# Twtxt is an open, distributed microblogging platform that # uses human-readable text files, common transport protocols, # and free software. # # Learn more about twtxt at https://github.com/buckket/twtxt # # This is an automated Yarn.social feed running feeds v0.1.0@72e53a9 # Learn more about Yarn.social at https://yarn.social # # nick = New_scientist # url = https://feeds.twtxt.net/New_scientist/twtxt.txt # type = rss # source = https://feeds.newscientist.com/ # avatar = https://feeds.twtxt.net/New_scientist/avatar.png#zbrg2aio7tayxyclpvymjkso24l3y5dzj7gnsbietz7appnzvsha # description = # updated_at = 2023-12-04T01:26:33Z # 2023-08-02T08:00:43Z **Ancient Babylonian arson in Jerusalem revealed by chemical clues**
By analysing charred remains of a Jerusalem building, archaeologists have uncovered details of how it was burned down by Babylonian invaders in 586 BC ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385449-ancient-babylonian-arson-in-jerusalem-revealed-by-chemical-clues/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T12:00:08Z **Your gut microbiome is linked to your fitness and biological age**
Altering the gut microbiome via probiotics could one day help people to maintain a certain level of fitness and reduce the rate of their biological ageing ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385367-your-gut-microbiome-is-linked-to-your-fitness-and-biological-age/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T10:00:23Z **Artificial spider silk could help us harvest drinking water from air**
Helical bumps on artificial fibres can carry 2000 times more water than the volume of the bumps themselves, which could help people harvest drinking water from the air ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2384658-artificial-spider-silk-could-help-us-harvest-drinking-water-from-air/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T16:00:30Z **Ancient whale might have been the heaviest animal that ever lived**
A whale that lived around 39 million years ago could have weighed as much as 340 tonnes, according to analysis of a partial skeleton found in Peru ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385927-ancient-whale-might-have-been-the-heaviest-animal-that-ever-lived/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T16:00:04Z **Chemical reaction used in cooking may have helped complex life evolve**
The Maillard reaction, which generates flavoursome compounds during cooking, probably helps lock carbon away in the seabed, boosting oxygen in the atmosphere ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385855-chemical-reaction-used-in-cooking-may-have-helped-complex-life-evolve/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T16:00:03Z **Gene variant that seems to protect against HIV may lead to new drugs**
A different form of a gene called CHD1L found in people with African ancestry has been linked to lower HIV levels in people infected with the virus, and the discovery could open the door to improved treatments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385802-gene-variant-that-seems-to-protect-against-hiv-may-lead-to-new-drugs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T16:00:00Z **Does space-time remember? The search for gravitational memory**
Detecting the permanent imprints left by colliding black holes would reveal a universe saturated with infinite symmetries – and narrow the possibilities for a theory of quantum gravity. ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934501-400-does-space-time-remember-the-search-for-gravitational-memory/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T15:36:43Z **Scientists race to test claimed room-temperature superconductor**
Researchers are moving quickly to test if a material called LK-99 really is a superconductor at room temperature and pressure. Several labs have already announced results ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385743-scientists-race-to-test-claimed-room-temperature-superconductor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T20:00:14Z **ADHD linked to disrupted brain signals involved in focusing attention**
Disrupted brain signals have previously been linked to ADHD in children, with the link now being found in young adults, improving researchers' understanding of the condition ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385899-adhd-linked-to-disrupted-brain-signals-involved-in-focusing-attention/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T19:00:51Z **AI voices are hard to spot even if you know audio might be a deepfake**
Deepfake audio can trick people even when they know they might be hearing an AI-generated voice – AI-powered detectors may need to step up to help people distinguish deepfakes from authentic human speech ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385752-ai-voices-are-hard-to-spot-even-if-you-know-audio-might-be-a-deepfake/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-02T21:09:15Z **Gold flakes glow when they are bathed in light and now we know how**
Shooting powerful lasers at thin gold flakes has revealed how the precious metal generates its own faint glow – and might help us better control chemical reactions used in energy storage ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385531-gold-flakes-glow-when-they-are-bathed-in-light-and-now-we-know-how/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-03T12:00:57Z **Bees miss out on sleep if they are exposed to light at night**
Honeybees exposed to continuous artificial light get much less sleep, and this may affect their ability to pollinate plants ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385979-bees-miss-out-on-sleep-if-they-are-exposed-to-light-at-night/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-03T11:00:59Z **Neuron-like machinery helps anemones decide when to sting**
Anemones have special cells that shoot stinging barbs for protection or to hunt prey – decisions about when to release them and where to aim is based on the activity of calcium ion channels similar to those in human neurons ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2384993-neuron-like-machinery-helps-anemones-decide-when-to-sting/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-03T10:00:09Z **Two changes could nearly halve carbon footprint of US school lunches**
US schools could nearly halve the carbon emissions of the lunches they offer by only serving beef once a month and replacing the highest emitting meal a week with a vegan option. ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385762-two-changes-could-nearly-halve-carbon-footprint-of-us-school-lunches/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-03T16:03:07Z **Astronomers have spotted inexplicably bright light coming from the sun**
Extraordinarily high-energy gamma rays have been found emanating from the sun, and none of our theoretical models can explain why there are so many of them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386042-astronomers-have-spotted-inexplicably-bright-light-coming-from-the-sun/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-03T15:00:03Z **Thin reflective film that mimics butterfly wings can keep cars cool**
A thin, multi-layered film inspired by the structure of vibrant blue butterfly wings could help vehicles reduce energy used for cooling ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386014-thin-reflective-film-that-mimics-butterfly-wings-can-keep-cars-cool/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-03T19:00:28Z **Tropical tree species that grow far apart can better avoid ‘enemies’**
Trees in rainforests that grow far away from others of the same species may be more likely to survive than close neighbours if they're protected from insects and fungal pathogens that target those specific trees ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386087-tropical-tree-species-that-grow-far-apart-can-better-avoid-enemies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-03T18:29:42Z **Canada's wildfire emissions this year have doubled the annual record**
The unprecedented scale of wildfires in Canada since May has already produced double the carbon emissions of the previous record-holding year as well as displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386169-canadas-wildfire-emissions-this-year-have-doubled-the-annual-record/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T07:00:46Z **What would really happen if you landed on an asteroid?**
Asteroids are far weirder than we had imagined – landing on one wouldn't go as you expected, says astronomer Phil Plait ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385748-what-would-really-happen-if-you-landed-on-an-asteroid/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T12:00:01Z **We are hopeless at telling when we have goosebumps**
A study that filmed people's skin while they watched emotional videos found that most of them incorrectly reported when they did or did not have goosebumps ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385966-we-are-hopeless-at-telling-when-we-have-goosebumps/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T10:00:26Z **World's smallest baleen whale stays home instead of migrating to feed**
The pygmy right whale doesn't go on long migrations for food or reproduction, unlike most other species of baleen whale ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385999-worlds-smallest-baleen-whale-stays-home-instead-of-migrating-to-feed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:00:19Z **Could pumping CO2 under Canada's coast cause earthquakes?**
Injecting CO2 underground might increase pressure along geological faults and cause earthquakes, but a report concludes the risk is minimal for a proposed CO2 storage site near Vancouver Island ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386031-could-pumping-co2-under-canadas-coast-cause-earthquakes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T16:00:51Z **Smoke-spotting AI watches live video to find early signs of wildfire**
An AI that analyses live video from California’s statewide wildfire detection system could speedily focus human attention on possible wildfires ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386195-smoke-spotting-ai-watches-live-video-to-find-early-signs-of-wildfire/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T14:30:01Z **Drone mother ship could release mini-drone swarm for search and rescue**
The MorphoLander drone carrier, which holds smaller "worker bee" drones, could be useful in search-and-rescue missions or industrial surveys ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2384901-drone-mother-ship-could-release-mini-drone-swarm-for-search-and-rescue/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T21:18:53Z **Why it's so hard to tell if LK-99 is a room-temperature superconductor**
Researchers have been trying to determine if a material called LK-99 really is a superconductor at room temperature and pressure. Here's what is making it so difficult ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386264-why-its-so-hard-to-tell-if-lk-99-is-a-room-temperature-superconductor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-04T18:00:47Z **Umbilical cord blood could be used to predict childhood obesity**
Some patterns of gene expression in umbilical cord blood are associated with childhood obesity, suggesting that these markers could identify newborns at risk of developing the condition ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385720-umbilical-cord-blood-could-be-used-to-predict-childhood-obesity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-07T12:34:15Z **Why consumer tests for risk of Alzheimer’s have potential downsides**
Blood tests for Alzheimer’s risk are finally here, so what are the pros and cons of taking a test? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386160-why-consumer-tests-for-risk-of-alzheimers-have-potential-downsides/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-07T11:47:46Z **Nuclear fusion breakthrough: Is cheap, clean energy finally here?**
Copy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386288-nuclear-fusion-breakthrough-is-cheap-clean-energy-finally-here/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-07T11:00:17Z **Extremely thin lightweight lenses take amazing images of the universe**
Small, flat “metalenses” are made up of billions of nano-sized components, and they could image the cosmos using less space on a satellite than bulkier traditional devices ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386220-extremely-thin-lightweight-lenses-take-amazing-images-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-07T16:00:46Z **Small fish hides behind other bigger fish to sneak up on its prey**
The small predatory West Atlantic trumpetfish swims close by to the much larger herbivorous stoplight parrotfish to get near its prey ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386382-small-fish-hides-behind-other-bigger-fish-to-sneak-up-on-its-prey/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-07T16:00:00Z **Sewage crisis: The truth about British rivers and how to clean them up**
There were at least 361,103 sewage spills into English rivers last year, but there are several things we can do to clean up the mess - as a society and from your own home ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934510-200-sewage-crisis-the-truth-about-british-rivers-and-how-to-clean-them-up/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-08T05:00:33Z **Scientists 'shocked' by extreme events in Antarctica as Earth heats up**
From shrinking sea ice to the wildest heatwave ever, the extreme events happening recently in Antarctica could be a sign of much worse to come ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386432-scientists-shocked-by-extreme-events-in-antarctica-as-earth-heats-up/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-08T16:00:31Z **Vaccine shows promise against the virus linked to multiple sclerosis**
A vaccine has induced antibodies and other immune cells against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in mice. EBV can cause flu-like symptoms but is also increasingly being linked to multiple sclerosis ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386557-vaccine-shows-promise-against-the-virus-linked-to-multiple-sclerosis/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-08T16:00:00Z **From time crystals to wormholes: When is a quantum simulation real?**
Physicists are using quantum computers to conjure various exotic phenomena and are claiming that their creations are truly real. The work is forcing us to ask challenging questions about the nature of quantum reality ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934511-300-from-time-crystals-to-wormholes-when-is-a-quantum-simulation-real/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-08T14:33:56Z **AI trick could make people’s hair in video games look more realistic**
A neural network trained on hundreds of images of hair styles can render hair so it actually looks realistic, which could be a boon for video games and animated films ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386106-ai-trick-could-make-peoples-hair-in-video-games-look-more-realistic/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-08T19:00:38Z **We know almost nothing about thousands of proteins in the human body**
Scientists have created an "unknome" of proteins encoded by human genes, whose existence is known but whose functions are mostly not ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386301-we-know-almost-nothing-about-thousands-of-proteins-in-the-human-body/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-08T17:50:38Z **Bots are better at beating ‘are you a robot?’ tests than humans are**
The use of CAPTCHA tests to prove that website users are human and not bots might come under scrutiny given research showing that bots complete them faster and more accurately than we do ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2384228-bots-are-better-at-beating-are-you-a-robot-tests-than-humans-are/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T00:01:13Z **Crocodiles can sense how distressed human babies are from their cries**
Predatory reptiles move quickly and aggressively towards the sound of babies crying and can tell if they are in genuine distress and so potentially vulnerable ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386582-crocodiles-can-sense-how-distressed-human-babies-are-from-their-cries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-08T22:22:12Z **The US is doing its biggest-ever survey of nature and wildlife**
The National Nature Assessment slated to be complete in 2026 will be the largest assessment of water, land and wildlife in the US ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386483-the-us-is-doing-its-biggest-ever-survey-of-nature-and-wildlife/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T08:00:39Z **How prehistoric people settled one of Earth’s most extreme places**
Archaeologists previously believed the Tibetan plateau was one of the last places to be settled by humans or hominins – over the past couple of decades that notion has been slowly but comprehensively blown apart ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386570-how-prehistoric-people-settled-one-of-earths-most-extreme-places/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T16:00:23Z **'Demon' particle found in superconductor could explain how they work**
A particle called Pines's demon has been seen inside a superconductor, decades after it was first predicted ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386751-demon-particle-found-in-superconductor-could-explain-how-they-work/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T16:00:19Z **Mars used to have wet and dry seasons similar to ones on Earth**
The Curiosity rover has discovered hexagonal patterns in ancient mud on the Red Planet, which hints at cyclical wet and dry periods and boosts chances Mars once hosted life ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386760-mars-used-to-have-wet-and-dry-seasons-similar-to-ones-on-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T16:00:00Z **How working out your ageotype could help you live healthier for longer**
Your body is ageing down one of four - or more - possible pathways. Figuring out your "ageotype" could help you zero in on the things you can do to stay healthier for longer ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934511-100-how-working-out-your-ageotype-could-help-you-live-healthier-for-longer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T15:39:03Z **Brown dwarf is locked in a destructive 2-hour orbit with a tiny star**
A “failed star” known as a brown dwarf is orbiting so tightly with a small star that both of them would fit inside our sun, and at least one of them won’t survive ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386788-brown-dwarf-is-locked-in-a-destructive-2-hour-orbit-with-a-tiny-star/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T13:00:34Z **Will sinking tonnes of wood into the ocean help tackle climate change?**
Running Tide, a carbon-removal company in the US, has sunk more than 10,000 tonnes of waste wood into the Atlantic Ocean in an effort to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere – but experts aren't convinced it will work ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386612-will-sinking-tonnes-of-wood-into-the-ocean-help-tackle-climate-change/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T19:43:27Z **Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight is about to launch**
Galactic-02, Virgin Galactic’s first mission to carry paying civilian customers to space, is scheduled to launch from New Mexico on 10 August ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386827-virgin-galactics-first-space-tourism-flight-is-about-to-launch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T19:00:35Z **Fossilised reptile poo contains 200-million-year-old parasites**
Ancient faeces contains the first evidence that terrestrial vertebrates living during the Late Triassic epoch hosted multiple parasites ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386267-fossilised-reptile-poo-contains-200-million-year-old-parasites/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T19:00:24Z **Ocean bacteria may be closest relatives of mitochondria in our cells**
The closest living relatives of the bacteria that moved into the cells of a larger organism more than a billion years ago and eventually became mitochondria powering our cells may have been identified living in hot springs ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386841-ocean-bacteria-may-be-closest-relatives-of-mitochondria-in-our-cells/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T19:00:09Z **Gene variant that raises Alzheimer's risk may boost fertility in women**
The genetic variant APOE4 substantially raises the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but it has also been linked to women having more children in an Indigenous group in Bolivia ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386771-gene-variant-that-raises-alzheimers-risk-may-boost-fertility-in-women/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T22:46:28Z **Ultra-processed foods have a bad reputation – is it backed by science?**
The relationship between ultra-processed foods and health isn’t as clear cut as many make it seem, and in some cases eating such foods might actually be beneficial to health ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386607-ultra-processed-foods-have-a-bad-reputation-is-it-backed-by-science/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-09T21:32:25Z **LK-99: Mounting evidence suggests material is not a superconductor**
Following a flurry of replication attempts, the claim that LK-99 perfectly conducts electricity at room temperature and pressure is looking unlikely to hold up ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386866-lk-99-mounting-evidence-suggests-material-is-not-a-superconductor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T11:28:35Z **AI can hear what you're typing over Zoom with 93 per cent accuracy**
An AI can detect what is being typed according to the sounds different keys make when being pressed on a keyboard ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386895-ai-can-hear-what-youre-typing-over-zoom-with-93-per-cent-accuracy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T10:20:43Z **How to spot the 2023 Perseid meteor shower as it peaks this weekend**
The Perseids are a major meteor shower - here is your guide to spotting them during their peak on 12 and 13 August 2023 ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2383496-how-to-spot-the-2023-perseid-meteor-shower-as-it-peaks-this-weekend/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T14:26:31Z **Authors fear they have little defence against AI impersonators**
Jane Friedman discovered that Amazon was selling five books under her name that she hadn't written, but rather seemed to be AI-generated impersonations ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386956-authors-fear-they-have-little-defence-against-ai-impersonators/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T13:30:22Z **Russia chases former Soviet glory with Luna 25 moon mission**
Russia's first lunar mission in nearly 50 years is designed to land near the moon’s south pole and is being viewed as an attempt to show that the country can still compete in the international space industry ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386630-russia-chases-former-soviet-glory-with-luna-25-moon-mission/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T20:00:48Z **Cleaner shipping emissions may have warmed the planet – but only a bit**
The shipping industry has significantly reduced its sulphur emissions since 2020, and in doing so has inadvertently contributed slightly to global warming ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386878-cleaner-shipping-emissions-may-have-warmed-the-planet-but-only-a-bit/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T19:00:52Z **Plants find it harder to absorb carbon dioxide amid global warming**
A modelling study suggests that increases in photosynthesis have slowed since 2000, opposing previous research that said this effect would remain strong, helping to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386953-plants-find-it-harder-to-absorb-carbon-dioxide-amid-global-warming/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T19:00:38Z **Plastic bags and bottles can be recycled into soap**
The plastics polyethylene and polypropylene, which are used in shopping bags, bottles and food packaging, can be turned into the ingredients for detergents ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387046-plastic-bags-and-bottles-can-be-recycled-into-soap/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T21:50:38Z **Hot ocean temperatures to fuel above-average Atlantic hurricane season**
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now joins other forecasters in projecting an above-average number of hurricanes will form across the Atlantic this year ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387103-hot-ocean-temperatures-to-fuel-above-average-atlantic-hurricane-season/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-10T21:26:32Z **The most distant individual star ever seen may actually be two stars**
The James Webb Space Telescope has made new observations of Earendel, the most distant single star ever seen, and it seems like it has a cooler companion star ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387099-the-most-distant-individual-star-ever-seen-may-actually-be-two-stars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T09:00:02Z **What are the weirdest stars in the universe?**
Exotic stars may be scattered throughout the cosmos, from boson stars that could look like black holes to dark stars that might be powered by dark matter ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386864-what-are-the-weirdest-stars-in-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T12:00:22Z **The audiobook you listen to before bed can shape your dreams**
Among a group of people who listened to different audiobooks before bed, researchers could identify what story they heard based on the descriptions of their dreams ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386781-the-audiobook-you-listen-to-before-bed-can-shape-your-dreams/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T10:45:17Z **Young cupboard spiders sometimes turn cannibal and eat their siblings**
Juveniles of a common household spider have been shown to eat their siblings in the lab, and they are probably doing it in our cupboards too ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386487-young-cupboard-spiders-sometimes-turn-cannibal-and-eat-their-siblings/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T10:00:35Z **The ancient trees that have lessons for the future**
What we can learn from efforts to protect Tane Mahuta, a giant kauri tree in New Zealand, and Pando, a forest of thousands of genetically identical trees that make up one organism ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387086-the-ancient-trees-that-have-lessons-for-the-future/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T13:30:34Z **King Coal review: Moving documentary shows bequest of a dying industry**
