Life Parental guidance advised over virtual embryos The ability to create simulations of unconceived children by virtually shuffling the prospective parents' genomes poses questions for us all Opinion
Space Gaggle of dwarf planets found by dark energy camera Our solar system just got a little more crowded, thanks to discoveries from a huge digital camera designed to study dark energy . Last week astronomers reported the discovery of 2012 VP113 – nicknamed "Joe Biden" after the vice president, or VP, of the US. This potential dwarf planet was spotted on the outer fringes … 51¶¯Âþ
Cuts and red tape are gagging US and Canadian science Politicians in the US and Canada are undermining scientific freedom through cuts, shutdowns and media policies Opinion
Technology Start-ups fuel boom in small-scale nuclear power A new wave of nuclear scientists aim​s to build small-scale reactors that provide carbon-free power more cheaply and safely than today’s huge power plants 51¶¯Âþ
Earth The white walker: Longest horse trek crosses icy lake (Image: Matthieu Paly/paleyphoto.com) THERE are horse lovers – people with a special fondness for all things Equus – and then there is Cossack officer Dmitri Peshkov. In 1889, when he was 17, Peshkov rode his pony across Siberia. For 9000 kilometres. In winter. He did it, says photographer Matthieu Paley , to show Tsar Alexander … Regulars
Life Pharma to fork: How we'll swallow synthetic biology Anything plants can grow… (Image: Good Wives and Warriors) Our best antimalarial drug comes from a plant, but now modified microbes are brewing it in a factory. Synthetic biology has got real – and food may be next A REVOLUTION is brewing in Bulgaria – quite literally. In vats similar to those used to ferment … Features
Technology We turn brainwaves into sound for music and medicine Will we soon be dancing to the rhythms of our brains? (Image: James Lange/pymca.co) A neuroscientist and a musician explain how they built the Brain Stethoscope, which is both brain scanner and musical instrument Why is a cellist and sound artist collaborating with someone who deals with brain disorders? Chris Chafe: I am working with … CultureLab
Get a job with the real IT crowd Computing jobs needn't mean sitting silently in a dark room. A degree in computer science can lead to some of the most promising and exciting careers out there Careers
Feedback: Fenestration fun Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more Fenestration fun FEEDBACK is delighted to discover the US National Fenestration Rating Council, which rates the energy performance of windows. You can visit it at nfrc.org – and its UK counterpart, the British Fenestration Rating Council, at bfrc.org , and … Regulars