Human attempts to kill cockroaches with sugary poison have had an unintended consequence: It has cramped the bugs' sex lives. But now, some roaches appear to have tweaked the recipe for the sweet substance that males use to woo females — allowing the bugs to be fruitful and multiply once more. The discovery, which scientists described in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, offers a window into a surprising adaptation from one of humanity's most intractable foes. "Cockroaches are more than just pests," says Jessica Ware, an entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History who wasn't involved…

An explosive filled with gaps can only detonate after a liquid is poured into it, which could make it unusually safe for transportation and storage A Swiss cheese-like structure made from an explosive material offers a promising way to safely store and transport explosives. The 3D-printed design detonates only when the holes in it are filled with a liquid. Explosives are useful in industries like mining, but they are also hazardous because there is always a risk of accidental detonation, like when they are exposed to heat or shaken up in transport. Alexander Mueller at Los Alamos National Laboratory in…

A fluid-filled network that clears waste products from the brain may be important in neurological conditions, but we know little about how it works A magnetic resonance imaging scan of an adult brain, with regions of cerebrospinal fluid overlaid in blue The brain’s “waste disposal system” may kick in after intense neural activity – and it might be possible to turn on the process intentionally. Until recently, this system was thought to activate only during sleep, but now researchers have seen it ramping up in people after they watch flickering chequerboard patterns on a screen. The finding provides a tantalising…

Ludwig van Beethoven lived a life of pain. His suffering was so great that in 1802 — while only in his early 30's — the classical composer and pianist penned a letter to his brothers describing how his maladies had soured his demeanor and isolated him from society. In this message, known as the Heiligenstadt Testament, Beethoven asked that the physical ailments that plagued him in life be publicized after his death. "As soon as I am dead if Dr. Schmid is still alive ask him in my name to describe my malady and attach this document to the history…

Tens of thousands of living brain cells have been used to build a simple computer that can recognise patterns of light and electricity. It could eventually be used in robotics

The discovery that faulty metabolism is at the root of many brain diseases suggests a surprising transplant could be the way to protect our brains from the ravages of ageing TXBTRF 3d rendered medically accurate illustration of amyloid plaques on a alzheimer nerve cell Protein plaques in the brain may be caused by failing mitochondria IF YOU own a car, you will have noticed the engine getting less efficient with time. The further you drive it, the more fuel it takes to make the same journey – until, eventually, it becomes so underpowered that it needs a physical push to…

A method for turning male cells into egg cells in mice could one day be used to help men in a same-sex couple have children who are genetically related to them both Male XY chromosomes, artwork. The Y chromosome (right) is found in males and is shorter than the X chromosome (upper left). The latter has been labelled with a white glow that can represent a genetic mutation. An individual's sex is determined by the presence or absence of the Y chromosome. Women are XX, while men are XY. Chromosomes are a condensed form of the genetic material DNA (deoxyribonucleic…

After reanalysing earlier studies, Daniel Kahneman and his colleagues have found that happiness continues to increase with incomes higher than $75,000, contradicting the widely reported idea of a happiness plateau For most people in the US, more money does seem to increase their happiness – even at incomes above $75,000 a year. This finding contradicts a widely publicised study from 2010 by Nobel prize-winning economists Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton at Princeton University. Their research was based on survey data from 1000 people in the US who had been surveyed daily between 2008 and 2009 about their levels of happiness.…

Astronomers have gotten a sneak peek at what could be Earth's ultimate fate in about 5 billion years when the sun reaches the end of its life and engulfs the solar system's inner planets – including our own. That's because, for the first time, they've spotted what appears to be a sun-like star gulping an orbiting planet. This particular star lies about 15,000 light years away. During a survey of the sky, astronomers saw the star suddenly and briefly brighten, becoming about 100 times more luminous over around 10 days. Follow-up observations suggest that what they witnessed must have been…