From being the pioneers of fingerprinting to fighting modern cybercrime, the UK must capitalise on its high standing in forensics, says Sir Mark WalportBritain – which in the 19th century pioneered fingerprinting and in the 20th century genetic fingerprinting as crimefighting aids - could lead the world in forensic science, according to the government’s chief scientific adviser.The advance of science in almost every discipline means that forensic expertise can now go far beyond the criminal courts. It can establish whether or not a resident endangered species could block a planning application, whether high-priced single malt whisky is the real thing, whether a diamond is honestly or dishonestly trafficked, and whether antibiotics are counterfeit. Continue reading...

As a chemist and crime fiction expert, I beg you to pause before poisoning the Christmas pudding. Apart from anything else, it’s not easy to pull off ...I talk and write about poison, murder and crime fiction. Many people have asked me whether I worry about people using the information I provide to go out and commit crimes. I have certainly thought carefully about what information I give out and how much detail to go into in terms of obtaining and preparing poisons. But anyone using my lectures as a step-by-step guide on how to poison someone will come unstuck very quickly. They will have to do a considerable amount of independent research to fill in the gaps even before they prepare and administer their chosen compound. You can’t just lash out in the heat of an argument and poison someone. The longer it takes someone to achieve this, the more time they have to consider what they are doing and change their mind. This is perhaps one of the reasons why, thankfully, so few murders are committed using toxic compounds.Poisoning is a lengthy and involved process and there are much “easier” ways of killing people. Statistics show that most murderers go for alternative options, such as stabbing, shooting or hitting. However, there are a very small number of individuals who have a psychological or neurological quirk that means they are prepared to do their homework and see the process through to its fatal conclusion. Of course, laws exist to make poisoning as difficult as possible, and forensic science has developed to a level that means poisoners are very unlikely to get away with it. That’s why, to give you some idea of how difficult it is to poison someone, I’ve outlined some of the considerations that need to go into the process. Continue reading...

14-year study hailed as landmark step in devising effective screening, but concludes more research needed before national programme is introduced

Emotion presented subtly in ads works far better than ramming it down your throatMid-December, and the great Christmas ad-fest is winding down. By which I mean if you haven’t already made and aired your festive mega-commercial you’ve pretty much missed the boat. But do these ads really achieve anything? Sure, they get noticed, and certainly comments about them get plastered all over the blogosphere, but do they actually generate any additional business?The great British public’s heartstrings have been strained to breaking point with this year’s slushy Christmas ads Continue reading...

Study says environment and lifestyle factors such as toxic chemicals and radiation are main cause of disease

Today’s report from the House of Lords argues that GM insects have the potential to, among other things, control diseases like malaria and dengue. But, in overlooking the uncertainties of the technology, it is irresponsibly lopsided.

Many people complain about the “War On Christmas”, but it’s even worse for people fighting it on the front line.It’s starting again. There have been mutterings for weeks, but official word from the top was passed down to us grunts today. Scouts have spotted convoys of festive items (decorations, selection boxes, all that stuff) heading out to the major supermarkets already. Continue reading...

Like Major Tim I always wanted to go into space - but I never thought the state should pay for the ticket. These astronomical sums would be better spent elsewhereThe ravening hordes pounced. The media, starved of that near-extinct species, a great British news story, went berserk. They were told the first real Briton was going into space (ie, not just a woman called Helen Sharman). He was a hero, a Major Tim.Related: Tim Peake boards International Space Station and reports on ‘beautiful launch’ Continue reading...

Report concludes new technologies could save lives from dieseases such as malaria, but says developement is slowed by inadequate regulatory systemBritain has a “moral duty” to step up research into genetic modification as a way of controlling insect pests and disease carriers, according to a new report from the House of Lords.

Mongolian law states that fossils such as the skull, which was brought to the US and put up for auction in 2007, must be surrendered to the governmentA Tyrannosaurus bataar skull, which was unlawfully brought into the US and put up for auction in New York in 2007, will be returned to the Mongolian government, the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.

