Naked Scientists Newsflash

In this NewsFlash, scientists spot a black hole tearing a star apart, the confusion caused by Comet Hartley 2, and how ancient flying lizards could inspire new aircraft. Plus, we hear about the Square Kilometre Array, planned to be the world's largest radio telescope, and the bid to house it in South Africa.

This week a new source of cells to repair damaged hearts as well as a way to tailor make hearing aids according to an individual's needs. Plus, new insight into how nicotine causes weight loss and more evidence for the theory that life originated from outer space.

This week, how increasing CO2 levels could stop fish from finding a home and new insight into how sunspots keep warm. We also discuss the recent E.Coli outbreak in Europe as well as discover the world's largest DNA computer!

This week, how humans locate themselves using echolocation, an attractive new prospect for magnetic materials and a new method of unclogging arteries. Plus new insight into the shape of an electron and how a bit of culture could bring a lot of happiness!

In this NewsFlash - how we learn geometry without ever entering a classroom, how gossip changes the way we look at the world and a sweet solution to water purification. Plus, regulating the immune system to avoid transplant rejection!

In this NewsFlash, tailor made proteins that bind to 'flu viruses, the largest gathering of whale sharks in the world, and how induced stem cells may be rejected, even by genetically identical animals. Plus, how a laser technique has shed new light on a common process that leads to cancer.

In this NewsFlash, how box jellyfish navigate by seeing the shape of the objects above them, why researchers have trapped anti-hydrogen for an extended stay and how a changing climate has reduced global corn and wheat crops. Plus, how the very first exposure to nicotine causes changes in the brain's reward system, potentially strengthening future addictions.

In NewsFlash this week, how ums and ahs can boost a baby's learning power, how mankind talked his way out of Africa, and how life on land evolved earlier than we thought. Plus, how scientists are viewing schizophrenia in a Petri dish and an insight into how a rider-less bicycle remains upright.

In this NewsFlash, how gut bugs alter your risk of heart disease, increasing efficiency by adding flaps to wind turbines, and how clutter causes prejudice. Plus, how a population of stem cells that spontaneously organise themselves into the right shape for the retina could be used to restore sight after injury or illness...

In this NewsFlash, why the Pioneer anomaly is not so anomalous, how a dose of cortisol can cut fear of heights, and how a common dye used to colour cells in the lab may increase lifespan. Plus, in televised debates, how a biased "worm" can seriously skew the results.

In this NewsFlash, how wind speeds over the oceans are changing, successful synthesis of sperm cells and getting under the skin of melanoma. Plus, the science of the blooming lily and how reprogrammed stem cells could restore sight for macular degeneration patients.

In this NewsFlash, we discover the role quartz plays in making mountain ranges, celebrate MESSENGER going successfully into orbit around Mercury, and explore the reasons why birds fly into obvious objects. Plus, how progesterone excites sperm - we explore the role of a sperm-specific protein that could lead the way to a new contraceptive!

This week, how nano-diamonds can help fight cancers, co-operating elephants and tiny digital cameras. We bring you up to speed on the recent earthquake in Japan, and explore the genetic changes that make us who we are!

This week, a new discovery suggesting that the chemistry of life could have come to Earth in a meteorite, how foetal immunity protects the expectant mother, and why we need to be careful with stem cells - a new study has found that they have an above average chance of carrying cancer-causing genetic changes. Plus, a new technique to etch graphene sheets with single-atom precision.

In this NewsFlash, we find out what a rare, self-healing skin tumour can tell us about more common cancers, explore the capacity for self repair in the mammalian heart, and discover the new laser based tool for diagnosing melanoma. Plus, how the bones of people who died up to a hundred years ago are being used in the development of new treatments for chronic back pain...

In this NewsFlash, we'll find out how an isolated population of people in Ecuador may hold the genetic key to a disease free life, and how hibernating bears slow their metabolic rate far more than expected, and may one day help us to reach for the stars! Plus, they mysterious Death Valley rocks that seem to move around on their own, and how re-routing nerves can allow amputees to move a prosthetic limb more naturally than ever before.

In this NewsFlash, the fossil evidence that the famous human ancestor Lucy - Australopithecus afarensis - had arched feet, a new method for seeing inside the body and how smartphones are being used to remotely track cardiac rehabilitation. Plus, how omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, help to stave off some of the most common forms of blindness.

In this NewsFlash, we meet the new species of malaria-carrying mosquito, explore new artificial arteries and find out why the amazon rainforest may be a source of carbon emissions in dry years. Plus, how Australian researchers have developed a thinking cap - a simple and safe process could switch off your preconceptions and help you to think outside the box!

In this NewsFlash, we find out why our model of the circadian clock might be wrong, how the bacteria that live inside a cow's gut could help make better biofuels, and why groups of animals make better decisions. Plus, how some bacteria make rapid changes to their genome - avoiding the immune system as well as preventing us from making effective vaccines.

In this NewsFlash from the Naked Scientists, news of a novel way to neutralise HIV, researchers uncover how brains gauge the passage of time, and agriculture on the microscale: scientists have found the world's smallest farmers, they're just one cell wide. Plus, how a contagious tumor repairs itself by stealing genetic material from it's host.