Retreating rebels burn Timbuktu's science manuscripts
As the French and Malian armies recapture Timbuktu, Islamist rebels have set fire to texts that document when science began in Africa
Quantum theory of smell causes a new stink
An experiment showing humans might rely on quantum mechanics to distinguish between odours has reopened a smelly debate
Davos: Persuading big business to act on climate change
A new report argues that private-sector investment could limit rise in temperature – as long as governments can encourage businesses to step up
Gas flares from Bakken fracking are visible from space
A shining cluster of light in this satellite image of the US from space isn't a city - it's the glow from hundreds of flares from rigs in North Dakota
First video reveals working tractor beam in action
Watch a light beam pull tiny objects using a new technique that attracts certain arrangements of particles
Human brain model and graphene win science's X Factor
Quests to build a supercomputer simulation of the human brain and unlock graphene's potential have each won a potential €1 billion in research funding
Interactive nails give you a screen at your fingertips
Forget colourful nail varnish, one day your fingernails could be used to display touchscreen content from your smartphone instead
Stellar performances finally gain the limelight
In Heart of Darkness, Jeremiah P. Ostriker and Simon Mitton add new stars to the constellation of astronomy to tell the subject's full history
Is Obama about to blow his climate credentials?
The US president could be poised to approve the doubling of imports of tar sands oil, one of the filthiest fuels on Earth, says Fred Pearce
DNA privacy: don't flatter yourself
The secrets contained in our individual genomes are less valuable than we like to believe
Weird high-energy flare made by spitting black hole
One of the most detailed looks yet at a gamma-ray burst from an active galaxy hints that a knot of high-speed plasma was the likely trigger
Get cirrus in the fight against climate change
Feathery cirrus clouds trap a lot of heat and help warm the planet. Getting rid of them could counteract human-caused climate change – in theory
Your molar roots are leftovers from Homo erectus
Our teeth erupt later than they did in our early ancestors, but not so the roots of our molars: they develop as they did in Homo erectus
Bandwidth-sharing app brings connectivity to all
AirMobs lets you use your neighbour's mobile internet connection - or share your own - regardless of carrier or location
Lingering kiss: DNA persists in the mouth after smooch
A kiss is not just a kiss - it's bacteria, mucus and DNA. And with the discovery that the DNA persists in the mouth for at least an hour, it could be used to identify sex offenders
The digital map is not the territory
The latest maps offer a rich and vivid way of navigating the world, but we must not expect a perfect representation of reality
Today on New Scientist: 28 January 2013
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