Julian Smith

Apps for apes: Orang-utans want iPads for Christmas

Forget bananas. The biggest hit in zoos this year is an Apple, though orangs have more of a geek streak than gorillas

We have the technology

With better, stronger and faster components, the bionic age has finally arrived, says Julian Smith

A cloud of distinction

Could the trails of microbes we leave behind be used to solve crimes? Julian Smith picks up the scent

Dangerous dreams: Who needs a parachute?

Is it really possible to jump out of a plane and land without one? A few daring individuals think so

Across the Atlantic by pedal-powered submarine

As well is being a physical challenge, the “Subhuman project” has attracted serious attention from marine biologists

Bridge under troubled water

Even as Istanbul braces itself for a major earthquake, a tunnel joining its European and Asian halves is under construction. Julian Smith sizes up an epic engineering challenge