The dangers of insularity
Islands may amplify the biggest waves, not break them
Science & technology
Modelling tsunamis
Lifts and skyscrapers
The other mile-high club
A new lightweight lift cable will let buildings soar ever upward
Surveillance
Look who’s listening
America’s National Security Agency collects more information than most people thought. Will scrutiny spur change?
Gene patents
Patently false
Are human genes patentable? A decision by the United States Supreme Court unanimously says "no"
The Kepler space telescope
Lost and found
A successful piece of astronomical kit looks dead. But its mission continues
Cancer treatment
Checkpoint Charlie
A new class of drugs is being deployed in the struggle against cancer
Arctic ecology
Sacred geese
Polar bears are the poster species for climate change. But could a diet of goose flesh help them survive global warming?
Martian space flight
Red dreams
Mars has always been Shangri-La for space buffs. Two new private missions show that its lure is as strong as ever
Social-media science
No hiding place
A plan to assess people’s personal characteristics from their Twitter-streams
Cryptography
The solace of quantum
Eavesdropping on secret communications is about to get harder
Babbage
Our science and technology blog discusses open-source maps, a watery use for graphene and cyber-metaphors
Babbage podcast
China is catching up in space, why a new database for genetic information is welcome, and how Apple's latest products are a response to its critics
Difference Engine
Southern California says goodbye to nuclear power
Contemporary philosophy
Tools for pondering imponderables
Energy
Germany’s Energiewende bodes ill for the country’s European leadership
A special report on the future of cars
Our special report on the motor industry argues that, in the right markets and with the right technologies, its future look surprisingly bright
Follow The Economist's science and technology coverage on Twitter @EconSciTech Peer review
Technology Quarterly
Reinventing the train, hypersonic missiles, teaching old microphones new tricks, and more
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