Technology Piezoelectronics gets green makeover A new generation of lead-free piezoelectric materials could lead to greener actuators, sensors and even ultra-dense data storage. The new materials, which generate an electric field when squeezed, copy the crystal structure of conventional piezoelectric materials but use bismuth instead of lead. Since the EU banned lead (see Uncovering the hazards in our electronic gadgets … 51¶¯Âþ
Copenhagen talks are still crucial WHEN a meeting is billed as determining the future of humanity, few will be surprised if it fails to live up to expectations. And so it is proving with next month's climate change conference in Copenhagen: the Danish government has announced that time has run out on the possibility of delegates securing a watertight successor … Opinion
Space Orion's dark secret: Violence shaped the night sky Dark forces at work (Image: Andy Martin WHERE will astronomers stop in their love affair with the enigmatic substance called dark matter ? First we were told it was essential to allow a galaxy to spin without falling apart. Then it was the glue that held clusters of galaxies together. Later it was said to … Features
Enigma Number 1572 Just magic Joe has been showing Penny how to calculate the numbers in a 3-by-3 magic square. Each row, column and main diagonal have the same totals. On the left is Penny's first effort. But she thought it would make a good puzzle if all but one number were in the wrong position. Which number … Regulars
Silent mosquitoes: the horror Darwin Now competition – the winner THANKS to everybody who entered our Darwin Now competition. We asked you to come up with ways in which animals and plants might evolve under human influence, much as hedgehogs have evolved not to freeze in car headlights. Many entrants picked up the hedgehog and ran with it (so … Regulars