Mosquitos and Body Odour, stem cell cloning and the Most Powerful Computer

A study published this week has revealed that malaria alters the behaviour of its mosquito host. When infected with the disease, the mosquitos became much more attracted to human body odour. The results could help us understand how malaria is transmitted and how we can prevent the spread of the disease. BBC Science Reporter Rebecca Morelle explains.

Google, NASA and the Universities Space Research Association have opened a new lab at the Ames research centre, complete with a $15 million “quantum” computer. The 512-quibit “quantum” computer will be 3,600 times faster than a conventional computer, using a D-Wave Two processor that allows it to calculate a solution to mathematical problems in a fraction of a second. D-Wave Systems’ Chief Technical Officer Dr Geordie Rose attempts to explain the physics behind the world’s most powerful computer.

On Tuesday, the Sun spouted an intense, high-energy solar flare, sending billions of tonnes of particles into space. Although some solar flares can interfere with satellites and communications, the sunspot that spawned these flares were not directly facing Earth. In the build-up to the Sun’s peak in activity, sun flares might become more common.

(Image: Close-up of mosquito)