Fish elect leader based on looks

We’re still feeling the afterglow of the most anticipated election on earth, but now it’s time to turn out attention to the world of fish – sticklebacks in particular. Researchers at Sydney University in Australia have found that when sticklebacks choose their leader, they go for looks. Writing in t...

Better way to battle allergy

With asthma and allergy cases amongst young people at an all time high, a study from scientists in Switzerland offers a breath of fresh air. Gabriela Senti and her colleagues at University Hospital Zurich, writing in this week's PNAS, have found that injections designed to desensitise people with al...

Music to make your heart sing

Listening to your favourite, feel-good music might not only put you in a great mood but it could also be good for your heart.  Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore in the United States have shown for the first time that the emotions associated with listen...

Thank bacteria for the flavour of food

Swiss scientists have solved a Sauvignon conundrum this week with the discovery that part of the flavour of the famous white wine is down to bacteria in your own mouth! The French enologist Emile Peynaud drew attention to the burst of fruity flavours that follows 30 seconds or so after a gulp of the...