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Fifty years after the launch of Sputnik, does the prospect of manned spaceflight, back to the Moon and onwards to Mars, still have the power to impress?
The revival of interest in lunar and planetary exploration is prompting astronomers to re-evaluate the advantages of observatories on the Moon. But the debate is much more than one of science versus money, and goes to the inspirational heart of space exploration.
Brilliant scientists of all ages should be able to thrive at universities. Mandatory retirement is, therefore, a form of age discrimination, but its removal or postponement can come at a cost to younger faculty members, as observed in Italy.
We regularly get queries about the minutiae of Nature Physics format, but what we really care about is that the papers are clear and accessibly written.
