was lostFor the want of the horse the rider was lostFor t

Nanotech roundup: safety concerns, bionic ears and world's smallest movie | Ros Daw

In this month's roundup we report new recommendations on handling nanofibres and nanotubes, the creation of superhuman ears, and a movie made from individual moleculesHandle with care Concerns about the safety of carbon nanotubes and nanofibres have led to new recommendations on maximum exposure levels from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Recent animal studies

Enough iodine vital in pregnancy – study

Baby's mental development reduced where mother's diet lacks iodine, researchers say in Lancet

Most UK species in decline, wildlife stocktake shows

The unprecedented analysis shows that many animals, birds, insects, fish and plants are in trouble• UK wildlife winners and losers - in picturesAn unprecedented stocktake of UK wildlife has revealed that most species are struggling and that one in three have halved in number in the past half century. The unique report, based on scientific analysis of tens of millions of observations from vo

In search of net gains

Sponsored feature: Malaria deaths are falling, but with insecticide resistance and market forces to consider, will this success continue?According to the World Health Organisation, there were 210m cases of malaria in 2010, with an estimated 660,000 deaths, mainly among children in Africa. Yet rates of malaria transmission are falling with the use of bed nets – Long Lasting Insecticide Treated