No pun intended, but nut allergies are getting more and more common. Now, new research suggests that by changing the protein structure of nuts, we may be able to create hypoallergenic nuts that even the severely allergic can eat. Which begs the question, would you risk eating these chemically modified nuts?

Source: http://news.sciencemag.org/chemistry/2014/08/chemical-modification-could-make-nuts-safe-eat ...

The largest aquatic insect in the world has been discovered in China, with a wingspan of 21 cm. And those enormous tusks? They're for mating.

What's whiter than white? These Cyphochilus beetles from Southeast Asia. Their scales are whiter than paper, and no human technology can replicate their brilliance.

This specimen of Millerite, housed at the Royal Ontario Museum, is one of the rarest examples in the world, with tiny, crystalline hairs that have grown from the initial rock.

The Brazilian Jaboticaba tree well and truly takes advantage of all the surface area on its trunk by growing its sweet, grape-like fruits all over it. It's said to have evolved its trunk-fruit so animals could reach them and distribute the seeds.

We're all connected. The red hotspots on this map show where the most devices that can access the internet are located

This hefty guy is the giant horned caterpillar of the royal walnut moth (Citheronia regalis) from North America. These caterpillars can grow to a whopping 15 cm (6 inches) long!

Twice a year, locals in central Nepal scale the Himalayan foothills to harvest honey produced by the world's largest honeybee (Apis dorsata laboriosa). Single adult bees of this species can measure up to 3.0 cm (1.2 in) in length, and are highly adapted to its highland habitat.

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Meet this 18-day-old embryo of an African night adder. These snakes might be venomous, but they're surprisingly friendly - in captivity they've been known to crawl on people, trying to tuck themselves into their clothes.

Although it may look perfectly round from Earth, the Moon isn’t a sphere. New research suggests that because of the way it was formed it’s more like a lemon, with a bulge in the middle.

Researchers have uncovered the mechanism that allows spiders to build such strong webs. According to the study, both ends of the spider's silk grand have different pH levels, which helps these proteins become a solid fibre that can be spun into a solid web. The researchers also found that the pH level has different effects on the stability of the two regions at each end of the spidroin proteins.

“While one of the ends tended to pair up with other molecules at the beginning of the duct (N-terminal) and became increasingly stable as the acidity increased along the duct, the other end (C-terminal) destabilised as the acidity increased, and gradually unfolded until it formed the structure characteristic of silk at the acidic pH of 5.5”, ex ...

Ever seen 'memory metal' in action? Watch this paperclip - made from an incredible shape-shifting metal called Nitinol - be bent completely out of shape and then restored instantly as it touches a simple bowl of warm water.

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Human trials are now planned. If successful, the simple, cheap HIV vaccine could be taken as a probiotic-like drink.

The new vaccine works in the opposite way to most vaccines - by suppressing, rather than triggering, an immune response. This is because HIV and SIV actually require immune cells known as CD4 T-cells in order to proliferate and establish an infection in the body.

Source: http://www.aidsmap.com/Novel-immune-suppressant-vaccine-completely-blocks-HIV-infection-in-monkeys-human-trials-planned/page/2902377 ...

Doctors bow in reverence to cancer victim, Liang Yaoyi, in China. Nine-year-old Liang died from a brain tumour and donated his organs because, "There are many people doing great things in the world. I want to be a great kid too." What an incredible person.

Dozens of stones up to 300 kg in weight are traveling for hundreds of metres across a dried lake in America. But no one's ever seen them do it. So, what's making these Death Valley 'sailing stones' move?

Meet the tiny book scorpion, Chelifer cancroides. If you have a collection of old books, you probably have an army of book scorpions protecting it, because they eat the book lice that eat the glue that was once used by traditional bookbinders.

Dallol in Ethiopia is not only the hottest inhabited place on Earth, it's also one of the weirdest. Between 1960 and 1966, the average annual temperature was a toasty 35°C (96°F), but the temperature can regularly creep to over 46°C (115°f).

At 48 metres below sea level, Dallol is Earth's lowest land volcano, and its last recorded eruption was in 1926. Its craters contains hot springs that boast a whole range of otherworldly colours - including neon yellow - thanks to the hot magma bubbling below the surface. This magma heats the groundwater that flows into the area from the nearby highlands, and as the heated groundwater moves up towards the surface, it dissolves salt, sulphur, potash and other minerals and deposits them in the Dallol crat ...

The rather impressive flight deck of NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour, a now-retired orbiter.

This is a chicken's egg without its shell. The egg white consists of 90% water and 10% dissolved proteins, while the yolk contains 100% of the egg's fat and cholesterol. Which is why it tastes so great...

When a female kiwi is about to about to lay her egg, it fills almost her entire body cavity. She's usually unable to eat anything in the days before laying.

New research has shown that children with autism have a very high number of synapses - connections between neurons in the brain. So, researchers have developed a new drug that promotes synaptic pruning, and reverses autistic-like behaviour in mice.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/08/22/4072456.htm ...

This is an x-ray of a developing bat embryo. A substance called Alcian blue staining is used to get a better view of its cartilage and bones.

Elafonisi Beach on the Greek island of Crete has pastel pink sand! That rosy hue is caused by tiny particles of pink shells and coral that have been ground down over many years of erosion.

Scans have shown that babies' brains reach more than half their adult size in the first three months of life.

Source: http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1893442

Described as the first “truly feasible” contraption to reduce ocean plastic, this little wheel has been clearing rubbish out of Baltimore's harbour since May.

Called the Tree of 40 Fruit, this tree produces an array of stone fruit varieties including plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries and almonds, every year. Sixteen of these trees are now growing in the US.

Need a seat? This new wearable Chairless Chair exoskeleton lets you sit down in thin air. See the prototype in action:

This weather-tracking glass sphere can concentrate sunlight up to 10,000 times, and generate electricity even on a cloudy day. According to its researchers, this solar-harvesting device is 35% more efficient than traditional flat panels. It also looks really good.

A mind-blowing swarm of Velella velella - relatives of jellyfish - appeared off the coast of Washington state in the US last week, and researchers aren't entirely sure why.

Meet Italy’s double tree, the Bialbero de Casorzo. That cherry tree on top isn't being parasitic - its roots have grown right through the hollow truck of the mulberry tree into the earth below, so there's no stealing of nutrients going on here.