Visitors flock to the Poles to observe the natural wonder of the aurora. But they witness a mere fraction of what can be seen from space, explains Marcus Chown
Thinking machines, eternal life, space colonisation, neon bunnies – no, not science fiction but soon-to-be-realised science fact, according to a new generation of futurologists. But who are they, and can they be serious? Adam Smith takes you on a whistlestop tour of this brave new world, with five of the most prominent groups. Illustrations by Martin Rowson
Anti-science dogma is damaging environmentalism, says James Gray
The eradication of polio is a sign of India's progress, says Angela Saini
Beyond the slick production and big-budget hype, is Prometheus the philosophical blockbuster that was promised? Fred Rowson wonders what to believe
It's dusk, but not as we know it. Marcus Chown explains
Mark Henderson’s new book calls for the pro-science lobby to get political. Adam Smith meets him
It means both inquisitive and odd, and drives human discovery. Philip Ball traces a curious history
Political differences have their origin in the way we are wired, according to research in cognitive neuroscience. It’s offering a whole new perspective on politics that we ignore at our peril, argues Chris Mooney
Manjit Kumar talks to George Dyson, author of Turing’s Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe, about the fathers of the digital age