Lab notes: throw your hands in the air like you just don't care

It's nearly the weekend, so this is timely indeed. Ladies. If your dance moves have failed to progress from "big fish, little fish, cardboard box" or you stick to gently stepping from side to side I have good news. Psychologists have figured out the best moves for women who would like to be admired on the dance floor. There are highly instructive videos included in our piece, so get watching - you could be a dancing queen by Saturday night. Another reason to dance for joy is the news that a successful trial in primates has brought us closer to a new form of male contraceptive. It's a gel designed to be a reversible and less invasive form of vasectomy. And speaking of high hopes, the Japanese space agency attempted some space fishing, intending to clear junk from Earth's orbit. Sadly, the 700-metre 'tether' they were trying to use failed. A slightly more down-to-Earth story to finish then, with the news that a lumpy, hairy, toe-like fossil could reveal the evolution of molluscs. It's weird-looking, but oddly compelling ...