Several genes have been discovered in mice that appear to control an embryonic stem cell’s ability to split and avoid specialization. The practical benefit of this kind of research is its potential to allow us to control and direct the specialization of stem cells in humans.

Dark energy and dark matter; the cosmologists and physics brains are pretty sure the stuff is out there somewhere, but damned if they’ve actually found it yet. So, they’re sending Pamela to do it – Pamela being the ‘Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics’, a satellite launching from Baikonur this Thursday, June 15th. Is it just me, or are these satellite acronyms getting sillier and more tenuous over the years?

Tidal power is hardly a new idea, but previous prototypes have suffered from the necessity of the units turning through 180 degrees to face into the flow of the tides. A new design from the University of Southampton avoids the issue by operating just as well with the water flowing in either direction, making it a much more efficient proposition – the designers hope it will be commercially available within five years.

Here’s a smart new approach to helping the totally blind. Rather than try to repair a damaged sense, why not reroute data through one that’s still all-systems-go? The ‘vOICe’ system uses a glasses-mounted camera to examine the user’s field of vision, and then translates the data into sound. After a little practice, this synaesthesic way of seeing can apparently become second nature, with the information being perceived visually despite being made up of audio.

The ‘softly, safely, slowly’ approach to suborbital flights and space tourism isn’t for the Singaporeans, it would seem. Doubtless banking on getting into the lead in a future growth industry, the country’s Aviation Authority is lashing together a batch of rules and regs to govern the new businesses, while the visionaries from Space Adventures are slating ‘Spaceport Singapore’ to open its doors (hatches?) to travellers in 2009. I’d better start saving money.