A brief history of telling time

May 16, 2016 13:23 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

We live in a world where time is all important. Nanoseconds mark the difference between success or failure to make an electronic transaction and where we are continuously reminded of the time: of being early or late, of...

Vanadium: the 'beautiful metal' that stores energy

May 13, 2016 11:14 am UTC| Science

An unheralded metal could become a crucial part of the renewables revolution. Vanadium is used in new batteries which can store large amounts of energy almost indefinitely, perfect for remote wind or solar farms. And whats...

What a tiny micrometeorite from the Pilbara can tell us about the ancient sky

May 13, 2016 10:40 am UTC| Science

Not long ago, my colleagues and I found some micrometeorites in the Pilbara region in Western Australia. Whats truly remarkable about them is that these tiny meteorites can tell us a great deal about the chemistry of...

How to design trustworthy robot butlers that we won't want to treat like humans

May 13, 2016 09:26 am UTC| Science Technology

Does your car not want to start on cold mornings? And does your toaster like burning your toast? This kind of intentional language is natural to us and built into the way we interact with the world even with machines....

More than 1,000 new exoplanets discovered – but still no Earth twin

May 12, 2016 04:34 am UTC| Science

NASA astronomers working with data from the Kepler space observatory have presented the largest single crop of newly discovered exoplanets to date. Its impressive 1,284 new planets have been announced, including around...

What forensic science can teach people about healthy scepticism

May 09, 2016 12:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

Scepticism has a bad reputation. Sceptics are considered to be a grumpy bunch who automatically distrust anything and everything. But as any forensic scientist can tell you, its a very valuable approach to everyday...

Can we save the algae biofuel industry?

May 09, 2016 11:55 am UTC| Science

Algal biofuels are in trouble. This alternative fuel source could help reduce overall carbon emissions without taking land from food production, like many crop-based biofuels do. But several major companies including Shell...