End seas of poverty, says Mbeki
The time has come to overturn a world order based on the “savage principle of the survival of the fittest”, Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, said at the opening of the world summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg. (Independent and all papers)
Cell therapy may aid stroke victims
Human cell transplants could help to repair the damage caused by a stroke, according to a study published in the journal Neurology yesterday. (Telegraph, Daily Mail)
Geckos inspire ultimate super glue
The gecko’s climbing ability has inspired engineers to make a new dry adhesive which works under water and in outer space. A team working at Lewis and Clark College at the University of California and Stanford University found that the reptiles climbing ability depends on weak molecular attractive forces called van der Waals bonds. (Telegraph, Daily Mail)
Tiny robot seeks answer to pyramid mystery
A mysterious passage in the Great Pyramid at Giza will be explored by a robot next month in an attempt to unravel one of the final secrets of the last remaining wonders of the ancient world. (Times)
Experiment shows microbes may have life on Mars
Microbes may be able to survive on Mars, according to an experiment in which conditions on the red planet were simulated on Earth. The research was led by Professor Timothy Kral at the University of Arkansas in the US. (Telegraph)
Green tea rub could prevent skin cancer
Treating skin with caffeine has been shown to prevent skin cancer in laboratory studies, it is reported today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . (Telegraph)
Teenager sees meteorite fall to Earth
A North Yorkshire teenager was standing outside her home when a odd-looking curiously hot stone landed at her feet. Dr Benny Peiser, an expert on earth impacts at Liverpool John Moores University, has said the stone could be a “thing from outer space”. (Mail, Mirror)
Deadly flu evades body's defences
The lethal Hong Kong influenza is invisible to our body's immune defences, new research shows. The finding could help to identify future dangerous flu strains and perhaps explain why flu outbreaks of the past were so deadly. (Nature)
Irrigation moves rain
Unlike the rains in Spain, Texas downpours aren't staying on the plains. Heavy agricultural irrigation is driving them off course. Whether this benefits agriculture or harms the environment is not yet known. (Nature)
Mini-melons go on sale in US
A sweet, seedless watermelon that fits easily in your fridge has been created by US researchers. The 12-centimetre mini-melons, created by normal breeding, have already gone on sale in some parts of the US. (New Scientist)