This week in COSMOS

What is a physicist doing weighing in on the mysteries of the mind? Tim Dean went to find out.

Can a genetic fix replace the pacemaker?

There may soon be a biological alternative to keep the heart beating steadily. Yi-Di Ng reports.

Newly discovered flying-dinosaur fossils with exceptionally well-preserved feathers are revealing more about how dinosaurs and early birds took flight. Daniel Cossins reports.

A quantum leap for solar power

Lessons from plant photosynthesis suggest ways to boost the efficiency of thin plastic solar cells. James Urquhart reports.

Last week in COSMOS

Microbes with mind-control

Wendy Zukerman takes stock of the bugs that can make us crazy.

Measuring gravity: Have we finally cracked it?

Physicists use a fountain of cold atoms to close in on Big G, the most finicky number in physics. Cathal O'Connell reports.

Sex and the single cannibal

The males of some species have it tough when it comes to love and many don't come out of the experience alive. After reading the research, Richard Conniff concludes men have little to complain about.

Can we stop one of the deadliest organisms in nature?

Vaccinating frogs against a killer fungus that has wiped out 200 species may stop more endangered amphibian species from croaking it. Cathal O’Connell reports.

2014/07/07: New device sniffs out terrorists’ bombs A super-sensitive electronic nose that can detect explosives may make physical searches a thing of the past. James Urquhart reports.

2014/07/07: How to make national parks more efficient at saving animals National parks are usually created on land that is too poor for agriculture and protect only 11% of endangered species. But researchers have found how we can do a better job without breaking the bank. Dyani Lewis reports.

2014/07/07: Is the Yeti really the polar bear’s cousin? DNA tests found no evidence of the Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch or the Abominable Snowman. But, as Daniel Cossins reports, the bears may know more than they are letting on.

2014/07/07: The year polio won Everyone must take responsibility for the epidemic of scientific mistrust and ignorance gripping the world and returning polio to the most vulnerable, writes Laurie Zoloth.

2014/06/30: Are we addicted to sunbathing? Skin cancer rates are rising as people ignore warnings about overexposure to the Sun. Researchers say it is the opiate-like feel-good factor that drives us back for more. Suzanne Shubart reports.

2014/06/30: Sheep’s genome at last reveals its secrets Scientists have published the complete DNA code of the sheep. Despite some industry indifference, there is much that could help farmers breed more productive animals. Elizabeth Finkel and Yi-Di Ng report.

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