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40,083 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Leech helps police catch armed robber

Tasmanian police match DNA to blood extracted from leech that dropped off robber in 2001A blood-swollen leech found at a crime scene eight years ago has led Australian police to an armed robber.The leech dropped off Peter Cannon as he and an accomplice tied a 71-year-old woman to a chair in her remote home in the Tasmanian woods and stole several hundred dollars in cash in September 2001, police...


MONDAY 19. OCTOBER 2009


Are weekends really wetter?

Andrew Russell, a meteorologist at the University of Manchester, discusses weather forecasting, clouds and geo-engineering. He's planning a project at the Manchester Science festival to see if it really does rain more at weekends. Guardian science correspondent Ian Sample joins us for the newsjam. We discuss the epigenome, which is a roadmap for genes, how cancer can be passed on in the womb, and...


SUNDAY 18. OCTOBER 2009


Obituary: Walter Blyth

My father, Dr Walter Blyth, who has died aged 87, made a significant contribution to immunology and microbiological research during his career as lecturer in mycology and bacteriology at Edinburgh University. His work involved the study of fungal antigens as triggers of respiratory disease in both maltworkers and farmers, and included extensive fieldwork throughout the farms of the Scottish...


SATURDAY 17. OCTOBER 2009


Chiropractors cause controversy

For those with the finances to try to silence their critics, this has been a week of spectacular own goals. Trafigura has loudly advertised the report on the dumping of toxic waste in Africa by taking out a super-injunction through Carter-Ruck. And on Wednesday Simon Singh, the science writer being sued by the British Chiropractic Association, won his right to an appeal.Briefly, Singh was sued by...


THURSDAY 15. OCTOBER 2009



WEDNESDAY 14. OCTOBER 2009


Simon Singh wins ruling in libel battle

Preliminary judgment overturned in libel case brought by British Chiropractic AssociationA science writer who is being sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association is to fight on after a preliminary judgment against him was overturned on appeal today.Simon Singh was sued by the BCA after he wrote an article in the Guardian criticising the association for supporting members who claim that...


TUESDAY 13. OCTOBER 2009



MONDAY 12. OCTOBER 2009


Science Weekly: Penisology

Ed Sykes is hosting a lecture at University College London called Penisology. Everything you never wanted to know about sex. He talks about the strange world of animal mating and looks at the science of human sex. Thomas Steitz of Yale University is a winner of this year's Nobel prize for chemistry. He tells us how he got the news, and we discuss whether the awards need to be updated. We also...


SUNDAY 11. OCTOBER 2009


Cern physicist admits links with al-Qaida

Frenchman of Algerian origin corresponded online with a contact in north Africa's al-Qaida branchA French physicist arrested last week while working at the world's largest atom smasher has told investigators he corresponded over the internet with a contact in north Africa's al-Qaida branch, a judicial official said today.The exchange vaguely discussed plans for terror attacks, but nothing concrete...