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The Olympic Games have finished in London, which means it’s time for the Paralympics to begin. Like their non-disabled counterparts, elite athletes with a disability rely more and more on science and technology for that winning edge. But is it fair for everyone?

At school you receive report cards to keep track of how you’re going and to identify strengths and weaknesses. Report cards are good for students – what about our oceans?

It looks something like beef. It tastes something like beef. It’s made from cow cells, but no animal will die in the making of this beef patty. Biologist Mark Post, from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, plans to eat a lab‑engineered beef burger while appearing on television later this year.

Viruses are the cause of a number of diseases. The flu, chicken pox and most common colds are just a few examples of diseases caused by viral infections.

Imagine a flat spiral, similar to a snail’s shell, coming closer and closer to a point. Now imagine more spiral lines, all centred on the same point. This shape looks like the clouds over a cyclone, or a whirling galaxy.

The World Health Organisation recently announced that India has gone for more than one year with no new cases of polio. Polio is a highly contagious viral disease often spread through contaminated drinking water.