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"In ten years, the complete 'Tree of Life' will be finished and we'll have a complete map of life's family history. Then we can begin to understand why certain life forms died out while others went on evolving."  Read more

question 3: how do flowers know when it's time to bloom?

Plants lack consciousness. They cannot "know", in our sense of the word, that it's time to bloom. A Swedish researcher has found the precise gene that controls plants' flowering, thus solving a mystery that has been baffling biologists ever since the time of Carl Linnaeus. So exactly what is it that makes flowers open?  Read more

question 16: how will we use trees in the future?

Trees have always been immensely important to humans. They've given us fire, they've given us shelter. Maybe in our high-tech age it's been tempting to believe that their importance has waned. Far from it! Exciting new insights into what makes trees grow are opening a whole new future for forestry.  Read more

question 30: can we become our own doctors?

A simple saliva test at home in the morning and you can decide for yourself whether you need antibiotics. An implanted sensor that keeps a check on your blood sugar and fats. One day we'll be amazed at how little we used to know about what goes on inside us.  Read more