The best science and technology pictures of the week

The most impressive pictures from the worlds of science and technology this week, including bats taking flight and a rocket heading for launch.

More stunning image galleries:

A lion's check up and a brain sculpture

Leaping whales and fierce fossils

Slingshot drones and lab-grown bones

US Air Force’s 2013 best pics and lobster spring cleaning

A limb transplant and the end of the line for classic van

Coldest place on Earth and ancient lakes on Mars

Comet fly-bys, China in space and Amazon drones

Robot companions and award-winning views of Shanghai

A storm of starlings and a Saturnine portrait

Typhoon Haiyan, Olympic spacewalk and Lady Gaga

Rare eclipse, Olympian rocket and singing mudskippers

Volcanoes, snake massages and a very unusual seahorse

New space ventures and mirrors that light up a town

Bionic men and Saturn in amazing detail

Robotic firefighters, solar car races and extreme weather

Supervolcanoes on Mars and Chinese military drones

Baby pandas and glowing robots

Northern Lights and baby turtles

Robot dragon and lightning strike

Yosemite fires and an eclipse from Mars

Augmented reality in the operating room

Worm burgers and beetle robots

Baby lobsters and the most sophisticated robot of its time

Clouds from space, illegal animal trade, and an eyeball-shaped camera

Lightning strikes and a popsicle-licking polar bear

Supersonic planes, migrating whales and hair washing in space

Space ventures, extreme Earth, and hot elephants

Flying aces, challenging swims and confused robots

Supermoon, Tesla coils and medical clowns

World’s biggest solar-powered boat and forest fires

Astronaut photography, a tiny helicopter and a hovering bike

Rocket launch, a superfast train, and a toothy shark

Fire-fighting from the skies and an animatronic King Kong

Dancing robots, a pair of MiGs and a topsy-turvy tiger

A drone at sea, a curious lemur and a dramatic landing from space

Tiny robots, printable guns and a sunken German bomber

If you would like to comment on this slideshow or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook or Google+ page, or message us on Twitter.