As the US coal industry slowly dies, a poignant documentary explores the communities left in some of its Virginian heartlands and finds hope for the future ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387014-king-coal-review-moving-documentary-shows-bequest-of-a-dying-industry/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T19:04:57Z **California approves driverless taxi expansion in San Francisco**
Waymo and Cruise can now charge for ride-hailing services throughout San Francisco despite objections that driverless cars interfere with traffic and first responders ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387054-california-approves-driverless-taxi-expansion-in-san-francisco/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T19:00:02Z **Storms on Saturn are so huge that their traces last hundreds of years**
Every couple of decades Saturn develops a huge storm, and now researchers have found that the atmosphere keeps chemical records of those storms for hundreds of years ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387025-storms-on-saturn-are-so-huge-that-their-traces-last-hundreds-of-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-11T20:48:21Z **Nearly a third of coastal wolves in Alaska are eating sea otters**
Grey wolves living on the southwest coast of Alaska are regularly eating a diet rich in marine animals ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387118-nearly-a-third-of-coastal-wolves-in-alaska-are-eating-sea-otters/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-14T12:07:28Z **Female stick insect clones itself despite having sex with males**
After sex with males, females of Japanese stick insect species Ramulus mikado have offspring that are genetically identical to themselves and lack male DNA, so why do they bother? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387237-female-stick-insect-clones-itself-despite-having-sex-with-males/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-14T12:00:02Z **Blood test could aid the diagnosis of 52 conditions including cancer**
Raised levels of certain proteins in the blood may indicate if someone is more likely to develop conditions such as cancer, heart disease or motor neurone disease in the next decade ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386960-blood-test-could-aid-the-diagnosis-of-52-conditions-including-cancer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-14T11:56:39Z **The hole in the ozone layer has opened unusually early this year**
The ozone hole over Antarctica may get close to its record size this year due to repercussions from the ferocious Tonga volcano eruption in 2022 ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387127-the-hole-in-the-ozone-layer-has-opened-unusually-early-this-year/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-14T16:00:20Z **Gene therapy delivered into the brain could treat alcohol misuse**
Small trial in rhesus macaques shows a one-off gene therapy can cut alcohol consumption ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387150-gene-therapy-delivered-into-the-brain-could-treat-alcohol-misuse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-14T16:00:00Z **Extreme heat: Inside the expedition to find out how humans can adapt**
Climate change means extreme heat will become the norm for millions across the world. We joined an experiment in the Saudi Arabian desert designed to find out what that means for our brains and bodies ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934520-100-extreme-heat-inside-the-expedition-to-find-out-how-humans-can-adapt/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-14T14:00:00Z **Giant star rocked by waves three times larger than our sun**
A binary star system shines 20 per cent more brightly whenever the smaller star gets close to its giant partner, because of the immense waves that break on the larger star ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387251-giant-star-rocked-by-waves-three-times-larger-than-our-sun/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-14T21:35:42Z **Montana lawsuit: Young people win landmark climate change case**
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a court in Montana in the US sided with a group of young activists who said the state had violated their right to a “clean and healthful environment” ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387401-montana-lawsuit-young-people-win-landmark-climate-change-case/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T09:00:25Z **Cuvier's beaked whale seen grieving dead calf for first time**
The sighting of a Cuvier’s beaked whale off the Spanish coast circling her dead calf, touching his head and lifting his body adds to growing evidence that cetaceans experience something similar to human grief ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387200-cuviers-beaked-whale-seen-grieving-dead-calf-for-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T07:00:49Z **Robotic gripper made of paper can grab both delicate and heavy things**
A robotic gripper can pick up items ranging from a drop of water to something thousands of times heavier than the gripper itself ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387376-robotic-gripper-made-of-paper-can-grab-both-delicate-and-heavy-things/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T11:46:39Z **Elephants are stressed out by close encounters with tourists**
In the absence of tourists during lockdown, elephants at a wildlife park in South Africa showed much lower rates of behaviours thought to be a sign of anxiety ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387430-elephants-are-stressed-out-by-close-encounters-with-tourists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T16:00:00Z **Gesture is a uniquely powerful tool. Here's how to make the most of it**
Understand the surprising power of gesture and you could use it to boost your learning, improve your memory and influence others ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934521-000-gesture-is-a-uniquely-powerful-tool-heres-how-to-make-the-most-of-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T15:59:56Z **Could a gravitational wave rip apart an entire planet?**
When we detect gravitational waves, it’s because they are warping space and time by a tiny amount – but this episode of Dead Planets Society is about making one that is far more powerful ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387387-could-a-gravitational-wave-rip-apart-an-entire-planet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T14:38:10Z **Aliens on low-oxygen worlds may never discover fire**
Low levels of oxygen on planets where alien life could potentially evolve may make developing technology impossible there because there would be no combustion ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387518-aliens-on-low-oxygen-worlds-may-never-discover-fire/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T21:00:32Z **Multilingual AIs are better at responding to queries in English**
AIs that work in multiple languages responded more accurately to questions when they were asked to translate them into English first ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387574-multilingual-ais-are-better-at-responding-to-queries-in-english/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-15T19:00:23Z **AI recreates clip of Pink Floyd song from recordings of brain activity**
An artificial intelligence can guess what a song sounds like based on patterns of brain activity recorded while people were listening to it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387343-ai-recreates-clip-of-pink-floyd-song-from-recordings-of-brain-activity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T00:01:47Z **Sick blackbirds go to bed earlier just like us**
Blackbirds given an injection that mimics a bacterial infection remained active during the day, but rested earlier in the evenings for up to three weeks ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387585-sick-blackbirds-go-to-bed-earlier-just-like-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T12:00:11Z **What made July 2023 the hottest month ever recorded?**
Extreme weather and temperatures made July 2023 a shocking month, with human-driven global warming, the El Niño climate pattern and even perhaps even a 2022 volcanic eruption contributing to the broken records ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387690-what-made-july-2023-the-hottest-month-ever-recorded/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T08:00:14Z **Are there really big cats roaming the UK countryside?**
The documentary Panthera Britannia Declassified claims to show clear evidence of a black leopard or panther in the UK, but most experts remain sceptical ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2378197-are-there-really-big-cats-roaming-the-uk-countryside/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T10:00:07Z **Air-purifying lampshade reduces indoor pollution via chemical reaction**
A lampshade coated in either a copper or iron substance removes indoor air pollutants released by cooking or from cleaning products ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387599-air-purifying-lampshade-reduces-indoor-pollution-via-chemical-reaction/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T16:00:08Z **Wiping stem cells 'clean' could make them easier to produce**
A technique for reprogramming adult cells that removes any trace of their origins could help produce stem cells at larger scales ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387930-wiping-stem-cells-clean-could-make-them-easier-to-produce/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T16:00:19Z **Springy ice seen for the first time may explain how clouds make rain**
Clouds are made up of many tiny drops of liquid water suspended at temperatures below freezing, before they are penetrated by ice. Understanding this process better could help improve climate models ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387874-springy-ice-seen-for-the-first-time-may-explain-how-clouds-make-rain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T16:00:12Z **Ötzi the iceman was dark-skinned and balding, suggests genome analysis**
The genome of Ötzi, the 5300-year-old mummified man found in the Alps, was first published in 2012, but a more accurate readout has changed the story of where his ancestors came from ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387604-otzi-the-iceman-was-dark-skinned-and-balding-suggests-genome-analysis/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T16:00:00Z **A guide to cosmic fireworks, from stellar flares to black-hole beacons**
Far from serene, the night sky is a riot of spectacular bangs and flashes that reveal the universe at its most extreme. Here, an astronomer explains the explosive physics behind them and what they tell us ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934523-400-a-guide-to-cosmic-fireworks-from-stellar-flares-to-black-hole-beacons/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T22:33:24Z **Pig kidney transplant in brain-dead man still functions after a month**
It has been 32 days since Maurice Miller, a dead man who is being kept on life support, received a genetically modified pig kidney, and it is still functioning with no signs of rejection or infection ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387974-pig-kidney-transplant-in-brain-dead-man-still-functions-after-a-month/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T20:30:55Z **Gene-edited yeasts transform bread and give rice wine a banana taste**
We can change the flavour and texture of foods like bread and rice wine by tweaking the genomes of the yeasts that are used to make them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387670-gene-edited-yeasts-transform-bread-and-give-rice-wine-a-banana-taste/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-16T23:30:13Z **Morning-after pill is more effective when taken with anti-inflammatory**
The emergency contraceptive levonorgestrel is much more effective at preventing pregnancy if the anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam is taken at the same time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387892-morning-after-pill-is-more-effective-when-taken-with-anti-inflammatory/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-17T10:00:16Z **Flying bird robot can soar so well it uses almost no power**
An autonomous flying robot can float in place like a bird, using its throttle just 0.25 per cent of the time – which could make it useful for surveying a single spot for an extended period of time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387613-flying-bird-robot-can-soar-so-well-it-uses-almost-no-power/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-17T14:00:00Z **Driverless cars may struggle to spot children and dark-skinned people**
The accuracy of pedestrian-detecting AI systems may be biased against some groups of people, fuelling calls for more transparency and tighter regulations ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386635-driverless-cars-may-struggle-to-spot-children-and-dark-skinned-people/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-17T13:00:03Z **Wildfires made worse by plants starting to grow earlier in the year**
Wildfires in the northern hemisphere burn more fiercely when plants start growing earlier in the year, which they do because of the warming climate ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387546-wildfires-made-worse-by-plants-starting-to-grow-earlier-in-the-year/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-17T12:00:53Z **Negative emotions really do make events seem to last longer**
When people are shown pictures evoking negative emotions, they remember time as passing more slowly, however, this is only true when the negative images are seen after a neutral one ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387524-negative-emotions-really-do-make-events-seem-to-last-longer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-17T17:52:40Z **All of Neptune’s clouds have vanished – it may be because of the sun**
Over the past few years, the white clouds that usually shroud Neptune’s surface have disappeared, and it may be because of changes in the sun’s activity over its 11-year cycle ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388146-all-of-neptunes-clouds-have-vanished-it-may-be-because-of-the-sun/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-17T17:02:15Z **Black holes may be hurtling around at 10 per cent the speed of light**
When two black holes merge to form a single one, it can zoom off at an extraordinary pace – but scientists have found that it does have a speed limit ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387975-black-holes-may-be-hurtling-around-at-10-per-cent-the-speed-of-light/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-17T16:13:34Z **Flies riding on a carousel suggest that insects like to play**
Fruit flies with access to a spinning carousel seem to ride on it for fun in a rare case of play-like behaviour in an invertebrate ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388086-flies-riding-on-a-carousel-suggest-that-insects-like-to-play/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T10:00:19Z **Making your phone screen blurry could stop people snooping on you**
Thanks to the way human eyes work, a system that makes your phone screen blurry can prevent people reading it from a distance while still remaining legible up close ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386914-making-your-phone-screen-blurry-could-stop-people-snooping-on-you/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T08:00:47Z **Lauren Beukes on why she tackled the multiverse in sci-fi novel Bridge**
The award-winning author of The Shining Girls on how her 'magpie curiosity' about everything from neuroparasitology to music theory led to her multiverse novel Bridge, our latest Book Club pick ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387834-lauren-beukes-on-why-she-tackled-the-multiverse-in-sci-fi-novel-bridge/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T08:00:18Z **Read an extract from Bridge by Lauren Beukes**
This tantalising extract is taken from Bridge by Lauren Beukes, the latest pick for our New Scientist Book Club. It sees Bridge discovering something mysterious in her late mother's freezer - something which might open doors to other worlds ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387686-read-an-extract-from-bridge-by-lauren-beukes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T14:00:00Z **AI chatbots become more sycophantic as they get more advanced**
If a person says they believe an objectively false statement, AIs tend to agree with them – and the problem seems to get worse as models get bigger ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386915-ai-chatbots-become-more-sycophantic-as-they-get-more-advanced/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T12:00:31Z **Do honeyguides really help honey badgers find bees’ nests?**
An African bird called the greater honeyguide is said to lead honey badgers to beehives. Despite decades of reports, including faked footage, hard evidence has been tough to come by – but it’s more than just a myth ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387981-do-honeyguides-really-help-honey-badgers-find-bees-nests/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T18:21:33Z **First cargo ship powered by 'green methanol' has begun maiden voyage**
A container ship on its way from South Korea to Denmark is using methanol fuel that reduces emissions – although future fuels may be greener ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388177-first-cargo-ship-powered-by-green-methanol-has-begun-maiden-voyage/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T18:00:00Z **IBM has just made error correction easier for quantum computers**
The difficulty of quantum error correction has been a major stumbling block for quantum computers, but IBM researchers have developed a way to make it far more efficient ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388191-ibm-has-just-made-error-correction-easier-for-quantum-computers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T17:00:07Z **Consciousness traced to specific clusters of nerve cells in the brain**
Researchers have mapped how clusters of nerve cells in the brain connect to regulate wakefulness, which could open doors to new treatments for people in comas ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387732-consciousness-traced-to-specific-clusters-of-nerve-cells-in-the-brain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-18T16:00:31Z **Blood test could tell if a fever is due to infection or other diseases**
Analysis of gene activity in a blood sample can help determine if a fever is caused by bacterial infection, a virus or an inflammatory disease ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388183-blood-test-could-tell-if-a-fever-is-due-to-infection-or-other-diseases/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-21T11:29:51Z **Tricks for making AI chatbots break rules are freely available online**
Certain prompts can encourage chatbots such as ChatGPT to ignore the rules that prevent illicit use, and they have been widely shared on social platforms ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388231-tricks-for-making-ai-chatbots-break-rules-are-freely-available-online/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-21T10:44:13Z **Russia's Luna 25 moon mission ends in catastrophic crash**
It has been almost 50 years since Russia - then the Soviet Union - landed safely on the moon. The crash of Luna 25 on the lunar surface means that won't change any time soon ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388294-russias-luna-25-moon-mission-ends-in-catastrophic-crash/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-21T10:00:21Z **3D-printed toilet is so slippery that nothing can leave a mark**
You may never need to clean a toilet again, thanks to a new material that keeps the bowl free of any waste ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388226-3d-printed-toilet-is-so-slippery-that-nothing-can-leave-a-mark/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-21T08:00:50Z **Google AI predicts floods four days early in South America and Africa**
An artificial intelligence from Google can predict floods even in regions with little data on water flow, and its predictions four days in advance are as accurate as conventional systems manage for the same day ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387547-google-ai-predicts-floods-four-days-early-in-south-america-and-africa/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-21T18:00:00Z **How we broke the water cycle and can no longer rely on rain to fall**
We thought Earth's water cycle was resilient to human meddling, but new analysis shows our supplies of water in plants and soil that are critical to generating rainfall are dangerously low. Here is what we must do to repair the damage ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934530-400-how-we-broke-the-water-cycle-and-can-no-longer-rely-on-rain-to-fall/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-21T16:39:35Z **The delightfully bizarre creatures that live near deep-sea vents**
Animals found around hydrothermal vents – from snails covered in metal plates to hairy crabs – have unusual adaptations to survive with no sunlight and extreme pressure ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388510-the-delightfully-bizarre-creatures-that-live-near-deep-sea-vents/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-21T22:21:36Z **Binge drinking hits record high among adults 35 to 50 years old in US**
In the US, more adults between 35 and 50 years old are binge drinking than ever before, while rates have declined in younger age groups ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388544-binge-drinking-hits-record-high-among-adults-35-to-50-years-old-in-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-22T11:22:46Z **The best science fiction movies about dinosaurs, by a palaeontologist**
From Walking with Dinosaurs to King Kong, palaeontologist David Hone chooses his favourite science fiction films about dinosaurs – and reveals which Jurassic Park made the cut ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387674-the-best-science-fiction-movies-about-dinosaurs-by-a-palaeontologist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-22T10:00:44Z **Chip shortages are producing winners and losers in the AI gold rush**
The high-powered chips required for training the most advanced artificial intelligences are in short supply, with big firms winning out over academics and activists ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388384-chip-shortages-are-producing-winners-and-losers-in-the-ai-gold-rush/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-22T16:00:00Z **Unravelling the secrets of the vagus nerve will revolutionise medicine**
Vagus nerve stimulation is used to treat conditions ranging from inflammation to migraine. Mapping the nerve's complex structure of more than 160,000 fibres could usher in a new era of precision treatments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934530-500-unravelling-the-secrets-of-the-vagus-nerve-will-revolutionise-medicine/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-22T15:00:56Z **Recycled coffee grounds can be used to make stronger concrete**
Using spent coffee grounds to replace some of the sand in concrete makes the material stronger and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coffee grounds in landfill ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388570-recycled-coffee-grounds-can-be-used-to-make-stronger-concrete/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-22T15:00:20Z **Turtles keep a record of nuclear activity in their shells**
Tortoises and turtles accumulate uranium isotopes in their shells, which could provide a reliable record of historical nuclear activity ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388463-turtles-keep-a-record-of-nuclear-activity-in-their-shells/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-22T18:04:37Z **The best TV shows of 2023 so far – science fiction and documentaries**
Our TV columnist Bethan Ackerley talks about her favourite series of the year so far and the upcoming releases that she's most looking forward to ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388628-the-best-tv-shows-of-2023-so-far-science-fiction-and-documentaries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-22T18:00:43Z **Covid-19 antibodies may give us partial immunity to SARS and MERS**
Antibodies from people who have had covid-19 or been vaccinated against it may give them partial protection against most other pathogens in the coronavirus family ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387196-covid-19-antibodies-may-give-us-partial-immunity-to-sars-and-mers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T07:00:07Z **A map of every possible molecule could be possible with AI**
A map of all chemicals that places compounds next to each other that have similar properties could speed up the process of discovery for everything from drugs to materials ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388562-a-map-of-every-possible-molecule-could-be-possible-with-ai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T09:00:19Z **Cells from discarded placentas may help to treat heart attacks**
After noticing that some heart problems resolve during pregnancy, researchers have shown cells in the placenta can turn into functioning heart cells in the lab ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387995-cells-from-discarded-placentas-may-help-to-treat-heart-attacks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T11:34:29Z **Chandrayaan-3 livestream: Watch India’s attempted moon landing**
ISRO, India’s national space agency, is attempting a historic soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission near the moon's water-rich south pole, only days after Russia’s Luna 25 crashed on the lunar surface ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388616-chandrayaan-3-livestream-watch-indias-attempted-moon-landing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T16:30:00Z **Nowhere to hide: Data harvesters came for your privacy – and found it**
The way your data is stored and shared is changing and your online activity can be used to categorise you in ways that drastically alter your life. There are ways to take back control ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934532-700-nowhere-to-hide-data-harvesters-came-for-your-privacy-and-found-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T16:00:59Z **The human Y chromosome has been fully sequenced for the first time**
The Y chromosome, which normally confers male characteristics, features large amounts of repetitive DNA, which meant it was difficult to compile a complete sequence until now ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388720-the-human-y-chromosome-has-been-fully-sequenced-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T16:00:36Z **The tropics could get so hot that all leaves on rainforest trees die**
Satellite sensing reveals tropical forests are much closer to a major tipping point than previously thought, but are only likely to pass it in worst-case warming scenarios ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388630-the-tropics-could-get-so-hot-that-all-leaves-on-rainforest-trees-die/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T16:00:17Z **Analogue chips can slash the energy used to run AI models**
