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Explore the most exciting new ideas and emerging concepts in science, health, technology and the environment with Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s exclusive in-depth articles, interviews and long reads.

On the right track: Athletics tracks can give runners and jumpers an unfair advantage. Barcelona has the first Olympic track with a surface designed to an international standard

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The brains behind the brawn: Why does weight-training have such a profound effect on the human physique? The answer lies in the flexibility of the genes that program muscle fibres

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Can science save its soul?: Some scientists have begun to talk confidently about understanding God and creation. They are crediting science with power it doesn’t possess

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Elephants and birth control

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Making the most of weightlessness: No one knows why bonesweaken rapidly but crystals grow perfectly when there is very littlegravity. A surge of interest in the science of microgravity may providesomeanswers

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Under the volcano:

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Last stand for Society snails: One of biology’s evolutionarytreasure troves, a family of Pacific snails, is fast becoming extinct. Abold attempt to breed the snails in captivity is their only hope of survival

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Close encounters of the comet kind

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Cars at the crossroads: After ruling the world’s highwaysfor a century, the motor car has become a victim of its own success. Wheredoes it go from here?

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Last Olympics for the sex test?

The world's biggest sports body has just banned sex tests, branding them unfair and unnecessary. But the old guard at this year's Olympics still insists the practice must go on

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Faithless female seeks better genes

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Fickle constants of physics: Fundamental constants turn up in all sorts of equations. There may be nothing fundamental about them at all, and science may not need them

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A winning formula for Mansell: On Sunday, Nigel Mansell is expected to win the French Grand Prix. Should the credit go to him or to his car?

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Smart ways to treat materials: Will artificial materials ever be smart enough to respond as if they were part of a living organism? It could mean tissue healing more quickly and aircraft flying more safely

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