Solar power is a big part of Germany’s energy transition or “Energiewende”, which has seen the country’s renewable energy industry go from strength to strength. Back in 2000, the country generated barely 6 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, mostly hydropower. By 2012, that figure had soared to 22 per cent. But now the energy transition is facing a transition of its own. Image: hddod
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The dramatic collapse of the Mayan civilisation 1000 years ago is one of the world’s enduring archaeological mysteries. But how the Maya got started in the first place is no less mysterious. Now newly discovered excavations have revealed that some Mayan ceremonial plazas and pyramids are centuries older than we thought – but leave obscure why they were built. Image: f-l-e-x
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Since two Australopithecus sediba skeletons were unearthed in South Africa in 2008, researchers have dropped hints that they could have remnants of skin. The latest signs suggest an announcement is imminent. Meanwhile, a set of studies confirm that A. sediba is a pivotal species that may bridge the gap between the ape-like australopiths and the first members of our own genus. Image: Lee Berger
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Jurassic life was fast and furious even before dinosaurs made it out of the egg. A rare clutch of fossil dinosaur embryos suggests they grew at record rates and flexed their muscles in preparation for life on the outside. Image: Lebatihem
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Brace yourself: global warming is going to be a bumpy ride – literally. The amount of moderate to extreme turbulence affecting transatlantic flights could more than double by the middle of the century as carbon dioxide levels increase. Image: yuan2003
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