Saturday, 25 May, 2013

The explosion of data — in meteorology, genetics, spying and physics — requires new storage technology. DNA has been storing data for billions of years. Could life’s “hard disk” help tame today’s data explosion?

How do patents work? What is “new, non-obvious and useful”? What will happen after the biggest change in patent law in 60 years?

Lasers read and write CDs and DVDs, form the heart of fiber-optics, and are being used in climate prediction, chemical identification, high-tech manufacturing, even the battle against influenza.

The ancients used fire to cook, smelt metal and make pots. It provided warmth, protection against animals, and became a social focus. Fire changed who we are. Could this explain the enduring allure of fire?

As missiles get faster, the Navy can’t continue to rely on dumb armor. What can ship designers learn from dirt and beanbags?

Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology given to inventors of MRI machine — but were these guys really the inventors? Meet an unprecedented PR campaign to change the Nobel.

Edible vaccines offer cheap, easy solution to halt disease in developing countries, but roadblocks remain. Is this an acceptable type of gene-modified food?

Want to watch a pill dissolve? The virtual stomach may be your best bet yet!

Renewable energy and the hydrogen economy get a boost from new invention.

Using butter to track worldwide concentrations of persistent organic pollutants, PCB, DDT.

Who invented writing? And for what purpose? A tale of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China and the Maya. What happens when pictograms are not enough…