Ancient artefact returns to Cairo museum after two months’ work to fix botched repair that left visible crust of glue

What does it say about our society today when Manchester’s architect-designed Hulme Library building, which was opened in 1962 and which was recently closed due to government cuts, is to reopen as an overnight shelter for the homeless? In a further irony, running along the front of the building is an 85-foot ceramic mural which chronicles the history of the community from Roman times to the present day. Perhaps someone from The Great Pottery Throwdown might like to add a final panel.

Anglo-Swedish drugmaker buys Japanese lung drug portfolio and forges alliance with Chinese biologics firmAstraZeneca is splashing out hundreds of millions of pounds on buying the lung drug portfolio of Japan’s Takeda and deepening its presence in China, despite the country’s recent slowdown.The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker wants to create a new global hub for drug development in China alongside those in the UK and Sweden, with up to 50 scientists based in Shanghai and Wuxi City. China is AstraZeneca’s second-biggest market by sales after the US, and one of its fastest growing areas. Continue reading...

Readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific conceptsIf a space station were in a geostationary orbit, why couldn’t it just be tethered to the earth with a cable that could be ascended and descended by astronauts? This isn’t rocket science.Paul Coates, Insch, Aberdeenshire Continue reading...

Particle theorist Ben Allanach gives his reaction to yesterday’s seminar, where ATLAS and CMS reported on what we have (and have not yet) learned from a year of the highest-energy particle collisions ever achieved

British astronaut starts his six-month stay in space after perfect rocket launch with crew on board Russian Soyuz spacecraftBritish astronaut Tim Peake has started his mission on the International Space Station (ISS) after a perfect rocket launch watched by his family.A Russian Soyuz FG rocket blasted Major Peake, 43, into a clear sky over the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11.03am GMT on Tuesday, precisely on time. Continue reading...

Frst British astronaut to join the crew of the ISS blasted off in Kazakhstan right on schedule on Tuesday morning Continue reading...

Six-month mission begins with wobble as docking system malfunctions but British astronaut arrives safely at ISS after ‘absolutely spectacular’ sunriseIt seemed like an eternity, but finally the hatch opened. Moments before 8pm GMT on Tuesday, Tim Peake, the European Space Agency’s first British astronaut, stepped out of the Soyuz capsule and aboard the International Space Station (ISS).“It was a beautiful launch,” he said, grinning broadly, despite the ordeal of being squashed inside the Russian capsule for more than 10 hours, and a tense last-minute drama on reaching the station that will be his home for the next six months. “I hope you enjoyed the show.”

UK astronaut Major Tim Peake, Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko and US astronaut Tim Kopra join three crew members already aboard the International Space Station (ISS), having emerged from the Soyuz space capsule, which took off from Kazakhstan early on Tuesday. Peake is able to speak to team members, his wife Rebecca and his mother Angela back on earth

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Despite some last-minute issues, the Soyuz rocket docked at the ISS, and Tim Peake, Tim Kopra and Yuri Malenchenko are boarded the ISS8.40pm GMTWe’re going to wrap it up from here now at Guardian Mission Control. We certainly enjoyed the show, and hope that you did too.We’ll leave you with some some footage from earlier of the Soyuz craft carrying Britain’s first European Space Agency astronaut, Tim Peake, as it prepared to dock with the International Space Station.8.33pm GMTSome other messages of congratulations are coming in now. Here’s the Queen’s:The Queen sends #GoodLuckTim message to #TimPeake @astro_timpeake as he joins @Space_Station #Principia #BritinSpace pic.twitter.com/KyGEjD19cQ Continue reading...

Now he’s safely aboard his new home, what will life be like for Tim Peake over the next six months as he orbits the Earth?Every 45 minutes Major Tim Peake will see a sunrise, or a sunset, regular as clockwork. At 17,500 miles an hour, he will orbit the earth 16 times a day. His new home is at one and the same time an office, workshop, gymnasium, laboratory, mess deck and dormitory, connected by cylindrical corridors and he will commute to work each day effortlessly, floating in microgravity. One of the most demanding things he will have to do is exercise to keep his muscle tissue working at all: most of us are not aware of this, but the tug of gravity keeps even the idlest of earthbound humans moderately fit. Astronauts have to exercise hard, but after months in microgravity most of them have difficulty even standing up once they return to Earth.Major Peake will gain in stature, and not just because of his elevated position: astronauts get a chance to walk tall in orbit. Most human beings get out of bed slightly taller than when they retired, slightly crushed by gravity’s remorseless tug. Astronauts stay at their full height all the time and don’t use a bed. Continue reading...

