Stemming bleeding is a major part of medical surgery – it’s not just critical, but consumes a lot of time and effort too. Which is why surgeons are getting excited by a new invention in the form of a clear gel which, when rubbed onto wounds, staunches bleeding rapidly. The gel is made up of a solution of peptide proteins that can rapidly self-organise into sheet-like structures at the nanoscale, and if the results it has been producing in rodent test subjects can be replicated with humans, surgery will be changed forever. In the meantime, maybe we should be looking at using spiderweb dressings to prevent infections and promote healing?

A diet that includes plenty of fresh greens is considered essential for keeping your health up to scratch. So prospective Lunar colonists will be relieved to hear that they will likely have access to locally-grown salad produce, thanks to the NASA ‘Salad Bowl’ project. The research has been aimed at developing ways of growing planet-side plants in the sort of conditions that a colony on the Moon would have to make do with.

How the (once) mighty have fallen. After filing for bankruptcy a few months ago, Tower Records is being liquidated by its latest buyer after having failed to adjust to the paradigms of a changing market. That’s not to say that the future of retail outlets is looking all bad – it seems that the secret is to keep things small-scale, specialised and customer-focussed, like the ever-increasing number of independent bookstores springing up across the States.

Oh, brother. A survey over here in the UK seems to reveal that respondents are more concerned about internet crime (phishing, pharming and so on) than they are about meatspace attacks on their property or person (mugging, burglary and so on). While this indicates a heartening level of awareness of the potential risks of doing business online, it is disappointing to realise that almost all the cybercrimes mentioned can be easily prevented by the use of some software and some common sense – I for one am still far more concerned about crossing the rough side of town after dark than about checking my bank balance online – I’ve not had a mis-spelled phishing email pull a knife on me yet.

In troubled times, the advice from the Hitchhiker’s Guide is always well worth remembering. OK, so North Korea has performed a nuclear weapons test, and I’m not going to try downplaying that fact. But it’s worth bearing in mind that the jury is definitely out on how well it went, with some commentators pretty convinced it was actually the first failed test of a simple fission device ever. I’m with John Scalzi though, as to wondering how long it’ll be before someone blames it all on Bill Clinton…