Today on New Scientist: 26 November 2012









Arafat's bones could reveal polonium poisoning

If the former Palestinian leader was poisoned, enough radioactive material would remain in his bones to prove it eight years on from his death



Mega-risks that could drive us to extinction

Technological hazards that could wipe out the human race will be studied by a proposed research centre at the University of Cambridge



UK consumers lose their taste for green energy

In a world of rising energy costs and consumer alarm, UK energy policy continues to lack focus, says Michael Brooks



Holiday gifts: What to give the scientifically curious

Stuck for gift ideas? There's something for everyone in CultureLab's selection of science-inspired goodies



Water-hating shoes repel (almost) any liquid

Watch how white trainers can stay clean on the mean streets, thanks to a superhydrophobic coating



A gorilla in the midst - of emotional rebirth?

A wild gorilla capers through a cloud of butterflies. A week before she had given birth to a stillborn fetus - is she over the death now?



Our true dawn: Pinning down human origins

The argument over when our lineage split from chimps is about to be settled, with colossal consequences for prehistory, finds Catherine Brahic



Fighting the flab means fighting makers of fatty foods

Now that Denmark's fat tax is no more, nutritionist Marion Nestle says only more targeted policies and the will to take on big business can combat obesity



Virtual economy looms as digital cash grows up

Online currency Bitcoin is maturing rapidly, so much so that it might soon be taken seriously by businesses - and become regulated by banks in the process



Animals are already dissolving in Southern Ocean

In a small patch of the Southern Ocean, the shells of sea snails are dissolving as a result of ocean acidification



New vaccine may give lifelong protection from flu

Messenger RNA from the flu virus produces an immune response that could do away with the need for annual flu jabs



Keystroke-logger checks your identity as you type

A biometric authentication system monitors the telltale gaps between the letters you type to continually authenticate that you are who you say you are



Papa pipefish's pregnancy good for young's immunity

In the role-reversed world of the pipefish, it is the males that carry the pregnancy - which helps deliver more resilient offspring



Curiosity result could confirm Mars life, says Levin

As the internet buzzes in anticipation of results revealing organic molecules on the Red Planet, ex-NASA scientist Gilbert Levin is more nervous than most




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