THIS WEEK:  10:25 15 November 2012

A new breed of voting forecasters won't replace pundits but elections of the future could be won by the party with the best stats

THIS WEEK:  18:00 14 November 2012

The new laws in Colorado and Washington should provide a testing ground for health effects and for how people behave when drug laws are relaxed

18:13 08 November 2012  | 15 comments

The legalisation of cannabis in two US states could affect both drug violence and public health. The one thing it may not affect is drug use

23:08 07 November 2012  | 1 comment

Reducing the federal deficit is the main worry for newly elected leaders in the US, but there are signs that science will make gains

FEATURE:  14:24 07 November 2012  | 13 comments

The intricate connections between genetics, psychological make-up and whether you swing to the left or right at elections are starting to be unravelled

12:24 07 November 2012

A re-elected Barack Obama says he wants an America "that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet". But how can he get it?

20:00 06 November 2012

The new John Maddox Prize goes to two men who upheld sound science in the face of physical violence or personal attack

INSIGHT:  12:00 03 November 2012  | 15 comments

The technology is ready for elections to be held online, but until cybersecurity is strengthened they are on hold

FEATURE:  13:19 31 October 2012  | 4 comments

Ecology and economics don't always see eye to eye, but uniting them may be the only way to protect the natural world, says Fred Pearce

19:05 29 October 2012

Six scientists were convicted for manslaughter for failing to communicate earthquake risks, but wiretapped conversations hint at further problems