AI research uses vast amounts of energy, but new research shows that analogue devices can run models far more efficiently due to their unusual ability to carry out data storage and processing in the same place ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388005-analogue-chips-can-slash-the-energy-used-to-run-ai-models/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T18:00:46Z **AI can spot early signs of a tsunami from atmospheric shock waves**
Tsunamis trigger atmospheric disturbances that are picked up by GPS satellites – and an AI-powered monitoring system that detects the signals could alert us before the tsunami reaches coastal areas ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388659-ai-can-spot-early-signs-of-a-tsunami-from-atmospheric-shock-waves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-23T22:00:50Z **Cougars are changing the way they hunt so bears don’t steal their food**
With more bears and wolves in Yellowstone National Park, cougars there appear to be shifting their hunting strategy to find and protect their kills ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388559-cougars-are-changing-the-way-they-hunt-so-bears-dont-steal-their-food/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-24T00:01:14Z **Lockdowns and face masks really did help to control covid-19**
Non-vaccine measures such as social distancing and wearing face masks have been "unequivocally effective" at preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, according to a major report by the UK's Royal Society ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388929-lockdowns-and-face-masks-really-did-help-to-control-covid-19/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-24T10:00:48Z **Bees may be able to tell if water contains sugar just by looking at it**
If bees can spot sugary rewards at a distance, it may mean that we need to re-evaluate experiments that assess their intelligence ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389044-bees-may-be-able-to-tell-if-water-contains-sugar-just-by-looking-at-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-24T12:00:20Z **The gravitational waves that could shed light on the cosmic dark age**
Some astrophysicists have said that the discovery of the gravitational wave background could shake the foundations of physics – why is it so momentous? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388702-the-gravitational-waves-that-could-shed-light-on-the-cosmic-dark-age/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-24T17:00:30Z **Women and men throw spears equally well using ancient atlatl tool**
Men typically throw objects with a greater velocity than women can – but with a spear-launching tool called an atlatl, men and women’s throwing velocity is indistinguishable ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388999-women-and-men-throw-spears-equally-well-using-ancient-atlatl-tool/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-24T16:00:51Z **Emperor penguin colonies lost all their chicks due to ice breakup**
Four out of five emperor penguin colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea area suffered a total breeding failure in 2022 as a result of the record shrinking of sea ice ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388401-emperor-penguin-colonies-lost-all-their-chicks-due-to-ice-breakup/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-24T16:00:25Z **ChatGPT gets better marks than students in some university courses**
ChatGPT's responses to questions that were put to university students were as good as or better than the human answers in nine out of the 32 subjects tested ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388789-chatgpt-gets-better-marks-than-students-in-some-university-courses/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-24T14:59:02Z **Extremely rare black penguin spotted in Antarctica**
For just the second time, biologists have spotted a gentoo penguin with melanism, a genetic condition that results in unusually dark feathers ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388995-extremely-rare-black-penguin-spotted-in-antarctica/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-25T08:00:15Z **What is an 'AI prompt engineer' and does every company need one?**
Some companies are hiring specialists to help them get the best out of generative AI – but if the tech gets better at understanding what users want, such skills may not be needed ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388071-what-is-an-ai-prompt-engineer-and-does-every-company-need-one/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-25T07:00:27Z **10 of the best science and technology podcasts**
What science and technology podcasts should you listen to? Here's a guide to some of the best ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388409-10-of-the-best-science-and-technology-podcasts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-25T12:00:41Z **Our genes shape our education level more than our upbringing**
Previous studies have overestimated the impact of early environment on how long people stay in education by neglecting key factors, according to a new analysis ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389004-our-genes-shape-our-education-level-more-than-our-upbringing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-25T14:21:01Z **India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission starts exploring the moon’s south pole**
After the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s historic landing on the moon, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s rover has begun researching the composition of the surface and investigating water ice near the lunar south pole ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389081-indias-chandrayaan-3-mission-starts-exploring-the-moons-south-pole/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-25T16:00:05Z **Virus ‘nanobots’ can make harmful bacteria in food and drink glow**
It can be time consuming to test food and drink for potentially harmful bacteria, but viruses that naturally attack the bacteria can be gene edited to speed up the process ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389065-virus-nanobots-can-make-harmful-bacteria-in-food-and-drink-glow/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-25T19:57:39Z **Appetite for mind-altering substances is booming among US adults**
Rates of cannabis and psychedelic use among adults in the US reached record highs in 2022, part of a decade-long upswing in the use of mind-altering drugs ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388968-appetite-for-mind-altering-substances-is-booming-among-us-adults/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-25T19:00:25Z **Invasive blue crabs are poised to devastate the global clam supply**
The predatory Atlantic blue crab has invaded Italian waters and is killing off young clams, which could undermine the global supply for years to come ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389236-invasive-blue-crabs-are-poised-to-devastate-the-global-clam-supply/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-28T10:00:48Z **Maxwell's demon imagined by physicists really exists inside our cells**
Proteins in the cell membranes of most organisms act like the hypothetical “demon” imagined by James Clerk Maxwell in 1867, which was thought to break the laws of physics ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389336-maxwells-demon-imagined-by-physicists-really-exists-inside-our-cells/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-28T08:00:44Z **JWST may have seen black holes suppressing the creation of new stars**
The supermassive black holes at the centre of many galaxies were suspected to quench the formation of new stars – now the James Webb Space Telescope has spotted evidence of this ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389145-jwst-may-have-seen-black-holes-suppressing-the-creation-of-new-stars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-28T12:00:29Z **Your height may influence the diversity of your gut microbiome**
Taller people may have longer gastrointestinal tracts that can house a broader array of microorganisms and could protect them against infections from bacteria such as Clostridium difficile ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389313-your-height-may-influence-the-diversity-of-your-gut-microbiome/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-28T16:00:51Z **Nearly every kakapo's genome has been sequenced to help save them**
Genomic information for almost all of the 250 kakapos in New Zealand will help determine how best to move birds around to increase genetic diversity ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389246-nearly-every-kakapos-genome-has-been-sequenced-to-help-save-them/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T10:20:37Z **Ancient humans may have worn shoes more than 100,000 years ago**
Three archaeological sites in South Africa feature impressions that might have been made by ancient footwear, but pinpointing when humans first wore shoes is challenging ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389497-ancient-humans-may-have-worn-shoes-more-than-100000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T10:00:59Z **Physicists create bizarre quantum Alice rings for the first time**
Researchers manipulated thousands of extremely cold atoms to make a ring-like defect that can change the properties of quantum objects that pass through it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389464-physicists-create-bizarre-quantum-alice-rings-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T12:00:38Z **Why is it so difficult to make an effective vaccine against dengue?**
The dengue virus has four subtypes, which each circulate at different levels in different countries, regularly fluctuating in prevalence. Developing a vaccine that effectively targets all of these subtypes has been notoriously challenging ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389373-why-is-it-so-difficult-to-make-an-effective-vaccine-against-dengue/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T16:29:45Z **Is an enormous shield the worst way to protect Earth from asteroids?**
There are several reasonable ways to protect Earth from any potential asteroid threats, but in this episode of Dead Planets Society, reason loses out to the idea of a huge orbiting shield ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387399-is-an-enormous-shield-the-worst-way-to-protect-earth-from-asteroids/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T16:00:00Z **How the JUICE mission will look for habitability on Jupiter's moons**
ESA’s JUICE mission will help us better understand whether Jupiter’s icy moons are habitable. But we need to be open to their unexpected secrets, says principal investigator Michele Dougherty ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934541-000-how-the-juice-mission-will-look-for-habitability-on-jupiters-moons/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T15:18:21Z **India's Chandrayaan-3 moon rover swerves to avoid crater**
The six-wheeled Pragyan rover had to change course to avoid a 4-metre-wide crater on the surface of the moon, as the Vikram lander has returned temperature readings from the lunar surface ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389515-indias-chandrayaan-3-moon-rover-swerves-to-avoid-crater/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T14:35:29Z **Massive crater found on distant world far beyond Neptune**
An object in the Kuiper belt named 2002 MS4 has a depression 45 kilometres deep and 320 kilometres across, unlike anything seen before on such a small world ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389378-massive-crater-found-on-distant-world-far-beyond-neptune/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-29T20:00:27Z **The 10 best science and technology podcasts right now**
What science and technology podcasts should you be listening to? Here are some of our favourites ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388409-the-10-best-science-and-technology-podcasts-right-now/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T06:00:56Z **Drinking alcohol doesn't give people 'beer goggles' after all**
Drinking alcohol does not give people "beer goggles" that make others seem more attractive, but it may give them the confidence to approach those they already found attractive ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389668-drinking-alcohol-doesnt-give-people-beer-goggles-after-all/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T11:00:00Z **AI shows no sign of consciousness yet, but we know what to look for**
The latest generations of artificial intelligence models show little to no trace of 14 signs of self-awareness predicted by prominent theories of human consciousness ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2388344-ai-shows-no-sign-of-consciousness-yet-but-we-know-what-to-look-for/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T12:00:49Z **Your skin microbiome may affect how attractive you are to mosquitoes**
Mosquitoes can be drawn to your skin microbiome, suggesting that one day a spray that alters your bacteria could help ward off bites ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389599-your-skin-microbiome-may-affect-how-attractive-you-are-to-mosquitoes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T12:00:44Z **Just 12 per cent of people eat half of the beef consumed in the US**
A small proportion of people in the US are responsible for eating 50 per cent of the beef consumed in the country, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389767-just-12-per-cent-of-people-eat-half-of-the-beef-consumed-in-the-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T16:00:37Z **Super-heavy oxygen hints at problem with the laws of physics**
An unprecedentedly heavy version of oxygen is significantly less stable than expected, which suggests a problem our understanding of the nuclear strong force ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389737-super-heavy-oxygen-hints-at-problem-with-the-laws-of-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T16:00:32Z **AI beats champion human pilots in head-to-head drone races**
The Swift AI has beaten expert drone racers in high-speed races using an on-board computer that fuses artificial intelligence and classical algorithms – a method that could speed up delivery drones ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389071-ai-beats-champion-human-pilots-in-head-to-head-drone-races/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T16:00:05Z **Earthquake sensors are tracking bombing attacks in Ukraine**
Seismometers normally used to detect earthquakes are being used to identify the time and location of explosions during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389758-earthquake-sensors-are-tracking-bombing-attacks-in-ukraine/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-30T19:00:00Z **Running shoes with higher heels could increase your risk of leg injury**
Running shoes with an elevated heel may change the speed at which the feet hit the ground, raising the risk of injuries in the lower legs, according to a small study ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389127-running-shoes-with-higher-heels-could-increase-your-risk-of-leg-injury/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-31T11:52:34Z **AI recap: The rise of the prompt engineer and biased driverless cars**
Our round-up of the most interesting artificial intelligence news in August includes a job created by AI, the problem of racial bias in driverless cars and how robots are better at 'are you a robot?' tests than humans ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389509-ai-recap-the-rise-of-the-prompt-engineer-and-biased-driverless-cars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-31T16:00:02Z **'Scent of eternity' worn by ancient Egyptian mummy has been revealed**
A balm used in the mummification of an ancient Egyptian who died 3500 years ago contains ingredients hinting at long-distance trade ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390048-scent-of-eternity-worn-by-ancient-egyptian-mummy-has-been-revealed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-31T15:00:46Z **Iconic supernova captured by the James Webb Space Telescope**
The supernova 1987A lies around 168,000 light years from Earth, and is the closest stellar explosion we have seen in hundreds of years. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope is revealing new details ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390189-iconic-supernova-captured-by-the-james-webb-space-telescope/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-31T17:46:04Z **Vitamin C and E supplements may make lung cancers grow faster**
Supplementing with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E could increase the formation of blood vessels within lung cancer tumours, helping them to grow bigger and spread, according to a study in mice ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390191-vitamin-c-and-e-supplements-may-make-lung-cancers-grow-faster/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-08-31T20:07:32Z **Have interstellar meteor fragments really been found in the ocean?**
Astrophysicist Avi Loeb and his team claim to be the first to have found fragments from an interstellar meteor, but other scientists are extremely sceptical ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390244-have-interstellar-meteor-fragments-really-been-found-in-the-ocean/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-01T09:00:07Z **People with eczema may have high levels of some bacteria on their skin**
People with eczema may have higher levels of certain bacteria on their skin than people without the condition, with these microbes potentially offering a new target for treatments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389969-people-with-eczema-may-have-high-levels-of-some-bacteria-on-their-skin/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-01T15:00:01Z **AI generates video game levels and characters from text prompts**
A generative AI model based on small datasets was able to create maps and 2D character models for video games on demand ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390019-ai-generates-video-game-levels-and-characters-from-text-prompts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-01T20:00:57Z **South American bat species spotted for first time in over 100 years**
The strange big-eared brown bat was discovered in Brazil's Atlantic Forest in 1916 and then apparently vanished - but it has now reappeared in a Brazilian grassland ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390248-south-american-bat-species-spotted-for-first-time-in-over-100-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-01T19:00:27Z **Animal motion-capture studio tracks bird flocks and insect swarms**
A barn rigged with dozens of cameras and sensors could help scientists better understand the group dynamics and flight patterns of flocks of birds and swarms of insects ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390334-animal-motion-capture-studio-tracks-bird-flocks-and-insect-swarms/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-04T10:00:13Z **Engineers are building the first bridge over a moving rock glacier**
In Denali National Park, Alaska, a major road has been rapidly slipping down a mountain as the permafrost melts. Now, a huge project to build a bridge over the Pretty Rocks landslide has begun ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390283-engineers-are-building-the-first-bridge-over-a-moving-rock-glacier/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-04T13:00:16Z **Invasive species are now a major threat to wildlife, farms and people**
The proliferation of alien species costs the global economy more than $420 billion a year, and the problem is only growing ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390456-invasive-species-are-now-a-major-threat-to-wildlife-farms-and-people/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-04T12:41:06Z **Killing of rare Italian bear raises fears for future of its subspecies**
The shooting of Amarena, one of around 60 remaining Marsican brown bears in central Italy, raises doubts about whether large carnivores can coexist peacefully with humans ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390457-killing-of-rare-italian-bear-raises-fears-for-future-of-its-subspecies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-04T12:00:09Z **Ancient armoured animal leads to rethink of reptile evolutionary tree**
Fossilised remains of a 250-million-year-old animal are leading to a new understanding of how reptiles evolved in the wake of Earth’s largest mass extinction ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390276-ancient-armoured-animal-leads-to-rethink-of-reptile-evolutionary-tree/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-04T15:15:29Z **India's moon craft enter sleep mode and await freezing lunar night**
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is officially complete, with both the rover and lander powering down for the lunar night, but the solar-powered hardware is expected to reawaken at sunrise ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390435-indias-moon-craft-enter-sleep-mode-and-await-freezing-lunar-night/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-05T10:00:56Z **Why haven't we got useful quantum computers yet?**
Four years after Google first demonstrated the supremacy of quantum computers over ordinary ones, why aren't these exotic machines being used for practical problems? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390568-why-havent-we-got-useful-quantum-computers-yet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-05T16:00:00Z **The ultimate guide to hydration and what you really should be drinking**
Plain water, coffee or milk? Sports or energy drinks? Our ideas about what we ought to be drinking, and how much, are confounded by half-truths. Here's what the science says ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934550-100-the-ultimate-guide-to-hydration-and-what-you-really-should-be-drinking/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-05T15:14:38Z **Terracotta Army shoes reveal secrets of ancient Chinese footwear**
An analysis of the sculpted shoes on the statues in China’s Terracotta Army, which dates back about 2200 years, suggests that their real-life soldier equivalents had surprisingly flexible footwear ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390687-terracotta-army-shoes-reveal-secrets-of-ancient-chinese-footwear/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-05T22:06:27Z **GPT-4 wins chatbot lawyer contest – but is still not as good as humans**
Several AI chatbots were tested to see how well they could perform legal reasoning and tasks used by human lawyers in everyday practice – GPT-4 performed the best, but still wasn’t great ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390708-gpt-4-wins-chatbot-lawyer-contest-but-is-still-not-as-good-as-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-05T21:44:24Z **Spotted salamander eggs hatch more easily if nibbled by predators**
Removing some of the thick jelly layers surrounding spotted salamander eggs may help the embryos inside access more oxygen in the water ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390792-spotted-salamander-eggs-hatch-more-easily-if-nibbled-by-predators/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-05T21:00:05Z **Weird ways that animals experience the world differently to us**
Many animals sense their surroundings in ways that are hard to imagine. Christie Taylor spoke to journalist Ed Yong about these different perspectives ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390665-weird-ways-that-animals-experience-the-world-differently-to-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T00:01:34Z **Gannets prefer to roll either right or left when they dive**
Northern gannets show a consistent preference for one side or the other when diving to catch fish, with a roughly equal split between lefties and righties ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390671-gannets-prefer-to-roll-either-right-or-left-when-they-dive/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T00:01:25Z **Mysterious ancient stones were deliberately made into spheres**
Stone balls found at a site used by early humans about 1.4 million years ago didn’t become round after being used as hammers, but were intentionally knapped into spheres ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390655-mysterious-ancient-stones-were-deliberately-made-into-spheres/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T00:01:17Z **Our ultra-mobile arm joints may have evolved for climbing down trees**
Compared with monkeys, great apes have greater range of motion in their shoulders and elbows, which may help heavier primates climb down safely ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390715-our-ultra-mobile-arm-joints-may-have-evolved-for-climbing-down-trees/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T14:39:14Z **Earth has just seen its hottest three-month spell on record**
The global average temperature for June, July and August was 16.77°C (62.19°F), beating the previous record set in 2019 by almost three-tenths of a degree ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390951-earth-has-just-seen-its-hottest-three-month-spell-on-record/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T14:00:00Z **A brief history of the standard model, our theory of almost everything**
Our amazing picture of the particles and forces that make reality took decades of invention and experiment to piece together ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934553-600-a-brief-history-of-the-standard-model-our-theory-of-almost-everything/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T12:00:16Z **A million years of marijuana: How cannabis became our favourite weed**
Cannabis was one of the first crops that humans cultivated about 12,000 years ago. But medicinal and psychoactive uses are much more recent ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389449-a-million-years-of-marijuana-how-cannabis-became-our-favourite-weed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T18:00:54Z **Quantum batteries that charge wirelessly might never lose efficiency**
Today’s batteries lose efficiency – or “age” – through use, but theoretical quantum batteries might be immune to the problem if they are charged wirelessly ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390776-quantum-batteries-that-charge-wirelessly-might-never-lose-efficiency/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T16:00:58Z **Pumps that beat like the heart could increase energy efficiency**
Emulating the pulsating action of the human heart could increase the efficiency of everything from oil pipelines to central heating systems ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390342-pumps-that-beat-like-the-heart-could-increase-energy-efficiency/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-06T16:00:01Z **New type of brain cell discovered that acts like hybrid of two others**
A type of brain cell that behaves like a hybrid of neurons and glia has been spotted, and it could explain how some neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s, develop ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390978-new-type-of-brain-cell-discovered-that-acts-like-hybrid-of-two-others/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T00:01:14Z **Never-before-seen space explosion is incredibly bright but fades fast**
