Newly disclosed emails reveal American Psychological Association coordinated with officials in CIA and White House to help ethically justify detainee program Continue reading...

Site to host headquarters for the Square Kilometre Array, which will draw on over a hundred thousand dishes and antennae across Australia and South AfricaBritain has been chosen to host the permanent headquarters for the world’s largest radio telescope, an observatory that aims to delve deep into the early history of the universe.Members of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project decided on Wednesday that the Jodrell Bank site near Manchester would become the full-time home for the telescope’s operational centre, despite an impressive Italian counter-bid.Related: The Square Kilometre Array: big and lonely Continue reading...

Ed Miliband has been pilloried for dropping his ‘t’s. But we should think twice before condemning this perfectly innocent linguistic tic Continue reading...

What are the most expensive kinks? Is porn keeping track with inflation, and is it possible to map ‘fetish-space’? Porn metadata could help find the answers to these and many other questions about human sexuality. Continue reading...

The probe, which has been mapping Mercury since 2011, is due to run out of fuel on Thursday and is expected to crash into the far side of the planetMercury, the innermost planet of the solar system, will acquire a fresh crater on Thursday when a half-tonne US spacecraft slams into the planet’s surface to end its spectacular four-year mission.The Messenger probe launched from Earth in 2004 and has been mapping Mercury in exquisite detail since it arrived in orbit in 2011. The spacecraft has beamed back a series of breathtaking images of the tiny, scorched world, which orbits so close to the sun that daytime temperatures reach 427 Celsius.Related: Mercury's 'dynamic and complex world' revealed by Nasa's Messenger Continue reading...

Incredible new find from China has both feathers and bat-like wingsResearchers today announced the discovery of a stunning new dinosaur fossil: a glider with wings similar to both birds and bats. It has been named Yi qi (meaning ‘strange wing’) and is a small feathered dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic age fossil beds of China that have yielded a host of important fossils in recent years. Yi qi, like so many other small dinosaurs, is preserved with a full coating of feathers and was a close relative of the lineage that ultimately gave rise to birds.However, what sets this animal apart from numerous other dinosaurian gliders and proto-birds is the composition of its wings. In addition to some unusual feathers that are positioned on the long arms and fingers, there is a truly gigantic bone on each wrist that extends backwards, and between this bone and the fingers is preserved a membrane-like soft tissue that would have given the animal something of a wing, like that of bats.Related: 'Bizarre' Jurassic dinosaur discovered in remarkable new find Continue reading...

A second mathematics curriculum in Britain’s schools should teach the exciting big ideas behind it, like the concept of infinity. More trigonometry is not enoughThe Labour party has made a commitment to ensure that every young person studies mathematics up to the age of 18. Of course, the people it will affect don’t have the vote – although if it was up to Labour they would: to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote is one of their other promises. But what about all those people who do have the vote? Would they have appreciated the chance to carry on their mathematical education, or were they only too happy to give it up as soon as they could?Related: Labour plans for maths until 18 'best protection' against unemploymentMany of the best algorithms contain no numbers or equations at all, but are full of mathematical thinking Continue reading...

