Lab notes: baby, love me like a T rex

Well, big in all sense of the word is the news that the discovery of a new member of the tyrannosaur family has revealed that these fearsome dinosaurs had sensitive snouts that they may have enjoyed rubbing together while mating. It's a sweet mental picture, no? Anyway, canoodling carnivores aside, there have been some really exciting breakthroughs this week, including the amazing neuroprosthetic work featured in this week's video section below. One study that could have an enormous impact on worlds health is the discovery that the short-chain fatty acids produced by a diet rich in a certain type of fibre could prevent type 1 diabetes. We await human trials with hope and interest. Less vital, but no less interesting is the news that lonely people feel more rotten when they get a cold - but aren't actually any more ill than their less lonely counterparts. Warning: there's some mucus talk in the piece, so finish your sandwich before reading, eh? Finally, it seems that fruit foraging rather than social interaction may be key to the evolution of large brains in primates.