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, you could still hear this barrel being scrapedDon’t know if anyone’s noticed, but there’s a new Star Wars film out this week. They’ve tried to downplay it, but news still leaked out there subtly via all possible media platforms and product tie-ins. Of course, this being such a major cultural event means there’s a lot of associated traffic revenue to be generated. Tying an article, however remotely, to a popular subject matter is just one of many tactics to increase online traffic, so of course there have been countless articles tenuously linked to Star Wars churned out. This has caused a great disturbance in the web, as if millions of search algorithms cried out in terror, and were suddenly… silenced.And yes, this article is yet another one. A general email was sent around the Guardian Science Blog network recently asking if anyone have any Star Wars articles planned, which is diplomatic code for “We need frivolous but topical: Dean, earn your keep!” The problem with this is, such is the furore around Star Wars right now that pretty much every idea for a cash-in article has been done already. Even the science of Star Wars has been thoroughly covered. Continue reading...

Descended from the grey wolf, domesticated dogs have been companions to humans for about 33,000 years, a genetic study has shownMan’s proverbial first best friend was probably a grey wolf that may have made contact with the first human companions about 33,000 years ago, somewhere in south-east Asia.About 15,000 years ago, a small pack of domesticated dogs began trotting towards the Middle East and Africa. Canis lupus familiaris made it to Europe about 10,000 years ago, and when civilisation began in the Fertile Crescent, and humans began to build farmsteads and villages with walls, dogs were already there to help keep guard, herd the first flocks, and demand to be taken for a walk. Continue reading...

Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading...

Sea lions on US west coast beaches that ingest domoic acid may face neurological problems that impair behavior and survival abilities, new study findsThe mystery of why sea lions have been stranding in droves on US west coast beaches in recent years is closer to being solved.A new study suggests that sea lions have been eating crabs and small fish laced with the algal toxin domoic acid, which causes chronic seizures and brain damage, impairing the animals’ ability to navigate, eat and generally survive in the ocean. Continue reading...

My older brother, Hal Dalwood, who has died of cancer aged 58, was an archaeologist with a passion for communicating his subject to as many people as possible, be they other archaeologists, students, members of the public, or family members old and young.Son of Peter, an antiquarian bookseller, and Mary, Hal was born in Bristol. Our family moved to Penzance, Cornwall, in 1969. Interested in archaeology from childhood, Hal studied at Southampton University, under Professor Colin Renfrew, in the 1970s. He spent a year in Sudan teaching English before joining the archaeological digging circuit, working on excavations around Britain, at Hazleton North, Beckford, Amersham, Great Missenden, St Albans and Shetland. Continue reading...

Schoolchildren at London’s Science Museum watch British astronaut Tim Peake’s launch into space. Peake blasted off on Tuesday morning for the International Space Station and is set for a 40-hour a-week working schedule working on experiments. The museum has a programme that aims to use Peake’s work in space to engage children with science

Following the release of British astronaut Tim Peake’s spacebound playlist, tell us the music most likely to send you into orbitBritish astronaut Tim Peake has taken a 117-strong playlist on his six-month space mission, filled with lots of feelgood songs to keep the demons at bay as he and his fellow astronauts float around in space. He blasted off this morning to the sound of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, U2’s Beautiful Day and Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars, and can look forward to lots more of the same over the next six months, by the end of which he might be a tiny bit bored by anthemic rock. Here’s the top 12 tunes that inspire me – admittedly I’m usually only looking for inspiration to write something rather than embark on a dangerous mission into the void.Related: Tim Peake: Soyuz reaches orbit heading for ISS after successful launch - live Continue reading...

Sedative effects of night milk have not been tested on people but the high amounts of tryptophan and melatonin suggest it may be healthier than AmbienAs anyone who has suffered from insomnia knows well, drinking a glass of warm milk doesn’t always help. But it might, a new study reports, if the milk is taken from a cow at night.According to an animal study in the Journal of Medicinal Food, night milk – literally milk collected from a cow at night – contains high amounts of tryptophan and melatonin, supplements proven to aid sleep and reduce anxiety. Continue reading...

