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OPINION: From an Ivory Tower to a Trading Tower and now a Human Tower! These are the three major waves that can be ascribed to the evolution of universities in recent times.

IDEA: Malaysia Inventors’ Challenge made its debut with the first of 10 episodes appearing on TV3 at 7pm last week. This first of its kind of reality show in Malaysia was launched on Aug 13 at the Theatrette, Sri Pentas, Petaling Jaya by Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Fadillah Yusof.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Complexities of the Haiti earthquake; Landslide-generated tsunamis in Haiti; Making small genomes; Carbonate rocks buried deep in the martian crust; Variants associated with obesity;

Press release - A new study on the behavior of the zebrafish has uncovered a key role for a region of the brain on the development of fear responses. The discovery provides valuable insights applicable to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses.

A new agreement signed on 2 July 2010 extends the collaboration between RIKEN and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) out to 2018.

RIKEN molecular biologists have successfully reprogrammed adult rabbit body cells to form colonies of fully pluripotent cells that are highly similar to rabbit embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

Identification of the mechanism that triggers suicide in dissociated human stem cells should assist their development as therapeutics

Innovation helps the world's poor feed their families

The Asia Nano Forum’s (ANF) 3rd Asia Nanotech Camp at A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) brings together 40 hand-picked PhD candidates and early career postdoctorates from the Asia-Pacific region to discuss, debate, network and collaborate on their favourite pastimes - nanotechnology, eating and shopping.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Surprises from the Sun; Colour vision goes full circuit; Trapping with topography; Tropics feel the heat

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Insight into human development; Optogenetics gets to the heart; Mutations in WDR62 result in small brains; Folding and cutting DNA into nanoscale shapes

SERDANG, 3 September – The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak appealed to motorists to drive safely on their way back home in conjunction with the Aidilfitri celebration.

SERDANG, 26 August - A group of researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) invented the enzyme-based biosensor technology that is able to trace formaldehyde; a chemical, which could be found in fish and fish products.

Prince of Songkla University joined hands with the Economics Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and the Center for IMT-GT Subregional Cooperation (CIMT) in organizing the Symposium on Energy Saving and Biofuel Utilization.

SERDANG, 1 Sept – Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah paid an official visit to Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

The International Day of Peace (IDP) is celebrated every year on Sept 21. This year, it is directed at young people — the generation that will become the leaders of the future and who will ensure that peace will prevail.

"IF scientists can genetically modify food and NASA can send missions to Mars, politicians must be able to find resources to get millions of children into school and change the prospects of a generation of children," said Global Campaign for Education president Kailash Satyarthi.

RIKEN’s state-of-the-art beam lines allow scientists to create thousands of unstable nuclei, providing new insights into the stellar origin of elements

A newly identified set of genomic loci appears to be selectively associated with prostate cancer in East Asian men

A porous polymer network that researchers can make reactive at will can store gases and hasten chemical reactions

A fundamental effect associated with electrons also occurs in non-charged particles—a potential boon for spintronics

New functions of the plant hormone strigolactone, discovered by researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center and University of Toronto, have provided first-ever clues on the germination mechanism for the world’s most destructive species of parasite weeds.

Alluring dresses from pineapple? Scientists in Malaysia are looking into the potential of another ‘cotton’ – the pineapple. Jamil Salleh of UiTM, Shah Alam, Malaysia is to asses techniques to extract the long fibres of the pineapple leaves.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Safeguarding our water; Translating cancer research into personalized care; Growth opportunities; Triple entanglement of superconducting quantum bits; Oceanography: Mixing it up; Cancer: RANKL rankles; Hints of exotic pairing in an ultracold gas

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Quantum computing: Silicon spintronics; Saudi Arabian volcano crisis

The dynamic activity of electrical signals in neuronal populations can now be visualized with a powerful tool

Advanced laser spectroscopy exposes the unique organization of water molecules under model membrane surfaces

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Competition and the Internet; Digitizer in Chief; Leafing Behind a Carbon-Filled World; Turning Human Evolution on its Head?; The Elusive Theory of Everything

Scientific advances can stimulate the economy and are behind many of today’s top political issues, but how does the scientifically literate public feel about science?