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You’ve probably already heard about the: Miniature ‘human brain’ grown in laboratory. The research, involving the growth of cerebral ‘organoids’ from human stem cells, was published in Nature on Wednesday. For some good coverage of the science behind this work, see Ed Yong’s piece here and the FAQ here. It’s not hard to see why these little blobs have attracted a lot …

Freedom of belief doesn't appear to be important to Fox News host Dana Perino, who suggested that if atheists don't like having "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, well, "they don't have to live here." Massachusetts' highest court is currently hearing a case against the Pledge brought by atheist parents, who feel that due to …

Scientists say that they have discovered the single largest volcano in the world, a dead colossus deep beneath the Pacific waves. A team writing in the journal Nature Geoscience says the 310,000 sq km (119,000 sq mi) Tamu Massif is comparable in size to Mars' vast Olympus Mons volcano – the largest in the Solar …

Families looking for an alternative to the Boy Scouts of America after the group voted to drop its ban on gay youth earlier this year descended on Nashville, Tenn., this weekend to help launch a Christian-based scouting organization. More than 1,200 former Scout officials, parents and youth from 44 states were attending the two-day national …

How did Syria go from an internal uprising to a wider clash drawing funding and fighters from across the region? In a word, Middle East experts say, religion. Shiite Muslims from Lebanon, Iraq and Iran have flooded into Syria to defend sacred sites and President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime. Sunni Muslims, some affiliated with al …

German police have raided two communities in Bavaria belonging to a Christian sect and removed 40 children. There was new evidence of ongoing child abuse by members of the Twelve Tribes sect, officials told Germany's Spiegel Online website. Witnesses of the dawn raids said there was no resistance from the group members, who denied the …

Virgin Galactic is one of the firms pushing ahead with plans to bringspace tourism down to affordable levels. The latest tests of VSS Enterprise, originally known as SpaceShipTwo, have successfully tested the craft’s deceleration mechanisms at higher speeds and altitude than had previously been evaluated. The Enterprise and her sister ship, Voyager, are larger, more powerful …

Researchers from the University of California, Riverside have debuted a new transparent cranial implant that could let doctors peek inside the brain without having to drill a new hole in the skull every time–a technique that could allow for easier treatment of neurological diseases. Lasers have been used effectively to treat brain tumors and epilepsy, but most require making …

A research team from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Faculty of Engineering has created efficient artificial, or "robotic" muscles, which could carry a weight 80 times its own and able to extend to five times its original length when carrying the load – a first in robotics. The team's invention will pave the way …

“Don't throw the past away, You might need it some rainy day, Dreams can come true again, When everything old is new again." from Everything Old Is New Againby Peter Allen (1944-1992). Remarkable innovation greets us every day. Here, in the waning days of summer, the last of the season’s flowers serve as a stage – showcasing innovation …

They call themselves the NALT Christians, and Wednesday morning they quietly launched a video campaign with a controversial message: there is nothing anti-Biblical or inherently sinful about being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. NALT stands for “Not All Like That”—Christians who say “We are not all anti-gay”—and the NALT Christian Project aims to give LGBT-affirming Christians …

Reporters Without Borders is relieved by journalist and atheist blogger Alexander Kharlamov's release from prison into house arrest yesterday but reiterates its call for the withdrawal of all the charges against him so that he can recover his full freedom. "Kharlamov's ordeal has dragged on for too long," Reporters Without Borders said. "After six months in …