But by looking at DNA from almost 170 samples of the bacterium, and using that to create a family tree, researchers found that it can indeed spread from person to person.

BBC: Cystic fibrosis bug 'can spread between patients'

Mr East, a retired RAF Squadron Leader and chairman of the East Family History Society who lives in Hertfordshire, said he used a variety of internet tools, including websites and the 1901 and 1911 censuses, to create a Wolstencroft family tree and trace relatives.

BBC: Nephew traced in WWI postcard mystery

Owners, Britta and Kent Lindvall invited designers and architects to create a series of unique tree houses that reflect -- in some cases literally -- the growing popularity of ecologically-themed holidays.

CNN: Modern design meets nature with Sweden's Treehotel

He showed how paints containing powdered metal can be splashed with acid to create metal oxides that give the effect of natural rusting, and how to make fake tree bark from a mold ingeniously colored using carpet scrapings.

CNN: , for