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The First Forests
The discovery of a 385 million year old complete fossil tree sheds light on the appearance of the world’s earliest forests. Palaeobotanist Christopher Berry reveals more.

Minimising Earthquake Damage
Adam Crewe explains his extraordinarily simple method of reinforcing walls to make them proof against collapse during an earthquake.

In Praise of Water
Author Marcus Chown examines where we should be looking for signs of life as we do and don't know it.

Smart Dust
News from this week's Royal Astronomical Society meeting in Preston on a new approach to planetary exploration. Geoff speaks to Professor John Barker about tiny "smart" devices that can be borne on the wind like dust particles, and carried in space probes to explore other planets.

Uranus Discoveries – Old News?
Satellite technology scientist Stuart Eves re-evaluates whether astronomer William Herschel discovered the ring around our seventh planet as long ago as 1797?