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Arthur C. Clarke:

The many worlds of Arthur C. Clarke

He was many things - an engineer, a thinker, a novelist. But Arthur C. Clarke was most of all a visionary who had an incalculable influence on space travel, space exploration, and astrobiology.


Enzymes made to order

In a world first, scientists have managed to synthesise entirely new functional enzymes that could pave the way to reactions not seen in the natural world.


kelp forest

Let's use seaweed as fuel

The environmental and social costs of producing biofuels on land can be avoided by farming seaweed, says Ricardo Radulovich.


A road into the future

Becoming immortal

Within a few decades, we might reasonably expect to have extended life to 150 years or more – the first human to live to 1,000 may have already been born. But, does death give meaning to our lives? Where do we go from here?


Mars exploration: a timeline

Mars exploration: a timeline

Only about half of the attempted missions to Mars have been successful. Here we bring you a timeline of our encounters with the Red Planet.


Mars: a factfile

Mars: a factfile

A year lasts 687 days on Mars and the average temperature is a balmy –55 ºC.


From 'gay plague' to global tragedy

From 'gay plague' to global tragedy

The AIDS battle marks an important anniversary this week, bringing to mind victories of science and human spirit but also defeats, stigma and ignorance.


HIV/AIDS: a timeline

HIV/AIDS: a timeline

It kills 200,000 people every month and has claimed more lives than World War 1 – we bring you a timeline of the battle to date.


Extrasolar explosion

Extrasolar explosion

Around 290 extrasolar planets have been detected so far – but a massive new sky survey, starting later this year, could quadruple the tally of known alien worlds.


The missing link in Australian genomics

The missing link in Australian genomics

Given top billing on the cover of Nature, the first Australian animal to be sequenced should have been a triumph for Australian science – but the majority was done overseas. Why did we miss the bus?


The platypus unravelled

The platypus unravelled

It's been an enduring mystery since Western science 'discovered' it 200 years ago, but the publication of the platypus genome is now giving us an unprecedented insight into this perplexing hybrid of mammal and reptile.


The undo effect

The undo effect

Happiness has a positive influence on longevity and health, but what's behind this effect? Psychologists are uncovering evidence that positive emotions undo the physical damage done by stress, fear and anxiety.


The key to innovation

The key to innovation

Whether you're digging a ditch or designing an aeroplane, innovation makes the task more efficient and competitive. So how do we drive innovation?


A barcode for life

A barcode for life

Species scanners? An ambitious project to catalogue all life on Earth using DNA could revolutionise taxonomy.


The great Moon rush

The great Moon rush

China, Japan, India, Russia, and the U.S. are all sending satellites to the Moon, with landers, rovers and possibly astronauts hot on their heels. So why is the Moon such a draw?