SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 30, 2013
British scientist Stephen Wolfram has already developed two highly influential computational systems: Mathematica, an algebraic software program, and the popular search engine Wolfram Alpha. Now he's taking on Facebook's treasure trove of data, with results that would interest Mark Zuckerberg. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 17, 2013
The US Capitol was put on high alert after a letter to a senator was found to contain the deadly poison ricin. Days later a German cryptology enthusiast discovered something surprising: The FBI has lightly encrypted instructions on how to make ricin on its website. By Rainer Leurs more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 12, 2013
For years, few were interested in unearthing what lay beneath old gallows and scaffolds. But, in Germany, growing interest in "execution site archaeology" is throwing much light on how the executed died and the executors lived. By Matthias Schulz more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 12, 2013
The world has been without passenger pigeons since 1914. Now, scientists want to bring them back. Geneticist Ben Novak has embarked on the project and has begun collecting passenger pigeon DNA from natural history museums. His "de-extinction" efforts are not without critics. By Philip Bethge more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 05, 2013
Ethical worries have slowed medical research into applications for stem cells. But scientists like Robert Lanza have developed less controversial ways to derive stem cells from normal body cells rather than embryos and are already launching the first clinical trials. By Philip Bethge more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- March 14, 2013
Cities around the world aim to become "smart cities," but in Santander, Spain, the goal has already become a reality. Thousands of sensors help alert residents to traffic jams, regulate the watering in city parks and dim the street lamps. By Marco Evers more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- March 13, 2013
Europe's "Planck" research satellite has measured the residual radiation from the big bang with greater precision than ever before. The goal of the mission is to solve the mystery of whether the universe truly arose out of nothing. By Olaf Stampf more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- February 26, 2013
American sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson is championing a controversial new approach for explaining the origins of virtue and sin. In an interview, the world-famous ant reseacher explains why he believes the inner struggle is the characteristic trait of human nature. By Philip Bethge and Johann Grolle more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- February 22, 2013
Research published Thursday in the journal Science says that even slightly warmer temperatures could start melting permafrost, which in turn threatens to trigger the release of huge amounts of greenhouse gases trapped in ice. By Christoph Seidler more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- February 08, 2013
The house cat -- that cute, furry feline beloved the world over -- is also one of the world's most destructive predators, killing for kicks and hunting rare species into extinction. Cats thrive because people protect them -- but should they? By Marco Evers more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- January 18, 2013
In a SPIEGEL interview, synthetic biology expert George Church of Harvard University explains how DNA will become the building material of the future -- one that can help create virus-resistant human beings and possibly bring back lost species like the Neanderthal. more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- January 18, 2013
The enormous wels catfish is rapidly expanding in German waters. The fish can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 300 pounds, making recreational fishermen excited about the prospects of catching one. While biologists aren't yet calling the fish pests, they are puzzled by the boom. more...
