Lab notes: the dinosaur with the waggly tail

How much is that amber in the window? The one with the waggly dinosaur tail? That's how I imagine the conversation went at the Chinese market where a piece of amber containing a section of feathery dinosaur tail was found. The fragment has given researchers some fascinating insights into the evolution of feathers. Not a bad day's shopping. So take your time on your next trip to a market in case of treasure - after all, given that astronomers have found that Earth's day lengthens by two milliseconds a century, you've got more time to play with. You could probably have a quick coffee too, or nip into the Science Museum to check out their new Zaha Hadid-designed maths gallery. Something that might also give a bit of extra leisure time to (and make life considerably more pleasant for) millions of diabetics worldwide is a new cell-based treatment that could end the need for insulin injections. Let's all celebrate by going to see some charming, flickering seasonal lights. With any luck there will be a strobe effect, which a new study has indicated stimulates the brain's immune cells to clean up toxic proteins seen in Alzheimer's disease.