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Political difficulties may stifle the impact of next week's sustainable-development summit in South Africa, but researchers and others must continue to pursue solutions to sustainability issues despite a lack of direction from governments.
Few observers expect much political progress at next week's summit on sustainable development. But it could mark the start of a transformation in the way scientists deal with sustainability issues. Tom Clarke reports.
Little is known about the heavy elements that lie at the outer limits of the periodic table. But how do you investigate atoms that decay within seconds? Kendall Powell finds out.
The threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is driving researchers to think up ever more clever ways to tackle infections. An enzyme from a bacterium-killing virus may prove effective against anthrax infections.
Brief, high-intensity laser pulses can cause water droplets to emit white light. The technique can potentially be used to analyse the composition of clouds and shed light on how clouds may be affecting climate.
The apparent absence of mitochondria in some microbes contributed to the view that they were early offshoots of the eukaryotic line of descent. New evidence tells a different story.
Innovative experiments have provided new insights into how bubbles are created by breaking waves. These findings might ultimately lead to more accurate models of global climate.
A process that stops crickets from being deafened by their own songs may also explain how they decide whether the songs they hear are their own or another cricket's. It might apply to other senses, and other species, too.
The hazy atmosphere surrounding Titan, Saturn's largest satellite, changes with the seasons. New theoretical work suggests how the motion of smog particles can account for the curious features of the haze.
Should conservation strategy concentrate on intensive management involving practices such as mowing, or should the aim be to protect wilderness? Studies of past ecological conditions can inform that debate.
Inflammatory immune responses are crucial to our body's well-being, but too strong a response can be harmful. A protein that keeps inflammation under control has now been discovered.
