Some DNA detective work, combined with clever genetic engineering, could lead to the production of carbon-neutral petrol

The southern ozone hole has changed weather patterns around Antarctica and cooled the air above the east part of the continent, according to new research

If it hadn't been for Q Branch, James Bond would have been dead long ago. But could any of New Scientist's readers fill the boots of the real-life Q?

Freshwater algae can dance around each other in stable groups, held together only by fluid flows in the surrounding water

Opponents of embryo research have seized on an investment by Al Gore to attack embryonic stem cell research, but their reasoning is naive, says Andy Coghlan

Magnets have been used to control the transformation of stem cells into cartilage, and could also be used to guide them to their target tissues

Intelligent machines could avoid disasters by resetting their memories and jumping into a parallel universe, according to one interpretation of quantum mechanics

An international consortium of scientists, including researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ), have probed further into the human genome than ever before. They have discovered how genes are controlled in mammals, as well as the tiniest genetic element ever found. Their discoveries will be published in three milestone papers in leading journal Nature Genetics.