Barack Obama delighted environmentalists by deciding that he would, after all, attend the UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen next month (he had already scheduled a trip to Oslo to pick up the Nobel peace prize). Mr Obama will offer provisional cut… more »

Barack Obama used his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly to call for a "new era of engagement" based on "mutual respect" and argued that solving the world's problems "cannot solely be America's endeavour". Mr Obama spoke shortly before l… more »

There is strong evidence for a link between genius and autism. In the first of three articles about the brain this week, we ask how that link works, and whether “neurotypicals” can benefit from the knowledge Read article more »

- Is the world ready for the next pandemic? - The economic costs of global flu more »

The convergence of biology and engineering is turning health care into an information industry. - Medicine goes digital - HIT or miss - Flying blind - Getting personal - A doctor in your pocket - Fantastic Voyage - Health 2.0 more »

Swine flu spread from Mexico, where it was reported to have claimed more than 170 lives, to at least ten other countries, prompting the World Health Organisation to declare a pandemic imminent. Mexican authorities ordered a halt to all non-essential acti… more »