How we found the genes that control nose shape – and what they say about us
May 24, 2016 16:15 pm UTC| Science
Whether we love it or hate it, theres no getting away from the fact that the nose is the most protruding part of the face and one of our most distinguishable features. From tribal ornaments and oriental piercings to...
Powering nanotechnology with the world's smallest engine
May 24, 2016 15:17 pm UTC| Science
In the minuscule world of nanotechnology, big steps are rare. But a recent development has the potential to massively improve our lives: an engine measuring 200 billionths of a metre, which could power tiny robots to fight...
How does a bike stay upright? Surprisingly, it's all in the mind
May 24, 2016 14:27 pm UTC| Science
Its as easy as riding a bike … or so the saying goes. But how do we manage to stay upright on a bicycle? If anyone ventures an answer they most often say that its because of the gyroscopic effect but this cant be...
Solar storms could solve longstanding paradox of how life on Earth arose
May 23, 2016 16:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science
It was only a matter of 700m years or so after Earth formed and its surface cooled and solidified that life began to flourish on Earth. All studies suggest that life requires water and we know from rocks on Earth that the...
SkyWatch: Mars, Saturn, the full moon and Scorpius
May 20, 2016 00:12 am UTC| Science
This weekend Mars appears at its best and brightest. It reaches opposition on Sunday, May 22, which means the planet will appear opposite the sun as viewed from Earth and it brings Mars closest to Earth for the next few...
Could the mystery of the meow actually be solved by a new talking cat collar?
May 18, 2016 08:30 am UTC| Science
Imagine youre a cat, and, every time you meowed, the loud voice of a snooty-sounding British gentleman kindly informed your human guardian of your every thought and feeling (well, the thoughts and feelings you had before...
European data suggests the gig economy helped create Trump, Sanders
May 18, 2016 08:11 am UTC| Science Politics
Jonathan J.B. Mijs, Doctoral Candidate in Sociology, Harvard University Politicians and pundits in America wonder where the rip-roaring popularity of protest candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders originated. The...
Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility
Why Germany ditched nuclear before coal – and why it won’t go back
Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board
Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight