Inside Jobs

“The burglars’ rehabilitation of a quiescent architectural space brings with it a much broader and more troubling implication that we ourselves do not fully understand the extent of the rooms and corridors around us, that the walls we rely on for solidity might in fact be hollow, and that there are ways of moving through any building, passing from one floor to another, that are so architecturally unexpected as to bear comparison to animal life or even the supernatural.” By Geoff Manaugh.

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Bird-brained and brilliant: Australia's avians are smarter than you think

Australian birds are arguably among the smartest in the world, displaying complex behaviours comparable to those observed in great apes.

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This $14-billion machine is set to usher in a new era of nuclear fusion power

The first and largest machine of its kind is currently under construction at the French scientific research center called Cadarache, which specializes in nuclear power research. It's called ITER, Latin for "The Way," and is expected to usher in a new era of nuclear fusion-powered electricity — something scientists and engineers have been working toward for over 40 years.

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Pinpointing the Health Impacts of Urban Noise

Researcher Erica Walker wants to change the way cities think about their aural landscapes.

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520 million-year-old fossilised nervous system is most detailed example yet found

A 520 million-year-old fossilised nervous system – so well-preserved that individually fossilised nerves are visible – is the most complete and best example yet found, and could help unravel how the nervous system evolved in early animals.

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What makes the brain tick so fast?

Surprisingly complex interactions between neurotransmitter receptors and other key proteins help explain the brain's ability to process information with lightning speed, according to a new study.

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CRISPR-like ‘immune’ system discovered in giant virus

Mimivirus defence system might lead to new genome-editing tools. They say that the discovery of a working immune system in a mimivirus bolsters their claim that the giant virus represents a new branch in the tree of life.

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