Lab notes: would you let your boss zap your brain with electricity?

It sounds a little sci-fi, but this week the US military revealed that it had successfully tested electrical brain stimulation to enhance staff skills. Obviously this raises a lot of ethical questions, but could this be the future of certain roles? Something that very well might be the future is some extraordinarily exciting work on paralysis, announced this week. Scientists have developed a brain implant that allowed partially paralysed monkeys to walk again. It could be ready for human trials within five years and raises the prospect of radical new therapies for people with spinal injuries. Which leads us to another important human health breakthrough, this time concerning the seasonal joy that is flu. Will you get nasty flu this year? According to a new study the year in which you were born influences which strains of flu will affect you most. And while flu might leave you feeling like you have a head full of mud it could be worse - spare a thought for poor old Tongtianlong limosus, a new species of bird-like dinosaur discovered in China. Its name means "muddy dragon on the road to heaven" - the dinosaur appears to have died after getting stuck in the mud. And finally, I hope you're enjoying reading this, but maybe not on your phone in bed: a new study has added to the growing body of evidence linking smartphone use to poor-quality sleep.