The search for one of the most curious particles on the universe has consumed the lives of many scientists. But few have been rewarded for their labours. Frank Close reflects on an obituary, a quest, and the elusive nature of scientific success.

Doctors have long been able to heal the body: now scientists are developing radical ways of altering the mind. Governments must determine what practices to permit - and for this they need rational arguments to draw relevant distinctions. Time to call on the philosophers....?

Thirty years ago the asteroid impact theory for dinosaur extinction broke upon an unsuspecting world. There was uproar in the scientific community, followed by decades of copious research. Finally, I suggest, the time has come that we should quietly lay the theory to rest. Environmental stress did the damage then just as now.

The recent discovery of a 4.4 million year old skeleton in Ethiopia has forced a drastic re-think of the hominid family tree and neatly skewered the “chimps are humans too” industry.