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Astronauts snare SpaceX Dragon capsule in historic first for private craft

Fri, 25 May 2012 14:52:51 GMT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon cargo ship today, the first privately owned vehicle to reach the orbital outpost.

Male contraceptive pill is a step closer after gene discovery

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

A contraceptive pill for men which works by preventing sperm development could result from the discovery of a new gene, scientists have said.

Feeding a hungry world – or meddling with laws of nature?

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Three senior scientists made impassioned appeals yesterday to anti-GM campaigners not to destroy a field trial of GM wheat which is the culmination of several years' work.

Street lighting is changing insect ecosystems, study claims

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:32:14 GMT

Street lighting is changing insect ecosystems in towns and cities, a study has found.

Blast me off, Scotty! Private Falcon 9 spacecraft sends ashes of Star Trek actor into orbit

Tue, 22 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The era of privately-funded space travel was born yesterday with the launch from Cape Canaveral of a rocket developed by the Space X corporation, complete with an unmanned capsule. Destination: the orbiting International Space Station.

Blast me off, Scotty! Private spacecraft sends ashes of Star Trek actor into orbit

Tue, 22 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Eye stem cell breakthrough sought

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:19:11 GMT

A grandmother who suffers from corneal blindness has undergone pioneering stem cell replacement treatment which could restore her sight.

Playing a game-changing role during the Games

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:41:33 GMT

The London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has grown rapidly with success. Cisco House, a unique experience near the Olympic Park, explores Cisco’s role in helping LOCOG, and many other organisations, innovate.

Trying for a baby can make men impotent

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Timing is crucial. Never more so, it seems, then when it comes to the delicate business of starting a family. Now a new study has confirmed that the pressure on men from having to "perform" on cue can result in impotence and, in a significant number of cases, adultery.

Tests on fake retina 'encouraging'

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:06:10 GMT

Tests on a device that could restore sight to patients suffering from a common cause of blindness have produced "encouraging" results.

Night at the museum: Priceless treasures at the Natural History Museum after hours

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:51:11 GMT

In the 2004 film Night at the Museum, Ben Stiller’s security guard was in for quite a shock when the exhibited T-Rex skeleton sprang to life and began to chase him around the building.

Soyuz astronauts arrive at International Space Station

Thu, 17 May 2012 06:10:33 GMT

A Russian-made Soyuz craft carrying three astronauts has docked with the International Space Station, putting the crew in place for the imminent arrival of the first ever privately owned cargo ship to the orbiting lab.

The 10 Best telescopes

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

1. Skywatcher Skyliner-250PX FlexTube 10'' Dobsonian

The 10 Best Telescopes

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

1. Skywatcher Skyliner-250PX FlexTube 10'' Dobsonian

How do you learn about electricity... if there's no power?

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

There's an old joke about a university vice-chancellor bemoaning the cost of his physics department's expensive gear. "Why can't you be like the mathematicians?" he pleads. "All they need is pencils, paper and a wastepaper basket. And the philosophers don't even need the wastepaper basket."

Tests begin on new drink-busting drug

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Scientists are working on a drug that appears to prevent drunkenness.

Nasa tests next-generation of Mars Rover in preparation for start of £1.6bn mission

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:46:52 GMT

The Mojave Desert stood in for the dry earth of the Red Planet yesterday as Nasa scientists tested an engineering model of their next-generation Mars rover.

Nasa tests next generation of Mars Rover in the Desert

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:46:52 GMT

The Mojave Desert stood in for the dry earth of the Red Planet yesterday as Nasa scientists tested an engineering model of their next-generation Mars rover.

Earliest Mayan calendar found in lost city

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:00:01 GMT

Archaeologists have unearthed the earliest calendar of the ancient Maya civilisation of Central America. It was written on the walls of a building within a vast lost city buried in the jungles of Guatemala.

Ancient language discovered on clay tablets found amid ruins of 2800 year old Middle Eastern palace

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:01:52 GMT

Archaeologists have discovered evidence for a previously unknown ancient language – buried in the ruins of a 2800 year old Middle Eastern palace.

Huge sub-glacial basin discovered under key Antarctic ice sheet could make it more unstable

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:00:40 GMT

A huge sub-glacial basin the size of Wales has been discovered under one of the key Antarctic ice sheets that could make it more unstable and liable to disintegration, a study has found.

The $1bn city where human beings are not welcome

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

A scientific ghost town in New Mexico's oil and gas country will hum with the latest next-generation technology – but no people.

Dinosaur wind 'altered climate'

Tue, 08 May 2012 06:15:47 GMT

Huge plant-eating dinosaurs may have produced enough greenhouse gas by breaking wind to alter the Earth's climate, research suggests.

Dinosaur win 'altered climate'

Tue, 08 May 2012 06:15:47 GMT

Huge plant-eating dinosaurs may have produced enough greenhouse gas by breaking wind to alter the Earth's climate, research suggests.

How the war on terror could solve art's most enduring mysteries

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Software developed to recognise terrorist faces is being adapted to solve the mystery of portraits of unidentified people.