ScienceUnderstanding the hard science of coffee can help elevate even the cheapest bean and most basic equipment into something far greater than the sum of its parts A good espresso coffee is sexy as hell. It flows out of the machine at a languid pace, initially dark and brooding, before shifting into a golden foam that would bat its eyelashes at you if it had them. Once settled in the glass, it breathes out and releases an intoxicating scent that is earthy and sweet, capturing everything from the aromas of freshly sawn timber and rich dark chocolate to delicate floral and fruity cherry scents.

History of scienceObituaryJim Bennett obituaryMuseum curator with a gift for explaining the history of scientific instruments and the lives of those who made and used themJim Bennett, who has died of cancer aged 76, made significant contributions to the study of past science and to the stewardship of scientific heritage. As director of two history of science museums, one of them in Cambridge and the other in Oxford, he curated 35 exhibitions, authored hundreds of scholarly and popular works, and made several appearances on the BBC Radio 4 show In Our Time.

The ObserverAutobiography and memoirReviewChristina Patterson’s family memoir is crammed with challenges, setbacks, illness and death, and yet remains a wonderfully uplifting read In another age Christina Patterson’s Outside the Sky Is Blue would have been marketed as a misery memoir. It’s true that it’s the record of a life that has contained an uncommon amount of misery. But this book is a bracing, heart-lifting read, a narrative that consistently, courageously rises above the horrors it recounts.

John Small (far left) with the rest of the Python crew. Photograph: Moviestore/REX/ShutterstockJohn Small (far left) with the rest of the Python crew. Photograph: Moviestore/REX/ShutterstockThat's me in the pictureMonty PythonJohn Small remembers filming Monty Python And The Holy Grail with his idols In 1974, when I was at Stirling University, the Python team set up camp in the area to film Monty Python And The Holy Grail. The show was huge at the time: student TV lounges were packed when it was on.

SuperdryAnalysts are split on whether Julian Dunkerton is the answer or part of the problem for the troubled brand In the fashion business there are “ups and downs”, says Superdry founder Julian Dunkerton with some understatement. “It’s part of the journey, it doesn’t frighten me.” The ups include a large chunk of the 2010s when Superdry was the hottest fashion label on the high street and enjoyed the patronage of celebrities including David Beckham, who fuelled its rise by wearing one of its Osaka 6 T-shirts on the cover of his calendar.

Athletics This article is more than 1 month old‘We’re open for business’: Crystal Palace could stage big-time athletics in 2028This article is more than 1 month oldCash investment has raised hopes stadium could be used againRedevelopment plans would start in 2025, says project directorCrystal Palace could stage big-time international athletics again as soon as 2028, the project director responsible for redeveloping the National Sports Centre has forecast. The facility has largely fallen into decay since the days when Sebastian Coe and Usain Bolt would light up the track.

Northern Irish politicsAnalysisWhy did Edwin Poots resign as DUP leader and who will replace him?Rory Carroll Ireland correspondentAnalysis: the leader of the DUP in Northern Ireland has quit after just 21 days in the job Edwin Poots has resigned as leader of the Democratic Unionist party after just 21 days in the job. What has prompted the latest dramatic development in the leadership of Northern Ireland’s biggest party? Why did Poots resign as DUP leader?

Women's rights and gender equalityGlobal developmentOn the streets of Port-au-Prince, women in the sex trade discuss the devastation of the 2010 quake – and remember the influx of clients who would offer five times what a local could Natasha stands alone on an unlit trash-strewn pavement at the side of the road to Pétion-Ville, the upmarket hillside suburb in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. “I’m here every night,” she says, eyeing SUVs as they speed past on a sticky February evening.

Australia news This article is more than 3 months oldAlleged childcare paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith attacked in Queensland jailThis article is more than 3 months oldGold Coast man, 45, reportedly had hot water thrown in his face by fellow prisoner on Friday and was taken to hospital for assessment Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast A man accused of being one of Australia’s worst paedophiles has been hospitalised after he was attacked inside a high-security Brisbane jail by a fellow prisoner.

Architecture and design blogArchitectureDoes Beijing's new People's Daily building remind you of anything?Its state TV headquarters has been called the big underpants. Now China's official newspaper has a phallic tower to matchBeijing's building boom has already spawned a wealth of novelty forms, with a stadium in the shape of a bird's nest, a theatre nicknamed the egg, and a TV headquarters that has been likened to a giant pair of underpants.