All the latest developments as Progress M-27M vessel, which was carrying supplies to the International Space Station, is said to be out of control5.09pm BSTThe Russian space agency has conceded its out-of-control cargo spacecraft will not be able to dock with the International Space Station.Because of this, the craft’s continued flight and its docking with the ISS is not possible.3.52pm BSTAstronauts Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko, current crew members on board the International Space Station, have said flight controllers have given up trying to command the out-of-control cargo carrier.We should be OK.The program plans for these kinds of things to happen. They’re very unfortunate when they do. The important thing is hardware can be replaced.3.46pm BSTOur Moscow correspondent Shaun Walker says representatives of Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, are holding a press briefing in the Russian capital. We’re waiting for further details on who is speaking but we have these initial remarks from one of the representatives:It’s impossible to say who or what is responsible for this at this point. There will be a state commission which will meet to discuss all the issues around further launches. The next launch is due on 26 May.A safe docking with the ISS is not possible. We are working out different options for a water landing.3.34pm BSTThe total financial hit from the failed launch of Progress 59 could reach 5 billion rubles (£62 million), according to the Russian news agency Interfax, as quoted in the Moscow Times. It adds:This loss may only be partially covered: sources in major insurance companies told the agency that the ship was insured to the tune of 2 billion rubles (£25 million).3.12pm BSTMy colleague Ian Sample has more from ESA director Thomas Reiter.Reiter said he had instructed the space agency’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, to track the spacecraft so that teams can predict when and where the spacecraft will come down if it cannot be rescued.The spacecraft is 160 miles high and travelling at more than 16,000mph. That altitude is sufficiently below the space station to pose the crew no problems, but some satellites might need to take evasive manoeuvres. Such moves were becoming ever more necessary in space, said Reiter.3.02pm BSTNasa has just issued this brief update:Docking has been called off for the Progress 59 spacecraft. Russian flight controllers are continuing to assess the vehicle and what the plan going forward will be. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.2.44pm BSTSo there’s a distinct possibility the Progress 59 spacecraft could be orbiting Earth for more than a week.I’m starting to wonder if I’m on course to set a new live-blogging record.2.40pm BSTMy colleague Ian Sample has more from ESA director of human spaceflight and operations Thomas Reiter. The former astronaut says:Re-entry is normally done over the south Pacific in order to avoid any debris falling on firm terrain.Not everything will burn up and if it’s an uncontrolled entry then there will be fragments that will hit the surface.2.16pm BSTThomas Reiter, director of human spaceflight and operations at the European Space Agency, just told me that if the Russians cannot regain control over the spacecraft, it could be up there for a week and a half max.Normally, these vessels are jettisoned on controlled re-entry paths over the south Pacific, so that any fragments that survive burnup land in the ocean. This would be an uncontrolled re-entry, so some pieces could make it to land.2.07pm BSTAn unmanned Russian cargo spacecraft plunging back to Earth and apparently out of control has passed over southern England. Here’s what we know so far:

Cargo vessel ferrying supplies to the International Space Station is said to be falling to Earth after contact was lost Continue reading...

The launch of Russia's Progress spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The unmanned vessel, which was carrying supplies to the International Space Station, is said to be out of control and hurtling towards Earth. There were no technical issues reported upon its launch, but contact was lost with the craft on Wednesday Continue reading...

Candidates in the general election have signed up for a workshop aimed at brushing up their numeracy skills Continue reading...

If being outraged and offended is such an unpleasant experience, why is it so common? And why do so many people jump at the chance to experience it? Continue reading...

An unmanned Russian spacecraft is seen spinning out of control above Earth. Nasa published the footage on Tuesday, shortly before losing contact with Progress M-27M/59P. The capsule is carrying three tons of food and supplies for the astronauts living at the International Space Station. The nature of the technical glitch is unclear, but Nasa said a problem became apparent after Progress separated from its accompanying rocket Continue reading...

We, and the world around us, may have a more important role in determining our inner sense of time than we thought Continue reading...

On bit rot, Donkey Kong and and old photographs Continue reading...

Tests on subjects who swapped a fatty, meat-heavy diet for foods rich in beans and vegetables found a drop in biological markers for cancer in just two weeksSwapping a western diet for traditional African meals may reduce the risk of colon cancer, scientists have found.Tests on African Americans who replaced their fatty, meat-heavy diets with rural African foods rich in beans and vegetables found that in just two weeks, biological markers pointed to a drop in their disease risk. Continue reading...

Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft snaps detailed image of crater-filled moon, which looks like a dodgy crumpet but is largely composed of water ice and rock Continue reading...

The Association of British Science Writers is seeking bids for its first Investigative Science Journalism FellowshipSome of the world’s most significant news strands, from climate change to Ebola, are about science. So are many of its most fascinating stories, about landing a space probe on a comet or uncovering the origins of the human race. At the same time, it is impossible to understand the bulk gathering of electronic intelligence, or the Nepalese earthquake, without some awareness of the science and technology that underlie them.Because Britain is home to many fine science journalists, these stories are often told very well in the UK media. But there is a problem, revealed most clearly in the entries for the Association of British Science Writers’ (ABSW) annual awards. Continue reading...

Visual browsing must sit at the heart of future internet discovery, bringing contextual life to the world around us Continue reading...

