Scientists have for the first time detected gravitational waves from dense objects known as neutron stars. Martin Hendry, a member of the global scientific collaboration that made the discovery, explains how it helps solve a number of cosmic mysteries – such as the cause of bright flashes of light known as gamma ray bursts and perhaps even the origin of the Earth’s gold.

China’s military has undergone wholesale changes in the four years since Xi Jinping came to power. This has included some top brass being purged and Xi allies being appointed to key military positions. Bates Gill and Adam Ni examine what the Chinese ruling party’s new leadership – to be decided at its party congress this week – will reveal abut the country’s military priorities over the next five years.

Wallacea, the central islands of Indonesia, were named after Alfred Russel Wallace, the 19th century English explorer and naturalist who developed a theory of natural selection during his exploration of the islands. Jatna Supriatna unpacks what Wallace found on his travels and why the islands remain a place of wonder and are still a valuable site for studying evolution.