An explosion that was billions of times brighter than the sun but faded within a month may have occurred when a rare medium-sized black hole ate a star ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391051-never-before-seen-space-explosion-is-incredibly-bright-but-fades-fast/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T11:00:49Z **Asteroid hit by NASA spacecraft is behaving unexpectedly**
When NASA crashed its DART spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos, the goal was to shorten the space rock's orbit around its parent asteroid. The mission succeeded - but Dimorphos' orbit has continued to shrink and it isn't clear why ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391083-asteroid-hit-by-nasa-spacecraft-is-behaving-unexpectedly/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T10:00:43Z **Terminator model has living skin made from fungus**
By fusing fungi and robots, researchers hope to create a sustainable and biodegradable skin capable of sensing a variety of stimuli, as demonstrated by a model of the Terminator ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390848-terminator-model-has-living-skin-made-from-fungus/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T14:14:38Z **Huge rewilding project will release 2000 white rhinos across Africa**
African Parks, a conservation group, has acquired a huge collection of southern white rhinos from a private estate in South Africa and plans to release them into the wild ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391160-huge-rewilding-project-will-release-2000-white-rhinos-across-africa/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T12:00:09Z **Curiously cool summers in US Midwest linked to crop irrigation**
For 75 years, the US Midwest has experienced unexpectedly cool summer temperatures – the “warming hole” could be due in part to intensive agriculture ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390433-curiously-cool-summers-in-us-midwest-linked-to-crop-irrigation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T11:49:47Z **Japan launches moon lander and X-ray space telescope on same rocket**
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) probe and XRISM X-ray space telescope blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on 7 September, sharing the same rocket to orbit ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391084-japan-launches-moon-lander-and-x-ray-space-telescope-on-same-rocket/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T16:00:12Z **Human kidneys have been partially grown in pigs for the first time**
Early kidney structures made of mostly human cells have been grown in pig embryos for up to 28 days as part of efforts to grow human organs in other animals for transplants ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391073-human-kidneys-have-been-partially-grown-in-pigs-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T19:00:42Z **Tonga volcano unleashed underwater flows that reshaped the seafloor**
The destruction of telecommunications cables during the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano in 2022 shows that underwater debris currents can travel at 122 kilometres per hour ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391215-tonga-volcano-unleashed-underwater-flows-that-reshaped-the-seafloor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-07T18:00:11Z **Electrically charged mist could help capture carbon from power plants**
The price of carbon capture technology for power plants could be slashed using a design that relies on the reaction between CO2 in flue gas and a fine mist of electrically charged particles ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390995-electrically-charged-mist-could-help-capture-carbon-from-power-plants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-08T08:00:58Z **Ancient mini koala may help solve mystery of early marsupial evolution**
Fossils from a 25-million-year-old koala that may have weighed just 2.6 kilograms might help us understand how early marsupials diversified ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391225-ancient-mini-koala-may-help-solve-mystery-of-early-marsupial-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-08T07:00:06Z **Why nature is the ultimate quantum engineer**
Historically, researchers believed that quantum properties disappear at the scale of biology, but there is increasing evidence that this isn't the full story, says physicist Clarice Aiello ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390076-why-nature-is-the-ultimate-quantum-engineer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-08T10:00:59Z **Cave art pigments show how ancient technology changed over 4500 years**
The source of ochre minerals used by Stone Age humans in an Ethiopian cave changed over a 4500-year period, although it is unclear why ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391272-cave-art-pigments-show-how-ancient-technology-changed-over-4500-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-08T14:00:08Z **Why it's a big deal that India beat Russia in the new race to the moon**
The success of the Indian Space Research Organisation mission to the moon places India as a capable up-and-comer in the space industry, and may inspire other nations with relatively new space agencies to follow suit ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391065-why-its-a-big-deal-that-india-beat-russia-in-the-new-race-to-the-moon/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-08T19:00:07Z **Risk of mass deaths as heatwaves start to pass survivability threshold**
Between 1.5 and 2°C of global warming will lead to heatwaves so extreme that healthy people can't survive outdoors for long, in areas where people aren't used to extreme heat ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391326-risk-of-mass-deaths-as-heatwaves-start-to-pass-survivability-threshold/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-08T17:08:08Z **Covid-19 linked to elevated risk of type 1 diabetes in young children**
Children between the ages of 4 months and 2 years seem more likely to have antibodies that attack insulin-producing cells, a feature of type 1 diabetes, if they have had covid-19, which may show how viral infections can lead to this type of diabetes ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391359-covid-19-linked-to-elevated-risk-of-type-1-diabetes-in-young-children/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-11T00:01:30Z **Can the UK’s new ARIA science agency deliver ‘moonshot’ technologies?**
Originally dreamed up by Dominic Cummings, the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) has been tasked with a high-risk, high-reward approach to research funding ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391383-can-the-uks-new-aria-science-agency-deliver-moonshot-technologies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-11T12:00:26Z **Computers that use heat instead of electricity could run efficient AI**
Devices in which heat is a necessary part of the computation process rather than a nuisance could lead to more energy-efficient machines ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391276-computers-that-use-heat-instead-of-electricity-could-run-efficient-ai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-11T09:00:29Z **Westerners have longer lie-ins at the weekend than people in Asia**
Sleep-tracker data from 35 countries shows that people in Western countries tend to have longer lie-ins at the weekend than people in Asia, and they go to bed earlier ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391129-westerners-have-longer-lie-ins-at-the-weekend-than-people-in-asia/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-11T16:00:04Z **Red imported fire ants with painful bites have taken hold in Europe**
Already a serious invasive species in the US and Australia, red imported fire ant nests have now been found in Sicily, Italy, and they could spread to other parts of Europe ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391471-red-imported-fire-ants-with-painful-bites-have-taken-hold-in-europe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-11T19:38:15Z **The universe’s evolution seems to be slowing and we don’t know why**
The development of cosmic structure – the huge strands of galaxies and caverns of emptiness that make up our universe – seems to be slowing down more than expected. That could mean there is something wrong with our understanding of the universe ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391414-the-universes-evolution-seems-to-be-slowing-and-we-dont-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-12T08:00:27Z **Smart toilets could leak your medical data, warn security experts**
Toilets that collect health data could be hacked to reveal extremely sensitive information and should be regulated as medical devices, say security experts ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390113-smart-toilets-could-leak-your-medical-data-warn-security-experts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-12T10:27:44Z **Mental health 'first aid' training has no clear medical benefit**
A review of the Mental Health First Aid programme, which trains members of the public to support people with conditions like depression, has found no good evidence of it actually improving mental health ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391461-mental-health-first-aid-training-has-no-clear-medical-benefit/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-12T14:00:00Z **Can massive solar power expansion regenerate the US’s iconic prairies?**
Renewable energy development is transforming the US countryside. It could be a chance to restore the iconic prairies if rural opposition can be overcome ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934560-100-can-massive-solar-power-expansion-regenerate-the-uss-iconic-prairies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-12T11:38:14Z **How to spot green comet Nishimura in the skies this week**
Comet Nishimura, which was discovered just a month ago, is about to make its closest approach to the sun, giving people in the northern hemisphere a great chance of a sighting ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391582-how-to-spot-green-comet-nishimura-in-the-skies-this-week/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-12T15:53:52Z **English rivers regularly pumped full of oxygen to prevent fish deaths**
In the past five years, there have been almost 100 cases of the UK's Environment Agency deploying emergency oxygen to stop fish in English rivers from dying ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391674-english-rivers-regularly-pumped-full-of-oxygen-to-prevent-fish-deaths/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-12T18:00:00Z **Disinformation wars: The fight against fake news in the age of AI**
Researchers and governments are finally battling back against the deluge of false information online, just as artificial intelligence threatens to supercharge the problem ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934563-200-disinformation-wars-the-fight-against-fake-news-in-the-age-of-ai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-12T17:03:08Z **Could we tweak the solar system to make Pluto a planet again?**
Pluto officially lost its planethood in 2006, and this episode of Dead Planets Society is all about bringing it back by making it bigger, faster and better than ever ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391292-could-we-tweak-the-solar-system-to-make-pluto-a-planet-again/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T00:01:13Z **Male cockatoos make customised drumsticks for their mating displays**
Palm cockatoos fashion sticks for drumming on trees by snapping off branches and whittling them with their beaks, and the males design their tools with their own personal style ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391666-male-cockatoos-make-customised-drumsticks-for-their-mating-displays/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T14:00:00Z **Is CBD a wonder drug or waste of money? Here's what the evidence says**
Claims about the health benefits of cannabidiol have outpaced credible research, but CBD does show some real promise ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934563-100-is-cbd-a-wonder-drug-or-waste-of-money-heres-what-the-evidence-says/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T12:16:22Z **The earliest black holes seen by JWST appear to be unusually massive**
Observations by the James Webb Space Telescope suggest supermassive black holes from the early universe are more massive in relation to their galaxies compared with those near us ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391777-the-earliest-black-holes-seen-by-jwst-appear-to-be-unusually-massive/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T17:12:28Z **Reusable rocket built by students is about to launch to space**
The Karman Space Programme, set up by students at Imperial College London, will attempt to launch its Aurora rocket to an altitude of 100 kilometres, the generally accepted boundary of space ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391589-reusable-rocket-built-by-students-is-about-to-launch-to-space/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T16:00:59Z **Superglue alternative made from soya is strong but biodegradable**
Most adhesives are made from fossil fuels and take thousands of years to biodegrade, but a new alternative derived from soya plants bonds metal, wood and synthetic surfaces just as strongly ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391899-superglue-alternative-made-from-soya-is-strong-but-biodegradable/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T16:00:18Z **DNA-based computer can run 100 billion different programs**
Mixing and matching various strands of DNA can create versatile biological computer circuits that can take the square roots of numbers or solve quadratic equations ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391747-dna-based-computer-can-run-100-billion-different-programs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T18:00:00Z **How soap operas can help us understand special relativity**
Time scales in my favourite soap opera Emmerdale make no sense, but maybe this helps avid fans to normalise the concept of time dilation, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934561-000-how-soap-operas-can-help-us-understand-special-relativity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-13T21:00:24Z **Frogs have been trying to mate with odd things for 220 million years**
Male frogs will sometimes try to mate with turtles or inanimate objects, and now there is evidence that the behaviour began deep in prehistory with the first frogs ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392098-frogs-have-been-trying-to-mate-with-odd-things-for-220-million-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T05:01:23Z **Huge rise in US overdose deaths from fentanyl mixed with stimulants**
Between 2010 and 2021, the proportion of drug overdose deaths in the US involving a combination of fentanyl and a stimulant such as cocaine or methamphetamine skyrocketed ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392115-huge-rise-in-us-overdose-deaths-from-fentanyl-mixed-with-stimulants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T10:00:45Z **City-wide quantum communication network in China is most advanced yet**
A network that connects quantum devices and a central server that spans Hefei, China can allow multiple secure quantum chats at once ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391405-city-wide-quantum-communication-network-in-china-is-most-advanced-yet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T08:00:19Z **Mosquitoes dodge efforts to swat them by surfing a wave of air**
A combination of keen senses and quick reflexes may help mosquitoes avoid a sticky end by riding the pressure wave generated as a swatter sweeps through the air ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392033-mosquitoes-dodge-efforts-to-swat-them-by-surfing-a-wave-of-air/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T19:00:12Z **Watch a frog-like robot use tiny explosions to hop around**
Insect-sized robots that can crawl, hop and turn by harnessing the power of explosions can be cheaply produced for a range of applications ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391584-watch-a-frog-like-robot-use-tiny-explosions-to-hop-around/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T18:25:26Z **NASA’s UFO task force has released its final report – it’s not aliens**
An independent task force formed by NASA to look into unidentified anomalous phenomena found no evidence of alien craft, and suggests that if we want to find proof of visitors we need better data ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392310-nasas-ufo-task-force-has-released-its-final-report-its-not-aliens/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T17:28:29Z **Oxygen levels are dropping in rivers across the US and central Europe**
Rivers in the US and central Europe are losing their ability to hold oxygen because of rising temperatures, which could put fish at risk ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392240-oxygen-levels-are-dropping-in-rivers-across-the-us-and-central-europe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T16:00:26Z **MDMA therapy for PTSD expected to get US approval after latest trial**
US regulators could soon authorise MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder after positive results in the largest clinical trial to date ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392213-mdma-therapy-for-ptsd-expected-to-get-us-approval-after-latest-trial/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T21:00:39Z **Thousands of people apparently cheat at Wordle every day**
The popular word-guessing game Wordle inspires large numbers of people to either cheat by looking up answers or to stubbornly stick with favourite starting words ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392150-thousands-of-people-apparently-cheat-at-wordle-every-day/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-14T20:41:59Z **JWST has taken an astonishing image of a baby star with powerful jets**
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured an image of a young star spewing out powerful winds that have created a pair of stunning, colourful jets ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392326-jwst-has-taken-an-astonishing-image-of-a-baby-star-with-powerful-jets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T08:00:33Z **High-flying microplastics could pose a threat to the ozone layer**
Experiments suggest microplastic fragments with irregular shapes settle more slowly than spherical ones and may reach the stratosphere ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391496-high-flying-microplastics-could-pose-a-threat-to-the-ozone-layer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T12:00:45Z **Plant protein capsules could make it easier to add vitamin D to drinks**
Drinks in transparent bottles are difficult to fortify with vitamin D because the supplement breaks down when exposed to UV light, but tiny protein capsules that protect the vitamin could help ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392111-plant-protein-capsules-could-make-it-easier-to-add-vitamin-d-to-drinks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T11:07:12Z **Key immune cells may help protect against inflammatory bowel disease**
A group of specialised immune cells in the gut seems to have a protective role in people with Crohn's disease, and may help doctors predict how the illness will progress ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392304-key-immune-cells-may-help-protect-against-inflammatory-bowel-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T10:00:43Z **Growing pains may indicate a greater risk of migraines later in life**
A study of 100 children found that those who experience growing pains are more likely than their peers to get migraines five years later ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392123-growing-pains-may-indicate-a-greater-risk-of-migraines-later-in-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T14:48:21Z **Data leak means anyone can see when astronauts urinate on the ISS**
A security researcher has found an old data feed that reveals how full the urine tank on the International Space Station is, allowing them to track when astronauts use the toilet ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392360-data-leak-means-anyone-can-see-when-astronauts-urinate-on-the-iss/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T14:00:11Z **Tadpoles can change colour to blend in with their environment**
When tadpoles are raised in white, black or grey trays, they adapt their colour to match their background, which may help them avoid being eaten by birds and fish ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392398-tadpoles-can-change-colour-to-blend-in-with-their-environment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T19:00:14Z **Facebook change to control covid-19 vaccine misinformation failed**
The removal of a major anti-vaccine page in November 2020 by Facebook didn’t reduce misinformation and instead led to remaining anti-vaccine content becoming more extreme and getting more engagement ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392194-facebook-change-to-control-covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-failed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-15T21:40:23Z **Why the ancient hominins of Asia are so mysterious**
When it comes to ancient humans in Asia, we have so many fossils and no consensus on how to make sense of them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392510-why-the-ancient-hominins-of-asia-are-so-mysterious/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-17T23:00:40Z **Anti-ageing drugs could make more organs viable for transplants**
Organs from older donors can accelerate cellular ageing in transplant recipients, but research in mice suggests this can be reduced with the help of so-called senolytic drugs ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392414-anti-ageing-drugs-could-make-more-organs-viable-for-transplants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T08:00:22Z **Google Bard AI won't answer questions about Putin asked in Russian**
Asking Google Bard about the Russian president Vladimir Putin tends to be met with refusal when posing questions in Russian - something that doesn't occur as often in English or with other AI chatbots ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392386-google-bard-ai-wont-answer-questions-about-putin-asked-in-russian/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T14:00:37Z **The world’s brightest X-ray machine has been turned on**
The LCLS-II X-ray laser is unprecedentedly bright, and will make it possible to record exactly what atoms and molecules do during photosynthesis and other chemical reactions ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392138-the-worlds-brightest-x-ray-machine-has-been-turned-on/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T12:17:42Z **What you need to know about the 2023 covid-19 boosters**
New Scientist explains how the latest covid-19 booster vaccines are different from previous ones, and who should get them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392575-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-2023-covid-19-boosters/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T12:08:43Z **Doctors warn about the rise of people with obsolete medical implants**
People with implants for treating conditions such as blindness, chronic pain and severe headaches have had medical benefits that are now in jeopardy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392358-doctors-warn-about-the-rise-of-people-with-obsolete-medical-implants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T17:36:15Z **Kidneys for transplantation could come from babies who die at birth**
Organ donation from newborn babies currently happens very rarely, but could save more lives if hospitals were more open to it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392522-kidneys-for-transplantation-could-come-from-babies-who-die-at-birth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T16:00:56Z **Spinal fluid test may enable earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's disease**
People with Parkinson’s disease have been found to have high levels of an enzyme called DOPA decarboxylase in the fluid around their brain and spinal cord ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392475-spinal-fluid-test-may-enable-earlier-diagnosis-of-parkinsons-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T16:00:00Z **How scientists are cracking historical codes to reveal lost secrets**
Deciphering encrypted messages from centuries past is a painstaking process. But linguists and computer scientists are starting to automate it, with some sensational results ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934570-900-how-scientists-are-cracking-historical-codes-to-reveal-lost-secrets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-18T20:00:01Z **We now know how many cells there are in the human body**
New estimates for the number of cells in adults and children draw on over 1500 scientific papers detailing the different cell and tissue types in our bodies ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392685-we-now-know-how-many-cells-there-are-in-the-human-body/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-19T11:15:08Z **Rare mutation hints gene editing could prevent Alzheimer’s disease**
Two people with a mutant version of a gene variant – APOE4 – linked to Alzheimer’s showed no signs of dementia, indicating that gene editing to mimic the effect may work against the condition ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392481-rare-mutation-hints-gene-editing-could-prevent-alzheimers-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-19T15:30:21Z **DeepMind AI can predict if DNA mutations are likely to be harmful**
By working out which small mutations will probably be damaging, DeepMind’s AlphaMissense system could help doctors identify the cause of genetic diseases ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392821-deepmind-ai-can-predict-if-dna-mutations-are-likely-to-be-harmful/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-19T14:00:41Z **Catastrophic Libyan dam collapse partly caused by climate change**
Recent extreme rainfall that caused flooding across the Mediterranean and contributed to the catastrophic collapse of two dams in Libya was probably made more likely and more intense by climate change ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392811-catastrophic-libyan-dam-collapse-partly-caused-by-climate-change/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-19T19:00:07Z **Extinct Tasmanian tiger yields RNA secrets that could aid resurrection**
RNA, which regulates the activity of DNA, is a crucial part of building an organism - and now researchers have extracted some from an extinct animal for the first time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392879-extinct-tasmanian-tiger-yields-rna-secrets-that-could-aid-resurrection/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-19T16:06:26Z **Theory of consciousness branded 'pseudoscience' by neuroscientists**
