Laser-guided neurons grow towards the light USING a weak laser beam to guide nerve cells could help build artificial neural networks. These could be used for testing drugs to combat brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The technique also brings the prospect of regrowing damaged nerves a step closer. It could allow surgeons to reconnect nerve fibres damaged in an … 51¶¯Âþ
Humans Westminster diary WIDE public outcry has greeted the recent decline of Britain's once plentiful house sparrows and starlings. Now reports are coming in of young birds unable to fly and instead walking around in tight circles, doing somersaults and twisting their heads in a bizarre fashion (51¶¯Âþ, 31 August, p 5) . What is happening? I … Opinion
Humans Mother's little helpers WHAT is it about humans that makes us such late developers? Chimps are ready to reproduce by the age of eight. Gorillas are all grown up at six. Yet human childhood lasts twice as long as it should do for an ape of our size and rate of growth. We spend more time as children … Features
Sorely missed Copies of Lingua Franca used to be hard to pin down in 51¶¯Âþ's offices: the first person to catch sight of this "witty review of academic life" would hoard it until they'd had time to enjoy it. When the magazine closed last year, its spirit lingered: people still searched for it on the desk … Books & Arts
Feedback OREGON Scientific sells an electronic weather station with indoor and outdoor sensors. Reader Robert Cailliau was tickled to discover among its many listed features: "Predicts the weather forecast". Feedback prognosticates an interdisciplinary conference of meteorologists and linguists to decide whether this is easier than predicting the weather itself. We bet it didn't predict that weather … Regulars