Beyond the sleigh: reindeer and their bonds with Arctic peoples

The relationship between indigenous peoples in the Arctic region and their herds reveals a rich history and provides clues about how to protect it. By  Ali Jones Reindeer prance into the festive spotlight each December, but when Santa’s magical sleigh goes empty for another year what does life hold for Rudolph’s relatives? Dr Roza Laptander … Read more

Brain gain: Europe’s big advances in neuroscience

EU researchers are coming up with new ways to tackle the range of illnesses tied to the human body’s most complex organ. By  Horizon Staff In the southern French city of Marseille, health researchers have developed a way to operate more effectively on epilepsy patients. In Milan in northern Italy, scientists have come up with … Read more

In mighty Atlantic Ocean, ecosystem wonders and threats lie below the surface

Scientists from numerous countries are joining forces to tackle risks to life in the world’s second-largest ocean. By  Jack McGovan During his first offshore expedition in 1997, marine-biology expert Murray Roberts was shocked to see the state of cold-water corals located west of Scotland’s Shetland Islands. A century earlier, Victorian-era naturalists described seeing stony thickets … Read more

Fighting brain tumours with the help of viruses and molecules

By harnessing unusual allies, pioneering cancer treatments could reduce the need for invasive surgery and save lives. By  Tereza Pultarova Dr Marta Alonso, a Spanish biomedical researcher, developed an interest in paediatric brain tumours during a traineeship in the US state of Texas. Alonso had a chance encounter in 2007 at the MD Anderson Cancer … Read more

Robots are becoming human helpers on the factory floor

New machines can improve conditions for workers and boost industrial productivity. By  Helen Massy-Beresford On the shopfloor of a Dutch machine manufacturer called Hankamp Gears, workers remove bulky equipment from a pallet, lift the material above their shoulders and painstakingly attach screws to it. Then helping hands suddenly show up to do the heavy lifting, … Read more

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