The Specials

Buzz Aldrin: ‘We could be on Mars by 2030s’

The Moon astronaut believes that a mission to Mars needs a commitment to a permanent settlement or it could be cancelled

Cosmonauts spend 105 days on mission to Moscow

Team of Russian, French and Germans spent three months cooped up eating baby food in a tiny Mars voyage capsule

Swine flu 'more severe than seasonal flu'

Research in animals suggests that the H1N1 virus inflicts much more damage to the lungs than the more common disease

Human squeamishness affects bird tagging

People are now less likely to return identity rings from dead birds

DNA to revolutionise medical training

Doctors are to be given more specialised training in genetics to prepare the NHS for a revolution in DNA-based medicine

Cats manipulate purring to get their own way

Dr Karen McComb, of the University of Sussex, a cat owner, has discovered how felines persuade people to do their bidding

Artificial sperm and the race to build a baby

The production of sperm without a man is just part of a fast-moving reproductive revolution in stem cell research

Sun warnings on skin cancer ‘overstated’

The main cause of the most dangerous form of skin cancer is the number of moles on your skin not sunshine, researchers say

Want to keep your wallet? Carry a baby picture

Hundreds of wallets were planted on the streets by psychologists but the rate of return depended on the image placed inside

Chinese floating lanterns 'could kill cattle'

Party organisers may face claims from farmers as burnt-out Chinese lanterns land in fields up to 30 miles away

Obama ‘to consider uranium control plan’

The anti-proliferation campaigner advising the White House says enrichment must be carried out by an international body

Transplant drug extends life in mice

Mice given rapamycin lived about a third longer than average, raising the prospect of a life-extending pill for humans

Supernovas shed light on birth of galaxies

Astronomers have developed a technique that gives them a sharper look at exploding stars billions of light years away

IVF clinics told to be more open over costs

New code of practice will ensure that patients know exactly how expensive their fertility treatment will be from the outset

Scientists create first synthetic human sperm

Cells with some of the characteristics of real sperm raise the prospect of infertile men being able to father children