From advances in mind reading and medical procedures to AI law enforcement and CRISPR controversy, 2018 was a year of highs and lows. Here are our highlights
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January
Airborne fire starters? At the beginning of the year, we broke the news of the first documented evidence that falcons and kites seem to deliberately spread wildfires. Eyewitness accounts in Australia suggest they drop burning twigs into new areas to flush out prey. Birds may exhibit similar behaviour in Africa, the Americas and South Asia.
February
This month, we revealed that five children born with underdeveloped ears had been given new ones made from their own cells. The technique involved was similar to the one used in the 1990s to create …