A leading theory about consciousness called the integrated information theory has been attacked in an open letter from over one hundred researchers in the field ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392771-theory-of-consciousness-branded-pseudoscience-by-neuroscientists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-19T16:00:47Z **Rare Australian pink diamonds emerged when a supercontinent broke up**
Understanding how the world’s largest-known collection of pink diamonds came to the surface in Australia around 1.3 billion years ago could help us find hidden deposits elsewhere in the world ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392517-rare-australian-pink-diamonds-emerged-when-a-supercontinent-broke-up/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T00:01:49Z **Stick insects that are normally asexual may occasionally have sex**
Some animals reproduce asexually by creating embryos from unfertilised eggs, but this can lead to a lack of genetic diversity. To keep their gene pool healthy, two species of asexual stick insect appear to occasionally mate ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392777-stick-insects-that-are-normally-asexual-may-occasionally-have-sex/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T08:00:43Z **Watch a cyborg cockroach navigate a maze**
Remote-controlled cockroaches are not a new idea, but now researchers have found a way to steer the insects without injuring them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392588-watch-a-cyborg-cockroach-navigate-a-maze/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T13:51:41Z **UK's Online Safety Bill to become law, but can it be enforced?**
After years of political wrangling, wide-ranging online rules are about to become UK law - but complying with and enforcing the regulations won't be easy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393012-uks-online-safety-bill-to-become-law-but-can-it-be-enforced/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T12:00:31Z **Vaccine that erases immune memory may help treat multiple sclerosis**
An experimental vaccine that erases the immune system’s memory of a molecule could be used to stop autoimmune reactions like those seen in multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes or coeliac disease ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392706-vaccine-that-erases-immune-memory-may-help-treat-multiple-sclerosis/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T17:17:04Z **Rishi Sunak's weakening of UK net-zero policy is an unhelpful delay**
Cutting carbon emissions means replacing the heating systems in homes, transforming transport and greening steel production. All of these will take time, but the UK prime minister has instead chosen to delay ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393286-rishi-sunaks-weakening-of-uk-net-zero-policy-is-an-unhelpful-delay/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T17:07:23Z **Holly tree species not seen by scientists in 200 years reappears**
No sightings of the Pernambuco holly tree had been confirmed since the species was first identified in 1838. Scientists have now found four of the trees in the city Igarassu in north-east Brazil ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393021-holly-tree-species-not-seen-by-scientists-in-200-years-reappears/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T16:00:56Z **Earliest evidence of buildings made from wood is 476,000 years old**
We tend to think that ancient humans were constantly on the move, but at a site in Zambia there are the first tentative hints that people stayed put and built large wooden dwellings ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392894-earliest-evidence-of-buildings-made-from-wood-is-476000-years-old/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T16:00:24Z **Brain damage linked to schizophrenia may spread as condition develops**
Brain scans show loss of tissue starting in small areas when people first experience psychosis, and following neural highways until later it encompasses wider regions of the brain ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393020-brain-damage-linked-to-schizophrenia-may-spread-as-condition-develops/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T16:00:20Z **Silkworms genetically engineered to produce pure spider silk**
Spider silk has been seen as a greener alternative to artificial fibres like nylon and Kevlar, but spiders are notoriously hard to farm. Now researchers have used CRISPR to genetically engineer silkworms that produce pure spider silk ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392737-silkworms-genetically-engineered-to-produce-pure-spider-silk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T16:00:00Z **How dark matter-powered stars could solve a huge cosmological puzzle**
Astronomers say they have spotted evidence of stars fuelled by the annihilation of dark matter particles. If true, it could solve the cosmic mystery of how supermassive black holes appeared so early ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934570-800-how-dark-matter-powered-stars-could-solve-a-huge-cosmological-puzzle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-20T23:00:14Z **Human noise pollution drives monkeys to rely on communication by scent**
Tamarins living near cities in the Amazon Rainforest use odour to communicate nearly twice as often as usual when noise pollution spikes from nearby freeways or town centres ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393331-human-noise-pollution-drives-monkeys-to-rely-on-communication-by-scent/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T10:00:25Z **Eris and Makemake might be hiding unexpected oceans of liquid water**
Dwarf planets aren’t expected to carry liquid water, but hints of surprising geological activity spotted with JWST indicate that some of them might have buried oceans ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392713-eris-and-makemake-might-be-hiding-unexpected-oceans-of-liquid-water/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T08:00:52Z **Young seabird couples get 'divorced' with little immediate benefit**
Thick-billed murres normally mate for life, but young couples are more likely to break up, despite seeing no benefit to mating success the next year ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392792-young-seabird-couples-get-divorced-with-little-immediate-benefit/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T14:00:13Z **The strange plant that just might be the worst smell on the planet**
Corpse flowers rarely bloom but if one does when you’re nearby you’ll know about it. Though many botanical gardens have their own corpse flowers, the plant's mysteries still abound ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392946-the-strange-plant-that-just-might-be-the-worst-smell-on-the-planet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T13:28:36Z **Last chance to see comet Nishimura before it vanishes for 400 years**
The comet Nishimura is heading away from the sun and on to the outer reaches of the solar system, so you'll need to be quick if you want to catch a glimpse ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393445-last-chance-to-see-comet-nishimura-before-it-vanishes-for-400-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T13:00:00Z **Exquisite spider fossils from Australia offer clues to their evolution**
A large brush-footed trapdoor spider and a small jumping spider from the Miocene Epoch between 11 and 16 million years ago show how different arachnids responded to rapidly changing climate ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393362-exquisite-spider-fossils-from-australia-offer-clues-to-their-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T12:00:30Z **NASA’s Psyche mission to a metal asteroid may reveal how Earth formed**
The Psyche mission is scheduled to begin its journey to an asteroid of the same name on 5 October – it could help us understand Earth’s core and how our planet formed ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392930-nasas-psyche-mission-to-a-metal-asteroid-may-reveal-how-earth-formed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T19:00:48Z **Europa’s underground ocean seems to have the carbon necessary for life**
Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have shown carbon dioxide on the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa – that’s a good sign for the habitability of its buried seas ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393349-europas-underground-ocean-seems-to-have-the-carbon-necessary-for-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-21T16:00:48Z **Fish adapted to the deep sea 80 million years earlier than we thought**
A set of unusual “trace” fossils in Italy reveal that fish were swimming in the deep ocean about 130 million years ago – much earlier than we had thought ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393170-fish-adapted-to-the-deep-sea-80-million-years-earlier-than-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T10:00:39Z **From Lex Luthor to Syndrome, five of sci-fi's best corporate villains**
John Scalzi's new novel Starter Villain sees his hero inherit a villainous empire. Here, the science fiction author picks his favourite sci-fi baddies with a corporate leaning ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393453-from-lex-luthor-to-syndrome-five-of-sci-fis-best-corporate-villains/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T10:00:03Z **Turtles that move in herds reveal the complex social lives of reptiles**
The hicatee turtles of Belize appear to move around in groups even when they aren't feeding, providing evidence of social complexity in reptiles ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393525-turtles-that-move-in-herds-reveal-the-complex-social-lives-of-reptiles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T09:00:54Z **OSIRIS-REx is about to fling samples of the asteroid Bennu at Earth**
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is about to hurtle past Earth, and if all goes well it will drop its samples from the asteroid Bennu in the Utah desert on 24 September ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393584-osiris-rex-is-about-to-fling-samples-of-the-asteroid-bennu-at-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T08:00:22Z **We can only predict star motion in the Milky Way’s heart for 462 years**
Chaos in the interactions between stars near the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole makes it impossible to predict their trajectories after about 462 years, much shorter than expected ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392977-we-can-only-predict-star-motion-in-the-milky-ways-heart-for-462-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T14:00:31Z **Armour-plated mollusc fluoresces brilliant red-pink**
Chitons are unusual molluscs with a shell made up of plates, and they fluoresce a red-pink colour – perhaps to help the animals blend in against a background of red algae ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393532-armour-plated-mollusc-fluoresces-brilliant-red-pink/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T13:15:06Z **Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)**
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may be caused by a lack of sunlight during the winter months. Its symptoms are similar to other forms of depression and it may be treatable via lifestyle measures and light therapy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/definition/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T18:45:01Z **Blood donors may pass on small risk of brain bleed to recipients**
Receiving a blood transfusion from someone who later develops a brain haemorrhage may very slightly raise someone’s risk of developing a brain bleed, too ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392854-blood-donors-may-pass-on-small-risk-of-brain-bleed-to-recipients/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T18:00:22Z **Massive power line will send Canadian hydropower to New York**
New York City has begun construction on a project to hook up its grid to hydroelectric power plants in Canada via a 546-kilometre-long transmission line ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393505-massive-power-line-will-send-canadian-hydropower-to-new-york/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-22T21:53:07Z **Surgeons perform the second ever pig-to-human heart transplant**
The heart of a genetically modified pig has been transplanted into a man with heart disease, the second such surgery of its kind ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393849-surgeons-perform-the-second-ever-pig-to-human-heart-transplant/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-25T10:10:29Z **Samples from asteroid Bennu brought back to Earth by NASA's OSIRIS-REx**
Precious samples from the asteroid Bennu have returned to Earth, where researchers hope to use them to learn more about the origins of the solar system ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393877-samples-from-asteroid-bennu-brought-back-to-earth-by-nasas-osiris-rex/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-25T10:00:55Z **The best science fiction films about time travel, by a metaphysicist**
From Back to the Future to Tenet and Interstellar, the joint director of the Centre for Time reveals her favourite time travel movies – both consistent and inconsistent (hello Marty McFly) ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393625-the-best-science-fiction-films-about-time-travel-by-a-metaphysicist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-25T09:00:47Z **Twisted lasers could let us send messages with gravitational waves**
Ripples in space-time called gravitational waves are normally associated with massive objects like black holes, but we could make our own using lasers – and perhaps even use them to communicate ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393613-twisted-lasers-could-let-us-send-messages-with-gravitational-waves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-25T16:00:29Z **Covid-19 drug may be creating new variants with distinctive mutations**
Covid-19 viruses with distinctive patterns of mutation are appearing in countries that use a drug called molnupiravir, however, none of these is a variant of concern ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393799-covid-19-drug-may-be-creating-new-variants-with-distinctive-mutations/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-25T16:00:19Z **Nearly all mammals will go extinct in 250 million years as Earth warms**
If humans still exist millions of years from now, they will face inhospitably warm conditions on a supercontinent centred at the equator. Most land mammals won't be able to survive ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393937-nearly-all-mammals-will-go-extinct-in-250-million-years-as-earth-warms/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-25T20:00:06Z **Squeezing loofah sponges creates enough electricity to power LEDs**
Sponges derived from luffa plants could act as tiny power sources for small devices, say researchers - but they may not supply enough energy to be practical ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393438-squeezing-loofah-sponges-creates-enough-electricity-to-power-leds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T08:00:05Z **Reflected Wi-Fi signals allow snoopers to read text through walls**
Carefully measuring the Wi-Fi signals leaking out of a room can let you build up a detailed picture of what is inside – even to the extent of reading a sign made from 3D letters ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391587-reflected-wi-fi-signals-allow-snoopers-to-read-text-through-walls/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T06:00:22Z **Renewable energy boom may help us limit warming this century to 1.5 ̊C**
Record adoption of clean energy technologies over the past two years keeps targets to avoid global warming above 1.5 ̊C within reach, according to a report from the International Energy Agency ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394057-renewable-energy-boom-may-help-us-limit-warming-this-century-to-1-5-%25cc%258ac/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T13:00:11Z **Huge fall in inspections meant to prevent illegal use of English water**
The number of onsite inspections at waterways in England has fallen sharply, with experts expressing concern about the rise of "office-based" checks ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393947-huge-fall-in-inspections-meant-to-prevent-illegal-use-of-english-water/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T12:00:14Z **AI could diagnose sleep apnoea by watching you slumber at home**
Diagnosing obstructive sleep apnoea generally requires an overnight hospital stay, but an AI model could spot signs of the condition while people sleep at home ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391318-ai-could-diagnose-sleep-apnoea-by-watching-you-slumber-at-home/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T17:27:08Z **Is it possible to turn Venus from boiling hellscape to liveable world?**
Venus is remarkably similar to Earth in many ways, but saying its surface is unsuitable for life is a drastic understatement. In this episode of Dead Planets Society, our hosts attempt to fix it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394065-is-it-possible-to-turn-venus-from-boiling-hellscape-to-liveable-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T16:00:00Z **Can we finally reverse balding with these new experimental treatments?**
Male pattern baldness could soon be a thing of the past, with new hair loss treatments beginning to show tantalising results ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934580-200-can-we-finally-reverse-balding-with-these-new-experimental-treatments/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T15:34:51Z **How to see the northern lights this winter**
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are expected to be stronger than they have been for at least a decade over the next few months. Here is how to spot them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394136-how-to-see-the-northern-lights-this-winter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-26T15:00:46Z **Covid boosters: Why are US and UK vaccine policies so different?**
In the US, health officials recommend that everyone over the age of 6 months receives the latest annual covid-19 vaccine, while the UK and other European countries are restricting it to older or vulnerable people ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394000-covid-boosters-why-are-us-and-uk-vaccine-policies-so-different/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T06:00:17Z **Therapy dogs in classrooms may improve children's well-being**
Children with emotional or behavioural issues in school may benefit from the presence of trained therapy dogs in classrooms, according to education professionals ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393986-therapy-dogs-in-classrooms-may-improve-childrens-well-being/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T10:30:15Z **Has the risk of getting long covid been overestimated?**
Studies that failed to compare rates of long covid symptoms after infection with baseline rates in the population made the prevalence of the condition seem higher than it really is ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393962-has-the-risk-of-getting-long-covid-been-overestimated/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T16:00:45Z **Europe’s ‘insect apocalypse’ may mostly be driven by changing weather**
Researchers have struggled to explain the precipitous decline in central Europe’s insect populations since the 1980s, but a new model suggests weather is to blame ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394290-europes-insect-apocalypse-may-mostly-be-driven-by-changing-weather/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T16:00:43Z **Antimatter definitely doesn't fall up, physicists confirm**
In a blow for the hopes of antigravity machines, the first ever test of how antimatter responds to gravity confirms it falls down, not up ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394304-antimatter-definitely-doesnt-fall-up-physicists-confirm/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T16:00:02Z **Quantum engine could power devices with an ultracold atom cloud**
A quantum engine that works by toggling the properties of an ultracold atom cloud could one day be used to charge quantum batteries ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394278-quantum-engine-could-power-devices-with-an-ultracold-atom-cloud/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T16:00:00Z **Free will: Can neuroscience reveal if your choices are yours to make?**
Philosophers have wrestled with the question of whether we are truly free to decide on our actions for centuries. Now, insights from genetics, neuroscience and evolutionary biology are shedding fresh light on the issue ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934580-900-free-will-can-neuroscience-reveal-if-your-choices-are-yours-to-make/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T16:00:00Z **Ancient trilobite stuffed itself with food almost to bursting point**
A trilobite with gut contents still preserved is the first of its kind ever to be found, and shows the woodlouse-like animal had a voracious appetite ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394244-ancient-trilobite-stuffed-itself-with-food-almost-to-bursting-point/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T14:56:50Z **Ultra-processed food isn't always unhealthy, say UK food officials**
Some food campaigners say we need to cut out all highly processed food, but now UK scientists say this is unnecessary and unhelpful ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394414-ultra-processed-food-isnt-always-unhealthy-say-uk-food-officials/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T19:00:56Z **Huge earthquake shook Seattle 1100 years ago and it could happen again**
Analysis of tree rings shows that two faults near Seattle, Washington ruptured at the same time or soon after each other more than 1000 years ago – a repeat today would cause a major disaster in the region ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394583-huge-earthquake-shook-seattle-1100-years-ago-and-it-could-happen-again/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T19:00:48Z **Ancient baskets and shoes reveal skill of prehistoric weavers**
Well-preserved artefacts found in a Spanish cave show that advanced plant-based crafts were practised in Europe 9500 years ago ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394372-ancient-baskets-and-shoes-reveal-skill-of-prehistoric-weavers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T19:00:22Z **Having books in your Zoom background makes you seem more trustworthy**
People come across as being more trustworthy and competent on Zoom calls if they have plants or books in the background, particularly if they are a woman and smiling ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394538-having-books-in-your-zoom-background-makes-you-seem-more-trustworthy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T19:00:10Z **Exoskeleton suit boosts your legs to help you run faster**
Runners completed a 200-metre sprint nearly 1 second faster when wearing an exoskeleton suit compared with not wearing it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394435-exoskeleton-suit-boosts-your-legs-to-help-you-run-faster/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-27T19:00:00Z **Thousands of animal and plant species in decline across the UK**
Conservation organisations call for expansion of nature-friendly farming to stem the ongoing loss of the UK’s wildlife ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394339-thousands-of-animal-and-plant-species-in-decline-across-the-uk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-28T06:00:58Z **Elusive Australian bat sometimes snacks on other bats**
Australia’s greater broad-nosed bat was believed to mostly eat beetles and other insects, but hairs found in its droppings suggest it also feasts on other bats ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393356-elusive-australian-bat-sometimes-snacks-on-other-bats/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-28T10:00:20Z **Distant galaxies are gobbling up an unexpected amount of gas**
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found that the most distant galaxies are being “watered down” with pristine gas from their surroundings far more than nearby ones ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394254-distant-galaxies-are-gobbling-up-an-unexpected-amount-of-gas/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-28T12:00:42Z **Jet fuel made with captured CO2 and clean electricity set for take-off**
Several companies are beginning to scale up production of jet fuel made from captured carbon dioxide and green hydrogen, but decarbonising global aviation this way would require huge amounts of clean energy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394108-jet-fuel-made-with-captured-co2-and-clean-electricity-set-for-take-off/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-28T14:00:56Z **Raisins and nuts dance in fizzy drinks and now we know why**
Dropping raisins, nuts or other small objects in a fizzy liquid makes them dance up and down for hours because they keep gaining and losing bubbles ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393578-raisins-and-nuts-dance-in-fizzy-drinks-and-now-we-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-28T16:00:47Z **We finally know what makes orange carrots orange**
Three genes are turned off to make carrots produce high levels of alpha and beta-carotene, which make them a rich source of vitamin A and give them their orange hue ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394820-we-finally-know-what-makes-orange-carrots-orange/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-28T18:00:15Z **US telehealth start-ups are booming – they may put patients at risk**
A slew of telehealth startups in the US market themselves as convenient ways to access healthcare, but many are unregulated, raising concerns about patient privacy and unnecessary drug prescriptions ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389694-us-telehealth-start-ups-are-booming-they-may-put-patients-at-risk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-28T20:00:22Z **Alan Turing mathematically predicted the colour of lizard scales**
Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science, once put his mind to the subject of predicting colourful lizard scales – and we now know he was successful ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393551-alan-turing-mathematically-predicted-the-colour-of-lizard-scales/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-29T06:00:17Z **Super-heatproof computer memory survives temperatures over 500°C**
A kind of computer memory made from the semiconductor scandium aluminium nitride withstands extreme heat in tests, making it potentially useful for space missions ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394256-super-heatproof-computer-memory-survives-temperatures-over-500c/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-29T12:21:22Z **Students search desert for lost rocket after attempted launch to space**
KSP’s chairman Shapol M says he is nervous but confident ahead of the launch.

