Mussels give muscle A VERY sticky glue could paradoxically help prevent bacteria and blood clots clinging to implants such as catheters. Bare metal implants are usually covered with a non-stick layer to ward off clots and infections. But glues used to attach these coatings aren't water-resistant and often degrade. Different glues are also required depending on the metal … 51¶¯Âþ
Humans Westminster diary I'M ALWAYS saddened when significant exchanges in the House of Commons go unreported by the national press. Take, for example, Jack Cunningham's recent intervention, when Patricia Hewitt, the Trade and Industry Secretary, announced the government's important White Paper on energy. Cunningham, who is MP for Copeland, in Cumbria, welcomed the policy statement and said he … Opinion
Killing an asteroid softly THANKS to Hollywood, we already know what to do if an asteroid big enough to wipe out life on Earth is spotted coming our way. Haul out our surplus nuclear weapons and get Bruce Willis on the phone. But there's a catch. In the past year, asteroid researchers have been warning that it would be … Features
Wealth of invention WHEN it comes to translating basic research into industrial success, few nations can match Germany. Since the 1940s, the nation's vast industrial base has been fed with a constant stream of new ideas and expertise from science. And though German prosperity has faltered over the past decade because of the huge cost of unifying east … Careers
Feedback THE travel industry complains that business is bad because people are frightened their plane might be hijacked. We wonder whether airlines would make things better or worse by taking up an idea patented 30 years ago by Jack Jensen from Fort Worth, Texas, which was unearthed recently by a colleague. US patent 3841328 reveals his … Regulars