Quantum computing leap forward: altering a lone electron without disturbing its neighbors
A major hurdle in the ambitious quest to design and construct a radically new kind of quantum computer has been finding a way to manipulate the single electrons that very likely will constitute the new machines' processing components or "qubits" Now, a physicist has discovered how to do just that -- demonstrating a method that alters the properties of a lone electron without disturbing the trillions of electrons in its immediate surroundings The feat is essential to the development of future varieties of superfast computers with near-limitless capacities for data

Enceladus water story reinforced
The Cassini probe returns yet more data to back up the idea of a sub-surface sea on Saturn's moon Enceladus

Genes reveal 'biological ageing'
Scientists say they have pinpointed gene variants that might show how fast people's bodies are ageing

Scientists find genetic link to ageing
Scientists have found specific genetic variants which may explain why some people age earlier than others and say their findings have important implications for understanding cancer and age-related diseases

Antarctic snow linked to WA dry
Scientists have discovered a link between the ongoing drought in the south western corner of Australia and increased snowfall in parts of Antarctica

Spaceman
America ponders the options for a big rocket

Higher risk of stillbirth found in women with fibroids
Researchers have shown that there is an increased risk of intrauterine fetal death, commonly known as stillbirth, in women who have fibroids

Cloudy Weather Halts Shuttle Launch
The launching of the space shuttle Endeavour was postponed a day because of thick clouds that moved during the last few hours of the countdown

Geoffrey Burbidge, Who Traced Life to Stardust, Is Dead at 84
Dr Burbidge was one of the last giants of the postwar era of astronomy, when big telescopes revealed a universe more diverse and violent than anybody had dreamed

Helmets reduce the risk of head injuries among skiers and snowboarders by 35 percent
Helmets reduce the risk of head injury among skiers and snowboarders by 35 percent with no evidence of an increased risk of neck injury, a new study finds