Poling to victory

Female cross-country skiers who want to excel would do well to be inspired by Marit Bjørgen’s muscular upper body. Poling power appears to be a decisive factor in distinguishing the best cross-country skiers in the world from the rest.

Viking raids protected precious artefacts

A bit of British gold stolen in a Viking raid was given a new life when it was used as jewellery and buried with its new Viking owner. That twist of fate may have inadvertently saved a piece of one of the oldest known British croziers.

They bake with sunshine

Ethiopians may soon be able to bake their own traditional bread, called injera, with help from the sun.

Silicon carbide puzzle solved

No one has ever been able to process silicon carbide in such a way that it can be thermally sprayed as a lightweight, extremely durable coating on machine parts. That was before Fahmi Mubarok began his doctoral research.