This is the first of a series looking back on the last year of stories. In previous years, I’ve compiled a typical Top 20 list, but this time, I’ve decided to try something more fun, collecting posts according to theme (like this) or topic. Let me know what you think. Science isn’t just about the ground-breaking discoveries and quirky results – it’s also about how you get there. These techniques are a mix of fun, dangerous, unorthodox and bxreathtaking. They’re a reminder that science is a process, rather than a destination. 12) Giving a fly a laser wax
The title is self-explanatory. The penis of the humble fruit fly Drosophila is armed an array of wince-inducing hooks and spines. To work out what these did, Michal Polak and Arash Rashed removed them with a laser. The first beam cuts close, the second beam cuts closer. The laser-shave revealed that the spines are biological Velcro, helping males to clasp onto females from the inside so that they can’t be easily dislodged. (Study reveals sexual tactics of male flies by shaving their genitals with a laser) 11) A trip to a haunted house
