Technology Biospray fights food poisoning Spraying chicken carcasses with viruses may sound crazy – but if the viruses are harmless to humans but lethal to food poisoning bacteria, it could be a way of making food safer. "In theory, these sprays could be used to wash any carcass in any abattoir," says Paul Barrow of the University of Nottingham, UK, … 51¶¯Âþ
Earth Editorial: The climate won't wait THE world's governments are sleepwalking to climate disaster. That much is clear from the UN's latest climate conference, held in Nairobi, Kenya. It is increasingly obvious that the minor diplomats and environment ministers in charge of climate negotiations have lost sight of the huge climatic forces that threaten future planetary security. It is high time … Opinion
Health Cancer: The traitors within FOR years, they've been depicted as the good guys. Stem cells help renew many parts of our bodies and, we're told, with a little coaxing might provide cures for anything from Alzheimer's to diabetes. But stem cells can also turn bad. Very bad. Rogue stem cells are now known to be involved in at least … Features
Skin: A natural history, by Nina J Jablonsky SKIN is arguably the body's largest organ (arguably because some purists will try to tell you the lining of the gut has a greater surface area), yet it gets much less attention than, say, the liver or heart. Skin is, as Jablonsky ably illustrates, a marvel of engineering: tough, stretchable, impermeable, pliable, a bacterial and … Books & Arts
Feedback Famous dead sparrows SADLY, we are not sure we will be able to make it to the Netherlands to visit an exhibition showcasing some rather rare birds at the Natural History Museum of Rotterdam. The Grand House Sparrow Exhibition, which opened on 14 November, is curated by Kees Moeliker, winner of the 2003 Ig Nobel … Regulars