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Was SpaceX launch about progress in space, or just a giant ad?

14 February 2018

The Falcon Heavy launch was more than just spectacle – it set the stage for a future Mars mission. Now we need to think about who's in the driver's seat


people trekking

Long haul with a free conscience

14 February 2018

Gone West is offering travellers and businesses a simple way to reduce their carbon footprints


water pipes

Cape Town is about to run out of water – how did this happen?

14 February 2018

Cape Town's water reserves are so low that it may soon have to turn off the taps. We’ve known for a decade that this could happen, but almost nothing has been done


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Hot sauce

14 February 2018

Why is there no insulation for saucepans? Or around kitchen sinks or bathtubs? Is it difficult and expensive, or just a lazy tradition inherited from wasteful innocent times?


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Heated debate

14 February 2018

In your article about housework ("Germ Warfare", 14 January 2017), you said that after washing dishes we should "rinse with plenty of water, preferably hot". Why hot? Wouldn't it save money if they were rinsed with the cold water that comes directly...


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Sting in the tail

14 February 2018

Mosquito bites frequently induce a sharp sting in people and some animals, with severe evolutionary consequences for the mosquito when it gets swatted. Are any mosquitoes evolving with delayed-action stings or reduced sting secretions so that they can...


robot priest cartoon

Feedback: Does a robot in robes make a mechanical priest?

14 February 2018

Plus: the ageing effect of skipping birthdays, why conservatives are more attractive, the lonely life of Nigel the gannet, and more


city

Our cities are driving evolution and it's not all bad news

14 February 2018

Urbanisation may be overrunning our planet, but in his book Darwin Comes to Town, evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen seeks – and finds – the positives


old diagram

William Harvey: The delightful inside story of blood

14 February 2018

He spent 10 painstaking years working out how our blood really circulates: 17th-century physician William Harvey deserves his own London exhibition


boys group

Real-life Lord of the Flies experiment led us up the warpath

14 February 2018

Muzafer Sherif’s notorious experiment with children is held up as proof that conflict is in our blood – but a look behind the scenes tells a different story


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