Editorials

Progress on rare genetic diseases shows the medical value of outliers.

An investigation by Nature has found that patients in Texas are receiving unproven stem-cell treatments. The state and the company involved need to ensure that they follow FDA guidelines.

Dishonesty, however tempting, is the wrong way to tackle climate sceptics.

This year marks the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing. He deserves your attention.

Although more debate is needed, the benefits of publishing sensitive data outweigh the risks that have so far been made public.

Scientists must find ways to make more efficient use of funds — or politicians may do it for them.

Progress towards a United Nations arms-trade treaty is encouraging, but it won't keep weapons out of the hands of human-rights abusers.

The soaring incidence of diabetes is driving the United Arab Emirates' science ambitions.

History judges some research as unethical, despite approval at the time.

The potential for mutant-flu research to improve public health any time soon has been exaggerated. Timely production of sufficient vaccine remains the biggest challenge.

Natural-gas operations could leak enough methane to tarnish their clean image.

Spider webs are designed to cope with stress and disruption, favouring repair over rebuilding.

Protecting the Arctic from pollution requires a binding agreement like the Antarctic Treaty.

Europe is making a good start on learning about the health risks of low-dose radiation with a programme to share cold-war data and set research priorities. But the effort needs to be global.

Computer tablets are changing the way that scientists record their experiments.

To create a sustainable, open research literature, governments need to find the finances to make it viable — and recognize that adding value to diversifying research outputs has its own costs.

Scientists and politicians are working together to bring new reproductive techniques to Britain.

A word to the wise on getting that much-needed research funding.