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Propelled by light: the promise and perils of solar sailing

21:30 11 November 2009  | 7 comments

Despite earlier failures, the Planetary Society is gearing up to test another solar sail in space in a year – executive director Louis Friedman explains why

Less loud sounds can still damage ears

THIS WEEK:  22:00 11 November 2009  | 4 comments

If the results in mice translate to humans, the laws that determine the noises workers can be exposed to may need to change

Today on New Scientist: 11 November 2009

18:00 11 November 2009

Today's stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: what the LHC is really looking for, how a mini ice age took hold of Europe in months, and how to get a club-winged manakin excited

Suite of chatterbox genes discovered

18:00 11 November 2009  | 22 comments

A set of 116 genes influenced by Foxp2 could have coevolved to give humans language

Fair play: Monkeys share our sense of injustice

ESSAY:  18:00 11 November 2009  | 25 comments

Our instinctive reaction to displays of greed and conspicuous consumption has its origins in the primate world, says Frans de Waal

Mini ice age took hold of Europe in months

THIS WEEK:  18:00 11 November 2009  | 27 comments

Detailed studies of ancient climate have revealed that the onset of Europe's "Big Freeze", 13,000 years ago, was anything but glacial

Mars rover battles for its life

THIS WEEK:  18:00 11 November 2009  | 15 comments

NASA's veteran explorer Spirit faces its toughest challenge yet as it prepares to free itself from a sand trap where it has been mired for the past six months

In SUSY we trust: What the LHC is really looking for

COVER STORY:  18:00 11 November 2009  | 52 comments

Forget the God particle - the rebooted Large Hadron Collider will give us much greater revelations

Boys with ALD bring gene therapy in from cold

15:21 11 November 2009  | 2 comments

Two boys treated with a gene therapy for the brain disease X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy have fared so well that doctors are seeking more volunteers

Ultimate emergency call uses all open channels

NEWS:  14:04 11 November 2009  | 4 comments

A new satellite radio promises to use all known communication methods to raise the alarm when the owner is in a spot of bother

Backward star ain't from around here

12:51 11 November 2009  | 6 comments

The nearest neighbouring star to orbit the galaxy backwards appears to have come from a much brighter place

FAVOURITE COMMENT

Giant crack in Earth's crust

"You're a real crack-up." lame_guy (continues)

FEEDBACK

Why it's good to log out

How to harness malingering electrons, a quantum bifurcating footpath, and the importance of seeking medical attention if you snuff it

CULTURELAB

Welcome to a world run by geeks and gadgets

18:00 11 November 2009 - updated 19:46 11 November 2009

Cory Doctorow's entertaining novel, Makers, examines what might happen if the geeks ever have to take charge

Laughing all the way to the anti-bank

10:00 11 November 2009 - updated 13:29 11 November 2009

Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats has established the world's First Bank of Antimatter - a satire of today's economy

GEOLOGY

Plan to pierce heart of urban monster volcano

Drill if you dare (Image: R.W.W./Ambra Galassi/Flickr)

Next month, geologists will begin to drill into a huge volcano in Italy that has towns on top of it: is that a good idea?

SPACE

Will probe's fly-by unlock exotic physics?

All eyes will be on the Rosetta comet-chasing probe when it flies by Earth on Friday – a past fly-by revealed a mysterious speed boost that general relativity cannot explain

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VIDEO

Good vibrations get a club-winged manakin going Movie Camera

When it comes to wooing a mate, one bird finds it pays to make like a grasshopper

FOOD AND DRINK

Cinderella fruit: Wild delicacies become cash crops

There is a big future for some of Africa's native fruit (Image: Charlie Pye-Smith)

From chocolate berries to monkey oranges and gingerbread plums, Africa is the home of thousands of tasty fruits whose potential is ripe for the plucking

GALLERY
car, auto, efficient, x prize, progressive automotive,

Highly efficient car contenders

Competitors for the Progressive Automotive X Prize gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, last weekend to kick off the next phase of competition. See some of the competing cars here

SPECIAL REPORT

Swine flu: The pandemic of 2009

Keep up to date with the latest on the H1N1 flu pandemic with our special report

ASTROBIOLOGY
Sniffing out life on Titan (Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/SPL)

Extraterrestrial rafting: Hunting off-world sea life

Do the moons of Jupiter and Saturn harbour life in their chilly oceans? A flotilla of space probes is being lined up to haul anchor and find out

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