Virtual Issues

New evidence suggests that plate tectonics, which is largely responsible for Earth’s life-friendly conditions, was in place a billion years earlier than thought

The debris left over by comet collisions across nearby solar systems shows that ours is the least battered, possibly explaining why life developed on Earth

Will hydrogen ever transform the way we heat our homes and fuel our cars? reports

An analysis of many different ice shelves has produced a simple law governing how icebergs break off into the sea

The islands’ chief medical officers say that pilot whales should no be considered longer fit for consumption, partly due to unhealthy levels of mercury

A gecko that feeds off a critically endangered flower and disperses its pollen in return is being put off by muddy ant “farms”. , see a gallery of images

Key appointments made in Congress and on Barack Obama’s economic team look like good news for science and the environment

Rather than merely putting amphibians in captivity to protect them, scientists now plan an ambitious scheme to reduce levels of chytrid fungus in the environment

Commandos take position near a building housing a Jewish outreach group, Chabad Lubavitch. (Photo: Saurabh Das / AP)

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    Iraq’s Parliament passed the US-Iraq security pact by a slim majority on Wednesday, requiring that US troops withdraw from Iraq by 2011, unless the Iraqi people vote for a quicker withdrawal next year. The agreement is a muddle of triumphs and disappointments.

    The pact – termed a status of forces agreement (SOFA) – has seen considerable revision since its early stages. To the rejoicing of activists on both sides, it now sets a timetable for withdrawal, a provision the Bush administration previously refused to consider.

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