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The Planck Consortium releases yet more findings from the very beginning of the universe. A new age for the very first stars confirms our best models of the universe. But analysis of the dust in our own galaxy edges out the possibility that last year's BICEP2 announcement did in fact represent evidence of inflation and the first observed primordial gravitational waves.

Three Person Babies
The UK is considering whether it should allow the creation of babies from three people to prevent deadly diseases. A scientific review suggests the advanced form of IVF should be safe andthe government backs the idea. But critics, including some academic experts, say there could be significant unknown risks. Others highlight ethical concerns.

Chimpanzee language
Have you ever thought about the difference between language and communication? Human language is a far more complex expression than physical or even simple vocal animal communication - there are grammatical rules, as well as social conventions. But new work, published in Current Biology this week, shows that our closest animal relatives, chimpanzees, have shown a grasp of language which demonstrates adaptive and socially learned communication. This may just mean different grunts to describe 'apple', but they can be interpreted as pretty meaningful. When two groups of adult chimps were merged into one super-group, over time, they altered their previously different grunts for apple into the same sound.

Drones and reforestation
It is well know that drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, have been put to use by various military bodies around the world as silent harbingers of death and destruction. But they might also be put to use for good causes. Such is the thinking behind Drones for Good, a competition launched by the UAE. The winner of the one million dollar award is announced at the end of the week. We hear from from Lauren Fletcher about one of the shortlisted projects which aims to use drones to accurately drop seeds to aid reforestation.

Boosting Coral populations
Mary Hagedorn, marine biologist from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Hawaii, plans to boost coral populations with an artificial breeding programme.

Richard Fortey
Richard Fortey found his first trilobite fossil when he was 14 years old and he spent the rest of his career discovering hundreds more, previously unknown to science. Professor of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum, he talks to Jim Al-Khalili about why these arthropods, joint-legged creatures which look a bit like woodlice and roamed the ancient oceans for almost 300 million years, are so important for helping us to understand the evolution of life on our planet.

Carl Djerassi
Obituary – Carl Djerassi (October 29, 1923 – January 30, 2015). A chemist, novelist, poet and philanthropist, Djerassi created the world’s first contraceptive pill.

(Photo: Impression of the first stars which would have been unwieldy behemoths that burnt brief but brilliant lives. Credit: Stanford University)