"The rocket is going together nicely, but we need to be careful with everything. We'll hopefully put in the engines soon. The best thing about Mojave is that the weather is almost always good, but we're trying to launch early in the m ... ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393462-students-search-desert-for-lost-rocket-after-attempted-launch-to-space/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-29T17:00:42Z **Mysteries of the endocannabinoid system and how we're unravelling them**
The cell signalling network in our bodies that helps cannabis get us high is also vital to many other aspects of our health, from sleep to inflammation. Now we’re finally starting to understand why – and what that means for devising new treatments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394424-mysteries-of-the-endocannabinoid-system-and-how-were-unravelling-them/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-29T16:28:17Z **We’ve just realised that a tiny West African crocodile can moo**
Audio recordings reveal that the African dwarf crocodile moos like a cow – and listening out for its calls could help biologists track the species in the wild ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394829-weve-just-realised-that-a-tiny-west-african-crocodile-can-moo/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-29T15:00:01Z **These are the next comets that will be visible in 2023**
Three comets named Hartley, Encke and Tsuchinshan will pass by the sun in the next few months and be visible from Earth. Here’s how you can spot them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394923-these-are-the-next-comets-that-will-be-visible-in-2023/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-09-29T19:00:07Z **Hollow nanoparticles linked by DNA make unusually strong materials**
Particles that are too small to be assembled into materials with conventional methods can be bound together with DNA molecules – the result is clumps of unusually strong and stiff material ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395007-hollow-nanoparticles-linked-by-dna-make-unusually-strong-materials/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-02T08:00:24Z **Adding nanofridges to quantum computers could make them run faster**
Some of the components in quantum computers must be reset between operations, slowing down calculations, but tiny refrigerators could speed things up ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394668-adding-nanofridges-to-quantum-computers-could-make-them-run-faster/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-02T14:00:13Z **Beetles raise their young in trash dumps left behind by army ants**
Breeding beetles belonging to dozens of species are attracted to the piles of food waste left behind by raiding army ants ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394993-beetles-raise-their-young-in-trash-dumps-left-behind-by-army-ants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-02T18:00:56Z **Force that holds atoms together measured more precisely than ever**
We know less about the strength of the strong force than of any of the other fundamental forces of nature, but researchers at CERN have now made the most precise measurement of it ever ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395023-force-that-holds-atoms-together-measured-more-precisely-than-ever/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T08:00:03Z **Water may be forming on the moon thanks to Earth’s magnetic field**
For a few days each month, as the full moon sweeps through the stretched-out tail of Earth’s magnetic field, high-energy electrons seem to be helping form water molecules on the lunar surface ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395070-water-may-be-forming-on-the-moon-thanks-to-earths-magnetic-field/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T11:05:09Z **Nobel prize for physics goes to trio who sliced up time with light**
Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier figured out how to generate attosecond pulses of light, which last a billionth of a billionth of a second and can be used to make movies of electrons - a find that has won them the 2023 Nobel prize in physics ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395567-nobel-prize-for-physics-goes-to-trio-who-sliced-up-time-with-light/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T16:00:26Z **Scientists have only just figured out how cats purr**
The low-pitched sound of purring is unusual for an animal with short vocal folds, but cats have other structures in their larynx that enable their contented rumbling ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395709-scientists-have-only-just-figured-out-how-cats-purr/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T14:00:26Z **Robotic hand has the dexterity to handle tricky objects with care**
A sophisticated algorithm enables a robotic hand to rotate Rubik’s cubes and other objects in three axes, with potential applications on automated manufacturing lines ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394911-robotic-hand-has-the-dexterity-to-handle-tricky-objects-with-care/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T14:00:00Z **How the microbiome changes our idea of what it means to be human**
The microbes living on and in you can change your mood, your mind and your health - challenging our ideas about human nature ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395303-how-the-microbiome-changes-our-idea-of-what-it-means-to-be-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T13:11:18Z **Cheaper malaria vaccine recommended by the WHO**
A second vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease should be available from next year, adding to the first that was launched in 2019 ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395634-cheaper-malaria-vaccine-recommended-by-the-who/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T19:00:36Z **Why we know so little about cannabis – and why scientists are worried**
While research on marijuana has surged in the last 20 years, our understanding of the drug is decades behind that of other substances, like tobacco and alcohol ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395453-why-we-know-so-little-about-cannabis-and-why-scientists-are-worried/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T18:00:50Z **Quantum AI image generator is no match for ones on ordinary computers**
Artificial intelligence has generated recognisable images of things like shoes and T-shirts on a small quantum computer. They aren’t great, but the method could scale up to more powerful machines ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395233-quantum-ai-image-generator-is-no-match-for-ones-on-ordinary-computers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-03T21:00:12Z **Fat Bear Week: How Alaska's brown bears nearly double in size**
Brown bears in Katmai National Park can eat up to 160,000 calories a day to prepare for winter, but how do they know it's feasting time? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395767-fat-bear-week-how-alaskas-brown-bears-nearly-double-in-size/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T08:00:57Z **Invasive beetle could threaten Ecuador’s eucalyptus plantations**
The arrival of the eucalyptus snout beetle threatens the country’s eucalyptus trees – but they themselves are an invasive threat to local species ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394964-invasive-beetle-could-threaten-ecuadors-eucalyptus-plantations/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T06:00:09Z **Hip pain linked to a dozen genetic variants**
In a study of more than 220,000 people, 12 genetic variants were strongly associated with hip pain, a discovery that could improve treatments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395121-hip-pain-linked-to-a-dozen-genetic-variants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T10:00:39Z **Nobel prize for chemistry goes to trio behind quantum dots work**
The tiny crystals, only a few nanometres in size, have applications in computing, lasers and microscopy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395795-nobel-prize-for-chemistry-goes-to-trio-behind-quantum-dots-work/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T16:30:28Z **US emergency alert system: Everything to know about the national test**
Today’s test of the US national alert system on mobile phones is intended to offer opportunities to learn and prepare for emergencies, but tests in the past have sparked conspiracy theories ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395892-us-emergency-alert-system-everything-to-know-about-the-national-test/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T16:00:40Z **Wing-flapping robot helps explain the evolution of insect flight**
Researchers built tiny robots that can switch between two different kinds of flight, one involving unusually fast wing-flapping, to better understand insect evolution ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395779-wing-flapping-robot-helps-explain-the-evolution-of-insect-flight/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T15:00:05Z **Why China's clean energy tech will determine our climate future**
China is both the world’s biggest carbon emitter and the largest producer of clean energy tech. Its choices in navigating this paradoxical role may determine the future of the entire planet ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395586-why-chinas-clean-energy-tech-will-determine-our-climate-future/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T14:00:07Z **The Beast review: Is AI the beast in a powerful tale about emotions?**
Bertrand Bonello’s latest movie, The Beast, invites viewers to grapple with what dependency on technology is doing to us – and asks if AI could even kill off our humanity ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395824-the-beast-review-is-ai-the-beast-in-a-powerful-tale-about-emotions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T19:00:49Z **Being vegetarian may be partly determined by your genes**
Two of three genes that affect your likelihood of being vegetarianism are involved in fat metabolism, suggesting that they may affect people's ability to tolerate a diet without animal fats ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395444-being-vegetarian-may-be-partly-determined-by-your-genes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T19:00:16Z **Humans lived on Spanish plateau during Earth's last cold snap**
Prehistoric people endured frigid and dry conditions in the highlands of central Spain during the coldest part of the last glacial period ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395924-humans-lived-on-spanish-plateau-during-earths-last-cold-snap/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-04T19:00:00Z **Hippos are really bad at chewing their food**
Common hippos can't move their mouths side to side to grind their food, while pgymy hippos can only partly do this motion ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395911-hippos-are-really-bad-at-chewing-their-food/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-05T00:01:32Z **Global power sector has almost hit peak greenhouse gas emissions**
This year could have been the beginning of the end for emissions from generating electricity, were it not for a drought that saw a fall in hydropower generation ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395956-global-power-sector-has-almost-hit-peak-greenhouse-gas-emissions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-05T08:00:23Z **Amazon is launching its first internet satellites to rival Starlink**
Project Kuiper is Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, and the first prototype spacecraft are due to launch on 6 October ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395991-amazon-is-launching-its-first-internet-satellites-to-rival-starlink/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-05T11:00:48Z **Egg sex screening aims to stop slaughter of billions of male chicks**
Male chicks have no value to farmers who raise egg-laying chicken breeds, meaning that billions are slaughtered straight after hatching. Now, techniques to sex embryos inside eggs aim to end this practice ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394786-egg-sex-screening-aims-to-stop-slaughter-of-billions-of-male-chicks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-05T10:43:43Z **Scorching September puts 2023 on track to be hottest year on record**
The global average air temperature smashed the September average by half a degree Celsius, leading to predictions that 2023 will surpass 2016 as the hottest year ever recorded ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396055-scorching-september-puts-2023-on-track-to-be-hottest-year-on-record/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-05T15:00:26Z **How to see the Draconid meteor shower**
The Draconid meteor shower is happening between 6 and 10 October, peaking on 9 October, and you should be able to see it if you are in the northern hemisphere ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396118-how-to-see-the-draconid-meteor-shower/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-05T19:00:37Z **The Amazon may contain thousands of undiscovered ancient structures**
Archaeological surveys have uncovered earthworks built by pre-Columbian societies across the Amazon, suggesting the rainforest isn't as pristine as we once thought ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396260-the-amazon-may-contain-thousands-of-undiscovered-ancient-structures/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-05T17:00:53Z **The surprising ways cannabis can be part of drug addiction treatment**
The idea that overcoming addiction means abstaining from all psychoactive substances for good is outdated and misguided - particularly as we learn more about the potential therapeutic uses of cannabis, says Maia Szalavitz ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395129-the-surprising-ways-cannabis-can-be-part-of-drug-addiction-treatment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-06T11:09:31Z **Wegovy and Ozempic ingredient linked to rare stomach paralysis cases**
A study involving 16 million people in the US found that those prescribed so-called GLP-1-agonists had an increased risk of serious gastrointestinal conditions, including stomach paralysis ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396297-wegovy-and-ozempic-ingredient-linked-to-rare-stomach-paralysis-cases/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-06T09:00:19Z **Sea level rise is already leading to longer commutes in coastal US**
Flooding from rising tides has added at least 23 minutes to the total annual commuting time for people living in coastal communities of the US, adding up to millions of hours wasted each year ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395017-sea-level-rise-is-already-leading-to-longer-commutes-in-coastal-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-06T13:00:06Z **How to spot October’s ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse across the Americas**
An annular solar eclipse, also known as a “ring of fire” eclipse because of the way the sun and moon line up, will be visible in the US, Central America and South America on 14 October ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394269-how-to-spot-octobers-ring-of-fire-solar-eclipse-across-the-americas/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-06T19:00:53Z **Hybrid puffins may have emerged in the 20th century due to warming**
Genetic analysis suggests that two subspecies of Atlantic puffin began interbreeding in Norway in the 20th century, perhaps as a result of warming in the Arctic ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396449-hybrid-puffins-may-have-emerged-in-the-20th-century-due-to-warming/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-07T07:00:25Z **How the end of the universe was completely rewritten**
Cosmologists in the 1960s thought they had the end of the universe worked out – then an unknown PhD student called Beatrice Hill Tinsley upended it all ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395033-how-the-end-of-the-universe-was-completely-rewritten/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-07T14:00:36Z **JWST should soon glimpse the very first stars born after the big bang**
The James Webb Space Telescope is looking ever further back in the universe’s history and the unexpected behaviour it is spotting hints that the standard model of cosmology may need tweaking, astrophysicist Richard Ellis has revealed at New Scientist Live ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396025-jwst-should-soon-glimpse-the-very-first-stars-born-after-the-big-bang/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-08T12:45:55Z **Countries need to coordinate climate action, says former UK adviser**
Smaller groups of countries should be working together to coordinate on policies to reduce emissions, says former UK climate adviser Simon Sharpe at New Scientist Live ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396374-countries-need-to-coordinate-climate-action-says-former-uk-adviser/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-08T15:30:52Z **Online game could deter people from being radicalised into terrorism**
Techniques developed to stop people believing conspiracy theories could be adapted to prevent terrorism ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396400-online-game-could-deter-people-from-being-radicalised-into-terrorism/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-08T15:30:12Z **Robots could make farms more biodiverse with precision crop planting**
Autonomous farm machinery may enable farmers to scale up the benefits of plant interactions, according to research presented at New Scientist Live ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392564-robots-could-make-farms-more-biodiverse-with-precision-crop-planting/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T06:00:58Z **Placebos may ease pain by acting on brain systems linked to emotions**
Placebos may minimise pain by decreasing activity in systems of the brain that regulate emotions, a discovery that could help us to harness the placebo effect to ease discomfort ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396049-placebos-may-ease-pain-by-acting-on-brain-systems-linked-to-emotions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T10:00:09Z **How asteroids can help us understand our place in the cosmos**
With the recent launch of the Psyche mission and the return of samples from the asteroid Bennu, asteroids are all the rage – but if they're just big rocks floating in the void, why do scientists care so much about them? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395992-how-asteroids-can-help-us-understand-our-place-in-the-cosmos/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T08:00:34Z **Some of our cells move – and they do it by emitting lots of chemicals**
A mammalian cell cannot crawl just anywhere – computer simulations based on experiments suggest that the chemicals the cells leach control the process ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396045-some-of-our-cells-move-and-they-do-it-by-emitting-lots-of-chemicals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T08:00:02Z **Largest known solar storm struck Earth 14,300 years ago**
By comparing the rings of 140 trees buried in the bank of a French river, researchers estimate that the largest solar storm that we know of occurred 14,300 years ago ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396456-largest-known-solar-storm-struck-earth-14300-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T10:00:26Z **How to see the Draconid meteor shower peak tonight**
The Draconid meteor shower is happening between 6 and 10 October, peaking on 9 October, and you should be able to see it if you are in the northern hemisphere ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396118-how-to-see-the-draconid-meteor-shower-peak-tonight/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T12:04:03Z **ISS livestream: Watch a live link-up with astronaut Andreas Mogensen**
ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, commander on the International Space Station, answers questions from students at New Scientist Live ahead of him doing his first spacewalk on Thursday ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396580-iss-livestream-watch-a-live-link-up-with-astronaut-andreas-mogensen/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T12:00:52Z **Pickled snake in museum is a new species – but may already be extinct**
A snake kept in a museum in Zimbabwe since 1982 has been assigned to a new species, the Nyanga rinkhals, but biologists fear it may no longer exist in the wild ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396347-pickled-snake-in-museum-is-a-new-species-but-may-already-be-extinct/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T16:00:00Z **Microgreens: The surprising truth about this trendy new ‘superfood’**
Microgreens are an increasingly popular hobby, and have gained a reputation as the superheroes of the nutrition world - are they actually good for you? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034600-100-microgreens-the-surprising-truth-about-this-trendy-new-superfood/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-09T16:00:10Z **Professional goalkeepers perceive the world differently**
Psychological tests reveal that goalkeepers are much better than outfield players or non-footballers at segregating visual and auditory information ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396670-professional-goalkeepers-perceive-the-world-differently/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T18:00:24Z **Slicing the moon in half would be disastrous for Earth – but beautiful**
The moon can be a scourge for astronomers, so the Dead Planets Society has figured out how to destroy it, with consequences both disastrous and visually stunning ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396204-slicing-the-moon-in-half-would-be-disastrous-for-earth-but-beautiful/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T17:00:39Z **Driving under the influence of cannabis: How high is too high?**
Driving under the influence of cannabis increases the risk of traffic accidents, but despite plenty of research into cannabis use by drivers, there is no consensus on deciding who is too high to drive ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396504-driving-under-the-influence-of-cannabis-how-high-is-too-high/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T16:55:58Z **Mathematician warns US spies may be weakening next-gen encryption**
Quantum computers may soon be able to crack encryption methods in use today, so plans are already under way to replace them with new, secure algorithms. Now it seems the US National Security Agency may be undermining that process ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396510-mathematician-warns-us-spies-may-be-weakening-next-gen-encryption/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T16:00:46Z **Chickens made resistant to bird flu with CRISPR gene editing**
Modifying a protein in chicken cells can help the birds resist infection by influenza viruses, but further testing is needed before this approach can be rolled out ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396830-chickens-made-resistant-to-bird-flu-with-crispr-gene-editing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T16:00:42Z **Should we be worried about AI's growing energy use?**
