On the Radar

The pick of the science news

Saplings in space

Space shuttle Atlantislaunched from the US on Monday with a cargo of deliveries for the International Space Station. On board were 24 willow saplings that may help shed light on the role of gravity in the formation of wood, particularly the "reaction wood" that develops in parts of a tree that are not vertical. After 30 days of growing aboard the station, samples will be returned to Earth and compared with samples from trees growing in a lab. "If we do not get reaction wood in the loops in the expected places in space, it will be an indication that weight on Earth, caused by gravity, is involved," says lead researcher Dr Rodney Savidge.

Deer, oh deer

The giant Irish deer (Megaloceros giganteus) was driven to extinction about 12,500 years ago by starvation, suggests new research by UCD and the National Museum of Ireland. The enormous animal had an antler span of up to 3.6 metres. The study suggests the deer would have been susceptible to falling temperatures and decreased vegetation around the time of their demise.

By numbers

1,759 trillion

The number of calculations per second that can be performed by the Jaguar supercomputer run by the US Department of Energy

“This will substantially alter the way chemotherapy is given in the future

Neurosurgeon Dr John Boockvar, who is behind a trial in the US to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to brain tumours using a slender catheter fed into a major artery and guided towards tiny blood vessels in the brain