How cocoa beans’ microbiomes are key to the finest chocolate flavours
Nine species of fungi and bacteria have been found in cocoa beans that produce fine chocolate, and this knowledge could…
Stone flakes made by monkeys cast doubt on ancient human ‘tools’
When macaques use stones to crack nuts, they accidentally create flakes that look like early human artefacts, raising questions about…
Vikings left Greenland after growing ice sheet caused sea level rise
The increasing mass of the Greenland ice sheet caused local sea level to rise more than 3 metres after Vikings…
No clear evidence that meditation or mindfulness makes you happy
Commonly recommended ways to boost our mood – which can also include expressing gratitude or spending time in nature –…
H1N2 swine flu: UK’s first human case recovers after mild illness
A person infected with a pig flu strain has made a full recovery, but officials are investigating where they caught…
Psychedelic drug helps treat PTSD and traumatic brain injuries
Military veterans with traumatic brain injury saw drastic reductions in depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after using the…
Google launches $5m prize to find actual uses for quantum computers
Existing quantum computers can solve some problems faster than any ordinary computer, but none of those problems has any practical…
What is cloud seeding and did it cause the floods in Dubai?
Cloud seeding almost certainly did not play a significant role in the flooding on the Arabian peninsula this week –…
Rat neuron injection lets mice that can’t smell sniff out cookies
Mice that had been genetically modified to lack the ability to smell could sniff out hidden cookies when sensory neurons…
Driverless cars are mostly safer than humans – but worse at turns
Driverless cars seem to have fewer accidents than human drivers under routine conditions, but higher crash risks when turning or…