After the controversy over its chief scientific adviser, the European Commission now has an opportunity to put in place a world-class, open and accountable science advisory system. Continue reading...

A unmanned SpaceX rocket blasted off from Florida on Monday to put a communications satellite into orbit for Turkmenistan, a first for the central Asian nation. Once in orbit, the 4,500-kg (five-ton) satellite will relay television broadcasts and other services to more than 1.2bn people in central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and north Africa Continue reading...

New research says that a German speaker and an English speaker perceive the world in different ways – thanks to the grammatical toolkit they’re using Continue reading...

Researchers are studying the feasibility of astronauts mimicking animals to sleep their way to Mars Continue reading...

Researchers at UCL have discovered what happens in our brains when we start connecting the dots Continue reading...

The scent of perfume, flowers and smoke: all that was lost on me. What a relief to finally wake up and smell the coffee Continue reading...

Stephen Hawking tells One Direction fans to pay close attention to theoretical physics. He says it may prove there is an alternative universe in which Zayn Malik is still in the band. The physicist and cosmologist appeared in holographic form at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday, streamed in from Cambridge University Continue reading...

Companies now use ‘voice analysis’ software to determine whether to hire us. And, once we’re employed, to predict if we’ll stay

New biological techniques create the potential for catastrophe. The self-control of scientists is not enough to protect us, or to secure public trust. National governments must step in. Filippa Lentzos, Koos van der Bruggen and Kathryn Nixdorff argue that the US should lead the way. Continue reading...

It is not enough to make vaguely encouraging noises: all the parties need a deeper commitment to the value, and values, of science Continue reading...

Treatment using permanently implanted radioactive ‘seeds’ doubles rates of five-year tumour-free survival compared with conventional high-dose radiotherapyA prostate cancer treatment using permanently implanted radioactive “seeds” doubles rates of five-year tumour-free survival compared with conventional high-dose radiotherapy, a study has found.Low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR-PB) involves the insertion of tiny radioactive implants into the prostate gland. Continue reading...

Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium that kills a wide range of fruiting trees and has wiped out Italian plantations, has been identified in Paris Continue reading...

A team from Harvard made headlines by announcing it had put mammoth DNA into elephant cells. But should we ‘de-extinctify’ the beasts and return them to their old stamping grounds?Extinction, it seems, may no longer be for ever. Several weeks ago, scientists in George Church’s lab at Harvard University announced that they had created living elephant cells that contained a small component of synthesised mammoth DNA. The announcement stirred both excitement and concern that the mammoth – a hairier cousin of the Asian elephant – might soon be back from the dead. But how close are we really to seeing resurrected mammoths wandering their old stamping grounds, including the Norfolk countryside? The answer depends on how you define mammoth.Let’s begin by laying out what resources we have today. First, scientists who study the genetics of extinct species have recently decoded most of the mammoth’s genome sequence, which means we have a pretty good genetic blueprint for making a mammoth. Second, by comparing the mammoth genome sequence to the elephant’s, we are beginning to understand how, at the level of their DNA, mammoths and Asian elephants differed. This tells us what parts of the elephant genome we will need to change in order to make a mammoth. Third, recent advances in genome engineering technologies provide a powerful toolkit for editing genomes, including cutting out and replacing specific genes. And fourth, the work at Harvard has proved that these tools can be used to insert mammoth DNA into an elephant cell. Resurrected mammoths no longer seem the stuff of fantasy.Related: Hopes raised for new genetic therapy to prevent inherited diseases Continue reading...

At 7.8 on the Richter scale, this was a powerful quake – and its source was only 11km below ground Continue reading...

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme review told stripping out paracetamol, aspirin and antacids would save budget millions Continue reading...

Research hints that disease is caused by toxins, whose spread to the brain could be blocked Continue reading...

Researcher reports ‘large quantities’ of the substance under ruins of Teotihuacan in discovery that could shed light on city’s mysterious leaders Continue reading...

News comes just days after ‘slimming pill’ kills Eloise Parry, who had been seeking medical help to stop taking drug

New research suggests that the act of remembering causes forgetting of similar but irrelevant memories. Continue reading...

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hubble telescope’s mission, the Open University has imagined six ‘Postcards from Space’, using some of the Hubble’s breathtaking imagery. Wish you were here! Continue reading...