Tim Peake gives the thumbs up from the cockpit as he blasts off into space. The Russian Soyuz rocket was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11.03am GMT on Tuesday on its six-hour journey to the International Space Station. He will spend six months on the ISS, making him Britain’s first European Space Agency astronaut on board the orbiting station

Peake and his two colleagues are already on board Soyuz rocket as final countdown to liftoff beginsBritish astronaut Tim Peake will make his landmark flight to the International Space Station on Tuesday morning after two weeks in quarantine, six years of preparation and 6,000 hours of intense training.Peake’s family, including his wife, their two young sons and his parents, will be watching from the observation site a mile from the launchpad at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as the Soyuz rocket lifts off carrying the first Briton to join the European Space Agency’s astronaut corps. Continue reading...

The mother of British astronaut Tim Peake jokes she wishes he had picked a safer profession like banking! Angela Peake speaks ahead of her son’s historic launch to the International Space Station. Both his parents, Angela and Nigel, were in the auditorium along with TV crews and reporters from around the world for the space crew’s final press conference before their launch from Kazakhstan. Photograph: EPA/Maxim ShipenkovTim Peake, Britain’s first ESA astronaut, set for liftoff from Kazakhstan

Principia mission to International Space Station opens UK to serious involvement in human spaceflight

Briton’s International Space Station adventure will include experiments on the effects a journey to Mars could have on future astronautsTim Peake will spend much of his 40-hour working week on science experiments. The International Space Station is the only laboratory where research can be done in a weightless environment and hundreds of experiments are either ongoing or waiting to start.To ensure astronauts are safe when they are working in orbit, and in the future when they are sent on long-duration missions to other planets such as Mars, researchers need to understand how space affects the human brain and body.

This morning, Tim Peake is due to blast off in the Soyuz rocket, bound for the International Space Station. Here’s what you need to know about his missionMajor Tim Peake is a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut who is part of a three person crew blasting off for the International Space Station (ISS) at 11.03 GMT on Tuesday 15 December. Peake was born in Chichester in 1972. He was a pilot in the Army Air Corp, and then an instructor flying Apache helicopters. After leaving the Army, he became a test pilot and then in 2009, he beat 8000 other applicants to be selected as an astronaut with ESA. Continue reading...

As dogs don’t have very effective cheek muscles, they cannot suck. So how do they drink? A video study has captured exactly how - and why it’s so sloppyUS engineers have worked out what puts the lap into lap dog. The mechanics of a mouthful of water for a mastiff – complete with that telltale slurping noise - have been explained at last.Whether foxhound or French poodle, it’s all a matter of fluid dynamics at high speed. Continue reading...

As we await a status report from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider - a word from the theorists

Tim Peake blasts off on Tuesday from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to become the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station. He will spend 173 days in space as part of Mission Principia. His time on the ISS will be devoted to experiments on new materials in a weightless environment and investigations into how the human body reacts to zero gravity Continue reading...

The headline targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change invite hypocrisy from policymakers

Last-minute preparations are underway for tomorrow’s launch of the Principia mission. British astronaut Tim Peake, US astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko will spend six months on the ISS Continue reading...

Channel 4 to air documentary on chef’s role in creating drink and food for British astronaut to take to European Space StationHeston Blumenthal has stepped in to help ensure British astronaut Tim Peake can enjoy a proper cup of brewed tea when he goes to the European Space Station.The chef’s role will be revealed in a Channel 4 documentary covering his attempt to create “multi-sensory, gravity defying food”. Continue reading...

Despite being (somewhat surprisingly) named after a pubic triangle, Ginkgo biloba can help us understand atmosphere changes over nearly 300 million yearsAsk the average person to name a living fossil, the chances are they will think of the coelacanth, or perhaps horseshoe crabs. However, plant examples of living fossils are all around us, surviving from long before the rise of today’s dominant plants. The flowering plants, or angiosperms, are the basis of our food chain and include grasses and broad-leaved trees. But seed plants such as conifers and cycads, and even ancient spore producers such as ferns and clubmosses, continue to earn a living in environments where they are not squeezed out by highly efficient, flowering newcomers.