Science of the Week, 12/21/12

The last I heard, Australia was still around, so I think the Mayan end-of-the-world prediction won't interfere with any science reading you may want to do today. Here are a few articles to whet your appetite:

Peel-and-stick solar panels

Are bacteria making you hungry?

The Green Revolution is wilting

Closest Sun-like star may have planets

Do palm trees hold the key to immortality?

Liquid metal creates wires that stretch 8x original length

Plants in space: gravity not needed to orient root growth

How white dwarfs mimic black holes

Should physicians prescribe cognitive enhancers to healthy individuals? 

Strides in understanding quantum entanglement

Team develops swarm of pingpong-ball sized robots

Molecules have not changed much in the past seven billion years

And on that note, I feel optimistic that we'll still be here on Monday. Enjoy your weekend (and your last-minute holiday preparations), and we'll back with more of the BRoP Year in Review.