The expanding use of large AI models demands huge numbers of powerful servers, which could end up consuming as much energy as whole countries ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396064-should-we-be-worried-about-ais-growing-energy-use/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T16:00:17Z **Ocean life surged 500 million years ago due to cooler sea temperatures**
A fall in sea surface temperatures around 500 million years ago led to the evolution of aquatic life that could survive in newly hospitable environments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396825-ocean-life-surged-500-million-years-ago-due-to-cooler-sea-temperatures/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T16:00:00Z **The desire for legacy is a mental glitch but we can use it for good**
The strange drive to be remembered after death may result from a cognitive glitch, but it could help solve big problems from climate change to inequality ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034600-200-the-desire-for-legacy-is-a-mental-glitch-but-we-can-use-it-for-good/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T18:46:06Z **World’s largest offshore wind farm sends first power to UK grid**
The Dogger Bank offshore wind farm is located off England’s north-east coast and has begun generating power following installation of the first turbine at the site ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396930-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-sends-first-power-to-uk-grid/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T18:46:06Z **World’s largest offshore wind farm sends first power to UK grid**
The Dogger Bank offshore wind farm is located off England’s north-east coast and has begun generating power following installation of the first turbine at the site ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396930-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-sends-first-power-to-uk-grid/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T18:46:06Z **World’s largest offshore wind farm sends first power to UK grid**
The Dogger Bank offshore wind farm is located off England’s north-east coast and has begun generating power following installation of the first turbine at the site ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396930-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-sends-first-power-to-uk-grid/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T18:46:06Z **World’s largest offshore wind farm sends first power to UK grid**
The Dogger Bank offshore wind farm is located off England’s north-east coast and has begun generating power following installation of the first turbine at the site ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396930-worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-sends-first-power-to-uk-grid/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T00:01:16Z **Mysterious Viking queen may have helped unify Denmark in the 900s**
Queen Thyra, the mother of King Harald Bluetooth, was commemorated on four runestones in different parts of Denmark – suggesting she was a powerful figure ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396731-mysterious-viking-queen-may-have-helped-unify-denmark-in-the-900s/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T00:01:10Z **Female frogs sometimes play dead to avoid mating with males**
Frog mating can be a competitive and sometimes deadly affair as many males compete for females – but females have some tricks to avoid unwanted attention ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396917-female-frogs-sometimes-play-dead-to-avoid-mating-with-males/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-10T23:30:50Z **Winning images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023**
Orcas hunting a seal, duelling Nubian ibexes and a stunning horseshoe crab appear in winning images from this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396750-winning-images-from-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2023/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T12:00:58Z **Going Infinite review: Who is Sam Bankman-Fried?**
A profile of “crypto king” Sam Bankman-Fried has been rushed out as his fraud trial starts in the US. Does its author Michael Lewis get to grips with his subject? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397054-going-infinite-review-who-is-sam-bankman-fried/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T11:35:37Z **London's drying rivers threaten the city's drinking water supply**
Poor river management means that London is number nine in the list of global cities most likely to run out of drinking water, campaigner Feargal Sharkey said at New Scientist Live ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397002-londons-drying-rivers-threaten-the-citys-drinking-water-supply/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T14:55:00Z **Is cannabis today really much more potent than 50 years ago?**
Levels of the psychoactive compound THC have been steadily rising in marijuana since the 1970s, due largely to growers selecting for more potent strains ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396976-is-cannabis-today-really-much-more-potent-than-50-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T16:00:49Z **Two giant planets collided and vaporised in a distant star system**
A star behaving strangely was the first clue that astronomers were witnessing two Neptune-sized planets smashing into each other, creating a doughnut that may one day birth a new planet and moons ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397089-two-giant-planets-collided-and-vaporised-in-a-distant-star-system/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T16:00:16Z **Climate change may be improving the quality of Bordeaux wines**
An analysis has found that Bordeaux wines made in years with wet winters and hot, dry summers – which are becoming more common as a result of climate change – are judged more highly by wine critics ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396693-climate-change-may-be-improving-the-quality-of-bordeaux-wines/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T16:00:00Z **The quantum experiment that could help find evidence of the multiverse**
Scars of collisions with other universes could show up in radiation from the big bang. A new experiment aims to mimic these collisions and help us look for them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034600-700-the-quantum-experiment-that-could-help-find-evidence-of-the-multiverse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T18:00:55Z **Earth’s core is oddly squishy and we may now know why**
Earth’s iron-rich inner core may owe some of its surprising softness to the motion of atoms, suggest experiments with iron at high temperature and pressure coupled to AI simulations ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396983-earths-core-is-oddly-squishy-and-we-may-now-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-11T21:23:13Z **Samples from asteroid Bennu contain the key ingredients of life**
The asteroid Bennu was sampled by NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex mission, which returned to Earth last month. Researchers have already begun studying the samples, and say they contain key ingredients of life ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397232-samples-from-asteroid-bennu-contain-the-key-ingredients-of-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T00:01:39Z **Toys produce far more electronic waste than vapes**
Over 3 billion kilograms of valuable electronics inside children’s toys are thrown away each year, and very few people are aware of this hidden e-waste ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397075-toys-produce-far-more-electronic-waste-than-vapes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T11:17:50Z **Inventions based on threatened animals like rhinos are on the rise**
An analysis of patent records suggests there is growing commercial interest in products derived from rhinos and other threatened wildlife ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397263-inventions-based-on-threatened-animals-like-rhinos-are-on-the-rise/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T16:00:51Z **Energy-efficient transistor could allow smartwatches to use AI**
A prototype transistor built from molybdenum disulphide and carbon nanotubes rather than silicon could allow power-hungry AIs to run on smartwatches without rapidly draining the battery ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397235-energy-efficient-transistor-could-allow-smartwatches-to-use-ai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T16:00:46Z **Simple blood test tweak could make intensive care treatment safer**
Taking less blood for intensive care tests reduces the risk of transfusions, which can cause allergic reactions or infections ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397314-simple-blood-test-tweak-could-make-intensive-care-treatment-safer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T16:00:39Z **We could make roads on the moon by melting lunar dust**
Lunar dust can be melted with a laser to make a strong, glassy material – and a similar effect could be achieved by focusing sunlight with a lens ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397359-we-could-make-roads-on-the-moon-by-melting-lunar-dust/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T16:00:32Z **Neanderthals hunted cave lions with spears and made use of their pelts**
Fossilised remains of extinct big cats called cave lions display evidence of butchery, showing that Neanderthals had the skills to take on top predators ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397317-neanderthals-hunted-cave-lions-with-spears-and-made-use-of-their-pelts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T19:00:57Z **Early humans lived in Ethiopian highlands 2 million years ago**
A child’s jawbone found in Ethiopia is one of the earliest fossils identified as Homo erectus, and shows ancient hominins settled in high-altitude areas ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397291-early-humans-lived-in-ethiopian-highlands-2-million-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-12T19:00:32Z **We now have the most detailed description of the human brain ever**
The tool, which charts the distribution of over a hundred different brain areas in genetic and cellular detail, may shed more light on neurological and mental health conditions ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397366-we-now-have-the-most-detailed-description-of-the-human-brain-ever/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-13T08:00:53Z **AI is helping mathematicians build a periodic table of shapes**
Atomic shapes are so simple that they can't be broken down any further. Mathematicians are trying to build a "periodic table" of these shapes, and they hope artificial intelligence can help ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393924-ai-is-helping-mathematicians-build-a-periodic-table-of-shapes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-13T08:00:39Z **Lessons in Chemistry review: TV show delivers – just stay with it**
When Lessons in Chemistry, the story of a woman scientist frustrated by the times she lives in, finally finds its stride, it is a reminder that things can come together with patience ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397337-lessons-in-chemistry-review-tv-show-delivers-just-stay-with-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-13T13:00:46Z **Furry-clawed Chinese mitten crabs are spreading across the UK**
Numbers of invasive Chinese mitten crabs are believed to be growing in the UK, causing damage to river beds and competing with native wildlife ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397495-furry-clawed-chinese-mitten-crabs-are-spreading-across-the-uk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-13T12:00:17Z **Ukrainian AI attack drones may be killing without human oversight**
Ukraine is using drones equipped with artificial intelligence that can identify and attack targets without any human control, in the first battlefield use of autonomous weapons or "killer robots" ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397389-ukrainian-ai-attack-drones-may-be-killing-without-human-oversight/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-13T12:45:24Z **Israel's demand for Gaza evacuation will lead to deaths, experts warn**
As part of its ongoing conflict with Hamas, Israel has issued a warning for 1.1 million people to leave northern Gaza. The United Nations says such a rapid mass evacuation is impossible without "devastating humanitarian consequences" ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397446-israels-demand-for-gaza-evacuation-will-lead-to-deaths-experts-warn/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-13T20:10:50Z **Student uses AI to decipher word in ancient scroll from Herculaneum**
A computer science student has discovered the first decipherable word in unopened scrolls from Herculaneum, an ancient Roman town buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397583-student-uses-ai-to-decipher-word-in-ancient-scroll-from-herculaneum/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-13T19:00:00Z **Dusting and vacuuming reduce wildfire air pollution inside homes**
Pollutants from wildfire smoke can remain inside homes for weeks, but vacuuming, mopping and dusting result in lower levels of volatile compounds in the air ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397492-dusting-and-vacuuming-reduce-wildfire-air-pollution-inside-homes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-14T07:00:06Z **What ancient Earth tells us about surviving the climate crisis**
Climate scientist and author Michael Mann explains why it’s not too late to prevent the worst impacts of climate change ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397436-what-ancient-earth-tells-us-about-surviving-the-climate-crisis/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-16T09:00:59Z **Under 18s who drive independently develop a better sense of direction**
People who drove by themselves before they turned 18 are better at navigating than those who first drove solo at an older age ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397261-under-18s-who-drive-independently-develop-a-better-sense-of-direction/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-16T13:00:58Z **High-dose vitamin D may lower your risk of going to hospital**
Taking a higher-than-recommended dose of vitamin D every day may reduce the risk of being hospitalised due to any cause, according to a relatively short, small study ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397281-high-dose-vitamin-d-may-lower-your-risk-of-going-to-hospital/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-16T16:30:00Z **Seven wonders of the Milky Way: An astronomer’s guide to the galaxy**
Join us on an exhilarating tour of the Milky Way’s most spectacular sights – from a monstrous black hole and a river of dark matter to a diamond planet, primordial stars and a cosmic hall of mirrors ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034611-000-seven-wonders-of-the-milky-way-an-astronomers-guide-to-the-galaxy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-16T15:21:08Z **Paris's bedbug problem is probably no worse than other major cities**
An apparent resurgence of bedbugs has incited panic in France, but there is no scientific evidence of any increase in infestation rates this year ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397725-pariss-bedbug-problem-is-probably-no-worse-than-other-major-cities/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-16T18:00:28Z **It takes just 108 milliseconds for our brains to spot food**
When you look at an object, it takes just 108 to 116 milliseconds for your brain to decide if it is food ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397642-it-takes-just-108-milliseconds-for-our-brains-to-spot-food/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T07:00:51Z **Cannabis has a shocking environmental cost – here's how to fix it**
Growing cannabis can consume astonishingly large amounts of electricity and water, as well as damage ecosystems, but it doesn't have to be that way ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397220-cannabis-has-a-shocking-environmental-cost-heres-how-to-fix-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T12:00:07Z **Prize-winning photos highlight the impact of climate change on nature**
A glacier under covers, a fish in danger of losing its home and threatened African penguins feature in the best entries to the Royal Society of Biology Photography Competition ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397804-prize-winning-photos-highlight-the-impact-of-climate-change-on-nature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T11:52:13Z **Stunning photo of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io is our best in decades**
NASA's Juno spacecraft has swooped close to Jupiter's moon Io, capturing this amazing photo of the surface – and even better ones will come soon ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397874-stunning-photo-of-jupiters-volcanic-moon-io-is-our-best-in-decades/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T16:00:51Z **People around Europe have eaten seaweed for thousands of years**
Traces of algae on teeth found at archaeological sites suggest that seaweeds may have been a staple part of European diets from the Mesolithic until the Middle Ages ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397961-people-around-europe-have-eaten-seaweed-for-thousands-of-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T16:00:16Z **Tiny generator uses the motion of molecules to produce electricity**
Generating electricity from the movements of molecules in a fluid could one day power devices like tiny medical implants or household appliances ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398055-tiny-generator-uses-the-motion-of-molecules-to-produce-electricity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T15:30:00Z **The trees in our cities are dying — a sick microbiome may be to blame**
Efforts to expand urban green spaces are undermined by street trees dying prematurely. Restoring their root microbiomes could help them live longer ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034610-100-the-trees-in-our-cities-are-dying-a-sick-microbiome-may-be-to-blame/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T15:22:10Z **Coin flips don't truly have a 50/50 chance of being heads or tails**
Researchers who flipped coins 350,757 times have confirmed that the chance of landing the coin the same way up as it started is around 51 per cent ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397248-coin-flips-dont-truly-have-a-50-50-chance-of-being-heads-or-tails/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T20:16:41Z **Pepper X: The world has a new hottest chilli**
Pepper X scorches the previous record holder, the Carolina Reaper, by a million Scoville heat units ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398168-pepper-x-the-world-has-a-new-hottest-chilli/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-17T18:55:40Z **Why the Gaza water crisis is decades in the making**
The UN says approximately 2 million people in Gaza may soon run out of water because Israel has shut off supplies. Here's why the region is so vulnerable to water crises ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398073-why-the-gaza-water-crisis-is-decades-in-the-making/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T05:01:31Z **Hitting the snooze button on your alarm doesn't make you more tired**
Snoozing your alarm doesn't make you sleepier, moodier or less cognitively sharp during the day than getting up straight away ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397914-hitting-the-snooze-button-on-your-alarm-doesnt-make-you-more-tired/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T09:00:57Z **Mega penguins: These are the largest penguins to have ever lived**
No penguin alive today can compare with some of the extinct giants that once roamed the planet, including Kumimanu fordycei, Petradyptes stonehousei and Palaeeudyptes klekowskii ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397894-mega-penguins-these-are-the-largest-penguins-to-have-ever-lived/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T09:00:57Z **Mega penguins: These are the largest penguins to have ever lived**
No penguin alive today can compare with some of the extinct giants that once roamed the planet, including Kumimanu fordycei, Petradyptes stonehousei and Palaeeudyptes klekowskii ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397894-mega-penguins-these-are-the-largest-penguins-to-have-ever-lived/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T11:00:06Z **Scientists prefer feedback from ChatGPT to judgement by peers**
Scientific research must be reviewed by other scientists before it is published, but some researchers say they find feedback from ChatGPT more useful ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398051-scientists-prefer-feedback-from-chatgpt-to-judgement-by-peers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T16:00:57Z **Is England doing enough to stop covid-19 spreading in hospitals?**
New figures confirm toll of the coronavirus on hospital patients during UK’s second wave, but it’s unclear what lessons this has for today ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398335-is-england-doing-enough-to-stop-covid-19-spreading-in-hospitals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T16:00:25Z **Energy-guzzling data centres could work just as well with less cooling**
Data centres consume a huge amount of energy, but researchers have found a simple fix - let the servers run much hotter than they do currently ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398268-energy-guzzling-data-centres-could-work-just-as-well-with-less-cooling/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T16:00:10Z **Bird flu now sweeping the world evolved in Europe and Africa**
For about 25 years, bird flu viruses typically originated in Asia – but the virus that began spreading in 2021 arose in Europe and Africa ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397720-bird-flu-now-sweeping-the-world-evolved-in-europe-and-africa/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T16:00:08Z **Tiniest particle accelerator is so small it could fit into a pen tip**
A particle accelerator that measures just 0.2 mm in length uses laser light to accelerate electrons to speeds of a hundred thousand kilometres per second ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398085-tiniest-particle-accelerator-is-so-small-it-could-fit-into-a-pen-tip/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T19:39:23Z **Why free will doesn't exist, according to Robert Sapolsky**
It's hard to let go of the idea that free will exists, but neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky says that society starts to look very different once you do ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398369-why-free-will-doesnt-exist-according-to-robert-sapolsky/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-18T19:00:35Z **Strange upward lightning shoots out X-rays as it rises to the clouds**
Tall buildings made from electrically conductive materials can send lightning bolts up into the heavens during a thunderstorm, and they generate X-rays at the same time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397616-strange-upward-lightning-shoots-out-x-rays-as-it-rises-to-the-clouds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T06:00:50Z **UK’s global AI summit must provide solutions rather than suggestions**
