Videogames have always been children of science: From games played on university mainframes to current technologies like Project Natal, gaming will forever be indebted to science. But what are they giving science in return? Jacob Aron examines how videogames can better portray both scientists and science.

Long before "physics engines" or "AI ecosystems" were familiar to gamers, a couple of British programmers created a game that practically defined those concepts. John Szczepaniak speaks with Peter Irvin, co-creator of the BBC Micro game Exile.

Despite the near daily advances made in science, the knowledge we have of the way our world works is staggeringly incomplete. Lauren Admire looks at four phenomena that scientists haven't been able to explain in spite of their best efforts.

Just as speculative fiction foretold computers and the Internet, some of the weapons in today's shooters might just end up in tomorrow's armies. C J Davies profiles some of new military advancements that may have been inspired by videogames.