Michael Slezak

China's struggle to clear the air

Beijings smog is the worst it has ever been. Michael Marshall and Andy Coghlan ask what can be done to cut the pollution

China plans to create artificial rain to combat smog

Cloud seeding is reportedly part of the countrys plan to reduce its notorious air pollution, but experts are sceptical that it will work

Space miners hope to build first off-Earth economy

Private firms, research labs and governments hope to see companies mining and selling goods entirely in space within the next few decades

World is unprepared for major El Nino later this year

Wild weather is coming towards the end of 2014, with floods, storms and droughts expected around the Pacific, but so far little is being done to protect the people in the firing line

Oceans get into hot water

Extreme temperatures in the North Pacific are cancelling out El Nino and wreaking their own climate havoc. Michael Slezak reports

The high life

Biochemist Dr Z is the worlds most productive discoverer of legal highs. He tells Michael Slezak how they can be a force for good

Mongolia, and the birthing pains of a green economy

Wind farms and intensive mining: the contrasts in Mongolia illustrate the the trials facing many developing nations seeking a green path to rapid economic growth

Solar-powered cars streak across Australia in 3000km race

We inspect the worlds best solar-powered cars before they take part in the World Solar Challenge: a 3000km race across Australia that might help

New particle, new questions

The discovery of the worlds most wanted boson could kick-start new physics, says Michael Slezak

New human species may rewrite history

Slezak talks about one of the most exciting finds, a hominin femur found in Muladong cave in south-west China, alongside other human and animal bones. It shows evidence of having been burned in a fire that was used for cooking other meat, and has marks consistent with it being butchered. It has also been broken in a way that is used to access bone marrow.