New research published in Nature describes a technique to directly control brain cell activity with light. It is a novel means for experimenting with neural circuits and could eventually lead to therapies for some disorders.

Geophysicists at the University of Rochester announce that the Earth's magnetic field was nearly as strong 3.2 billion years ago as it is today. The findings, which are contrary to previous studies, suggest that even in its earliest stages the Earth was already well protected from the solar wind, which can strip away a planet's atmosphere and bathe its surface in lethal radiation.

Trades apples with Intel

AMD has started handing customers its fastest dual-core Opterons to date. Server makers and channel sellers have gained access to the 3GHz Model 2222 SE and Model 8222 SE chips, which will slot in just above the already shipping 2.8GHz processors. A similar 3GHz chip for the 1000 Series line should arrive in a few weeks.