science
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Robot monitors in homes of elderly people can predict falls, says studyIn future, sensor networks could interpret movement data and contact relatives or support staff when a person is at risk
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Woolly mammoth on verge of resurrection, scientists revealScientist leading ‘de-extinction’ effort says Harvard team just two years away from creating hybrid mammoth-elephant embryo -
Zealandia – pieces finally falling together for continent we didn't know we hadThe landmass – about two-thirds the size of Australia – of which 94% is under water, is a step closer to being recognised, scientists say -
'We are rewriting the textbooks': first dives to Amazon coral reef stun scientistsScientists have discovered the river reef is far bigger, and more important, than first thought – a biodiversity hotspot on a par with the Great Barrier Reef. Now they face a race to protect it from big oil
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Antibiotics, not surgery, could treat appendicitis in children, study suggestsAppendix removal is the most common emergency surgery in children, but researchers say that antibiotics might offer a less-invasive alternative
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Welcome home, Lonesome George: giant tortoise returns to GalapagosAfter almost five years with taxidermists in New York, Lonesome George has returned home. He may be dead, but his legacy is very much alive
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SpaceX cancels Falcon rocket launch seconds before liftoffCountdown at Kennedy Space Center was halted with just 13 seconds remaining over a ‘slightly odd’ thrust control problem, delaying launch until Sunday
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Bill Gates warns tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorismMicrosoft founder and philanthropist tells Munich security conference genetic engineering could be terrorist weapon
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key issues
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SpaceSpacePooping in space: suit could help Nasa astronauts boldly go when duty callsThe Space Poop Challenge sought designs for a system that could collect human waste for up to six days, routing it away from the body without the use of hands
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BiologyBiologyLife forms that could be 50,000 years old found in caves in MexicoThe bizarre, ancient microbes and viruses found living in crystals in extremely punishing conditions deep in an abandoned lead and zinc mine
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GeneticsGeneticsBill Gates warns tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorismMicrosoft founder and philanthropist tells Munich security conference genetic engineering could be terrorist weapon
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Medical researchMedical research3D-printed prosthetic limbs: the next revolution in medicineDoctors are hoping that 3D printing could help the 30 million people worldwide in need of prosthetic limbs and braces
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PsychologyPsychologyDoes your life have a purpose, or are you just a drifter? QuizIf you are a go-getter you may find that you live longer than those happy just to drift through life, says Ben Ambridge
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PhysicsPhysicsTime Travel: A History by James Gleick review – from mechanical to mentalThis roving study of our fascination with time travel covers well trodden ground but finds the concept constantly evolving
in depth
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Frozen lakes end the winter with an 'ice tsunami'Weatherwatch If the winds are strong enough and sustained, the spring can deliver ice shove or ice heave at the edge of lakes in the north of the globe
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opinion
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Churchill’s scientific papers reveal an even greater politician than we thoughtFrom alien life to foreseeing the nuclear age, Churchill’s essays reveal a dazzling scope of inquiry that would be unimaginable on the part of western leaders today
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Climate change doubled the likelihood of the NSW heatwave – let’s be clear, this is not naturalRapid warming trend sees heat records in Australia outnumber cold records by 12 to one over the past decade
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pictures & video
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NASA's ISS crew throw American football in space to honour Super Bowl – videoAstronauts throw an American football around the International Space Station on Saturday to mark the upcoming Super Bowl LI on Sunday
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Spacewalks and moon landings: Nasa archive photos up for auctionA set of pictures from US space programme, including the first moon landing images, could fetch up to £20,000 at a New York auction next month
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Tim Peake set for return mission to International Space Station – videoTim Peake, the British astronaut will return for a second mission to the International Space Station alongside his fellow classmates from 2009
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SpaceX successfully launches and lands first rocket since explosion – videoSpaceX successfully launches and lands it’s first rocket since a previous attempt exploded before takeoff last year
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What is thundersnow? – video explainerThundersnow is a rare weather phenomenon which looks set to make an appearance in the UK over the next couple of days
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Press paws: point-of-view camera reveals polar bears in action – videoScientists from the US Geological Survey (USGS) attached a camera to a female polar to study her behaviour and feeding rates
GM 'surrogate hens' could lay eggs of rare chicken breeds, scientists say