Efforts to regulate artificial intelligence are gathering steam across the world, but some key ethical and controversial issues don’t seem to be getting enough attention ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397528-uks-global-ai-summit-must-provide-solutions-rather-than-suggestions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T10:54:03Z **Hundreds of chatbots could show us how to make social media less toxic**
A newsfeed algorithm designed to counteract political polarisation could be effective, according to a test involving hundreds of AI-generated users ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398407-hundreds-of-chatbots-could-show-us-how-to-make-social-media-less-toxic/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T16:00:45Z **Climate change will prompt expansion of farming in northern wilderness**
As the world warms, vast areas of wilderness in Russia, Canada and Alaska will become more suitable for farming, threatening the local wildlife ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398603-climate-change-will-prompt-expansion-of-farming-in-northern-wilderness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T16:00:09Z **Hurricanes are growing stronger much faster than they did in the 1970s**
An analysis of all tropical storms in the Atlantic between 1971 and 2020 has confirmed that hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly, giving people less time to prepare ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398149-hurricanes-are-growing-stronger-much-faster-than-they-did-in-the-1970s/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T19:00:57Z **Warm seas blamed for the disappearance of 10 billion snow crabs**
The population of snow crabs in the Bering Sea has crashed since 2018, probably due to starvation as a result of a marine heatwave ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398608-warm-seas-blamed-for-the-disappearance-of-10-billion-snow-crabs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T19:00:41Z **Emergence of huge cicada generation in 2021 led to a caterpillar boom**
The emergence of 'Brood X' periodical cicadas in the US in 2021 gave birds a new food source, leading to knock-on effects throughout forest ecosystems ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398469-emergence-of-huge-cicada-generation-in-2021-led-to-a-caterpillar-boom/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T19:00:28Z **IBM's brain-inspired chip could be the fastest at running AI yet**
An IBM chip that mimics the brain can run AI-powered image recognition algorithms 22 times faster than any commercial chip ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398442-ibms-brain-inspired-chip-could-be-the-fastest-at-running-ai-yet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-19T19:00:11Z **A blast of radio waves hit Earth after travelling for 8 billion years**
A huge burst of energy that has been travelling for more than half the age of the universe is powerful enough to microwave a bowl of popcorn twice the size of the sun ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398539-a-blast-of-radio-waves-hit-earth-after-travelling-for-8-billion-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T09:00:15Z **Why birds' eyes can be blue, green, pink or orange**
Among birds, eyes come in all sorts of colours – and it seems that this helps them compete for mating opportunities and intimidate rivals ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398428-why-birds-eyes-can-be-blue-green-pink-or-orange/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T07:00:38Z **Do animals know that sex leads to babies?**
The time delay between sex and offspring makes identifying the cause and effect a little complicated. Humans have language to explain how reproduction works, but for other animals it may be far less clear ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397429-do-animals-know-that-sex-leads-to-babies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T14:40:46Z **Humans caught more diseases after we domesticated animals**
Analysis of DNA from human remains up to 37,000 years old shows that more infectious diseases jumped from animals to people after the dawn of farming ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398708-humans-caught-more-diseases-after-we-domesticated-animals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T14:00:31Z **Sperm caught breaking Newton's third law of motion**
Some biological cells swim freely in a way that apparently breaks one of Newton’s laws of motion – but only if they have strange elastic properties ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397442-sperm-caught-breaking-newtons-third-law-of-motion/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T13:53:16Z **UK’s fastest supercomputer will be built in a car park in Bristol**
Isambard-AI will contain about 5000 graphics processing units, making it 10 times as powerful as the UK’s current fastest computer, but it will have a humble home in a Bristol car park ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398688-uks-fastest-supercomputer-will-be-built-in-a-car-park-in-bristol/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T12:00:19Z **We forget details when our brain picks the wrong thing to remember**
Scientists have identified the brain mechanisms behind why we often misremember small details, such as an object's colour or location ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398218-we-forget-details-when-our-brain-picks-the-wrong-thing-to-remember/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T18:13:04Z **Mysterious rotation trick makes magnets float in the air**
A few years ago, researchers discovered that a rapidly rotating magnet will cause other nearby magnets to levitate, and they have now worked out why ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398452-mysterious-rotation-trick-makes-magnets-float-in-the-air/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-20T18:00:11Z **Schools cut covid-19 sick days by 20 per cent using HEPA air filters**
The eagerly awaited finding comes from the first randomised trial of putting HEPA filter machines into classrooms ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398713-schools-cut-covid-19-sick-days-by-20-per-cent-using-hepa-air-filters/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-21T07:00:56Z **Legalising marijuana hasn't been the quick fix the US hoped for**
More than 20 US states have now legalised recreational cannabis, but the devastating effects of prohibition have yet to be overcome, says Zachary Siegel ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398764-legalising-marijuana-hasnt-been-the-quick-fix-the-us-hoped-for/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-23T10:00:37Z **Two beguiling books show how mathematics is revolutionising our lives**
Enjoy Piero Martin’s The Seven Measures of the World, stories about measurement, and explore Four Ways of Thinking by David Sumpter, as he argues that maths can improve our lives ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398728-two-beguiling-books-show-how-mathematics-is-revolutionising-our-lives/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-23T17:30:52Z **GPT-4 gave advice on planning terrorist attacks when asked in Zulu**
OpenAI’s GPT-4 advised on committing terrorism and financial fraud when requests were translated into languages it was less familiar with, like Zulu and Scots Gaelic ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398656-gpt-4-gave-advice-on-planning-terrorist-attacks-when-asked-in-zulu/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-23T17:04:00Z **Your ultimate guide to ultra-processed food – how bad is it really?**
Highly processed foods, from pizza to bread, are said to be seriously bad for your health. Here is a digestible guide to what the evidence says, to help you make sense of the conflicting claims ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398937-your-ultimate-guide-to-ultra-processed-food-how-bad-is-it-really/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-23T16:00:37Z **Extensive melting of West Antarctic ice sheet now looks unavoidable**
Ocean modelling suggests coastal cities around the world need to start preparing for several metres of sea level rise over the coming centuries ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398913-extensive-melting-of-west-antarctic-ice-sheet-now-looks-unavoidable/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T00:01:10Z **Stunning image of how signals move through the heart wins photo prize**
A computer-generated image mapping the thousands of muscle cells that make up the wall of the heart won top prize at the British Heart Foundation's annual Reflections of Research science photography competition ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398914-stunning-image-of-how-signals-move-through-the-heart-wins-photo-prize/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T00:01:01Z **Deforestation increased in 2022 despite pledges to save forests**
The world is going “in the wrong direction” on forests, say campaigners. But some countries have reduced deforestation rates, and actions such as trade reform could yet turn the tide ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398832-deforestation-increased-in-2022-despite-pledges-to-save-forests/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T16:00:42Z **Ancient river valleys discovered beneath Antarctic ice sheet**
A better picture of the hidden landscape beneath the frozen surface of Antarctica could help us understand how the ice will respond to climate change ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399064-ancient-river-valleys-discovered-beneath-antarctic-ice-sheet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T16:00:00Z **How countries can go fossil fuel free with wind and solar superpowers**
South Australia is a renewable energy champion and now plans a truly fossil fuel-free grid. How did it make such a remarkable turnaround, and can the rest of the world follow suit? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034621-600-how-countries-can-go-fossil-fuel-free-with-wind-and-solar-superpowers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T15:31:24Z **What would it take to make the most inhospitable planet for life?**
Most of the planets discovered in the universe so far would be incredibly hostile for life, but Dead Planets Society is intent on creating one worse than any we’ve seen before ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399028-what-would-it-take-to-make-the-most-inhospitable-planet-for-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T14:55:48Z **Record-breaking quantum computer has more than 1000 qubits**
Atom Computing has created the first quantum computer to surpass 1000 qubits, which could improve the accuracy of the machines ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399246-record-breaking-quantum-computer-has-more-than-1000-qubits/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T14:00:08Z **Vegan cheese made from fermented peas could taste more like dairy**
When a mixture of pea protein and sunflower oil is fermented with lactic acid-producing bacteria, it develops a firm texture and produces flavour compounds found in dairy cheese ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398691-vegan-cheese-made-from-fermented-peas-could-taste-more-like-dairy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T12:00:25Z **Marijuana as medicine: Everything you need to know**
Support for medical cannabis has skyrocketed in recent years, but when does it actually help? Here's what the evidence says about 20 conditions, including anxiety, cancer and insomnia ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2396334-marijuana-as-medicine-everything-you-need-to-know/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T11:54:42Z **What are solid-state batteries and why do we need them?**
Batteries containing solid electrolytes have many theoretical benefits, but a technique to manufacture them cheaply has been elusive ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398896-what-are-solid-state-batteries-and-why-do-we-need-them/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T10:00:57Z **Oddly bright burst may mean space is more transparent than we thought**
A gamma ray burst seen last year was so powerful that cosmologists might have to update their models of the universe ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398865-oddly-bright-burst-may-mean-space-is-more-transparent-than-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-24T16:56:52Z **Bird flu has reached Antarctica and could have a devastating effect**
A lethal form of bird flu has been discovered in the Antarctic region for the first time and it could kill many seals and whales as well as millions of birds ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399252-bird-flu-has-reached-antarctica-and-could-have-a-devastating-effect/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T01:28:41Z **7 spooky science stories that will have you hiding behind the couch**
To unmask the hidden science of Halloween, we've made these seven premium articles free to read for a week. Enjoy... if you dare! ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397852-7-spooky-science-stories-that-will-have-you-hiding-behind-the-couch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T12:00:33Z **We may finally know which brain cells cause motion sickness**
Researchers have identified neurons in mice that influence whether the animals experience motion sickness, which could lead to new ways of preventing the condition in humans ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399044-we-may-finally-know-which-brain-cells-cause-motion-sickness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T10:00:29Z **These 6 tipping points could be catastrophic for humanity, says the UN**
Systems that humans depend on could collapse if we don’t take action to address groundwater depletion, melting glaciers and space debris, according to a UN report ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399226-these-6-tipping-points-could-be-catastrophic-for-humanity-says-the-un/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T14:54:56Z **Ice-spewing supervolcano may have been found on Pluto**
Images of Pluto from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft show a 44-kilometre-wide crater with hints of recent volcanic activity ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399530-ice-spewing-supervolcano-may-have-been-found-on-pluto/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T14:00:35Z **Pink river dolphins are dying from extreme heat in the Amazon**
Months of high temperatures and low rainfall are taking their toll on wildlife and people living along the Amazon river, and climate change could bring more extreme conditions ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399388-pink-river-dolphins-are-dying-from-extreme-heat-in-the-amazon/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T14:00:00Z **Is space-time quantum? Six ways to unpick the fabric of the universe**
One of the biggest questions in physics asks whether space-time is classical or quantum in nature. From slow neutrinos to quantum foam, these experiments are hoping to finally answer it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034621-500-is-space-time-quantum-six-ways-to-unpick-the-fabric-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T13:00:18Z **Can we get limitless green hydrogen by splitting seawater?**
Electrolysers that split water to produce hydrogen have trouble working with seawater, but overcoming this would offer new ways to produce the clean-burning fuel using offshore renewable energy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399489-can-we-get-limitless-green-hydrogen-by-splitting-seawater/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T19:00:38Z **ADHD could be spotted by a score showing if you're easily distracted**
Different measures of distractibility could be combined into a single "d score" to assess if someone may have ADHD ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399491-adhd-could-be-spotted-by-a-score-showing-if-youre-easily-distracted/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T19:00:07Z **Roosters may be able to recognise themselves in a mirror**
Very few non-human animals have passed the mirror self-recognition test, but roosters have now succeeded at a modified version, which may mean they can understand that a reflection represents their own body ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399445-roosters-may-be-able-to-recognise-themselves-in-a-mirror/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T19:00:02Z **Smart glasses that play sounds help people who are blind find objects**
Smart glasses that play a specific noise when an object comes into their field of view, such as the sound of a page turning to represent a book, enable people who are blind to locate that item ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399560-smart-glasses-that-play-sounds-help-people-who-are-blind-find-objects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T18:10:52Z **Hurricane Otis rapidly intensified – why was it so hard to predict?**
All the weather models forecasted that Otis would make landfall as a tropical storm but instead it intensified into a Category 5 hurricane ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399611-hurricane-otis-rapidly-intensified-why-was-it-so-hard-to-predict/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-25T21:04:14Z **ChatGPT wrote code that can make databases leak sensitive information**
Six AI tools, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, were exploited to write code capable of damaging commercial databases – although OpenAI appears to have now fixed the vulnerability ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399370-chatgpt-wrote-code-that-can-make-databases-leak-sensitive-information/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-26T08:00:49Z **Cloud geoengineering could help us avoid major climate tipping points**
A model predicts that marine cloud brightening would reduce the risk of some disastrous changes in the climate, but could also have some negative consequences ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399504-cloud-geoengineering-could-help-us-avoid-major-climate-tipping-points/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-26T10:57:45Z **What time is the partial lunar eclipse of the full moon this weekend?**
The full moon on 28 October will have a red tinge for viewers in the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa as part of the moon passes into Earth’s shadow ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399613-what-time-is-the-partial-lunar-eclipse-of-the-full-moon-this-weekend/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-26T16:00:23Z **Migraines linked to rare genetic variants that could boost treatments**
We know that migraines, which are recurrent and sometimes debilitating headaches, have some genetic basis, but the link with our DNA isn't entirely clear. Newly identified genetic variants could help in developing treatments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399865-migraines-linked-to-rare-genetic-variants-that-could-boost-treatments/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-26T16:00:17Z **Most mammals go through the menopause - if they live long enough**
The majority of female mammals stop producing eggs long before the end of their potential lifespans, but in the wild few reach this point, other than humans and some whales ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399813-most-mammals-go-through-the-menopause-if-they-live-long-enough/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-26T21:00:25Z **Flatworm caught hunting and killing spider on its own web**
Flatworms are slow-moving predators with poor vision, but one of them managed to attack a spider as it guarded its egg sac ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399825-flatworm-caught-hunting-and-killing-spider-on-its-own-web/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T08:00:20Z **Quantum flywheel could be fashioned from super-sized charged atoms**
A flywheel helps smooth the output of mechanical energy from an engine, and now there is a blueprint for making a quantum version ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399060-quantum-flywheel-could-be-fashioned-from-super-sized-charged-atoms/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T12:00:36Z **Strange supernova blasts hint we have glimpsed a black hole’s birth**
Mysterious rhythmic bursts of light from a supernova hint that it has become a compact object like a black hole or neutron star ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399802-strange-supernova-blasts-hint-we-have-glimpsed-a-black-holes-birth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T11:52:40Z **Plant presumed extinct sprouts in a road after more than 40 years**
The mini galaxy plant was found flowering on a gravel road after no official sightings had been made since 1981 ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399982-plant-presumed-extinct-sprouts-in-a-road-after-more-than-40-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T10:00:47Z **Why 7 million UK smart meters will stop working and what it will mean**
Household smart meters give a live summary of energy usage and its cost – but the planned switch-off of 2G and 3G mobile networks means that some 7 million devices in England, Wales and Scotland will stop working, warns a government committee ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399171-why-7-million-uk-smart-meters-will-stop-working-and-what-it-will-mean/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T10:00:07Z **The scariest sci-fi horror movies for Halloween, chosen by an expert**
From The Fly to Event Horizon, horror expert Neil McRobert is here just in time for Halloween with a guide to the best science horror films of all time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398256-the-scariest-sci-fi-horror-movies-for-halloween-chosen-by-an-expert/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T14:00:58Z **The Great Sphinx of Giza may have been blown into shape by the wind**
As rock is carved by the wind, it can take on a sphinx-like shape, meaning the Great Sphinx in Egypt may have been partly formed through natural processes ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399750-the-great-sphinx-of-giza-may-have-been-blown-into-shape-by-the-wind/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T18:00:32Z **Food waste in US landfills produces emissions equal to 12 million cars**
More than a third of food produced in the US goes to waste. Most of it ends up in landfills where it becomes a major source of planet-warming methane as it decays ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399742-food-waste-in-us-landfills-produces-emissions-equal-to-12-million-cars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T17:31:59Z **We may now know how ketamine can treat depression for so long**
Ketamine becomes trapped inside certain receptors in the brains of mice – and the longer it is trapped, the longer its antidepressant effects last ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399959-we-may-now-know-how-ketamine-can-treat-depression-for-so-long/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T17:00:08Z **Home stool test detects bowel cancer with over 90 per cent accuracy**
A screening test for bowel cancer that looks for RNA in stools can be done at home and is almost as good at detecting the condition as gold-standard colonoscopies ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399973-home-stool-test-detects-bowel-cancer-with-over-90-per-cent-accuracy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-27T21:05:44Z **Gaza's phone and internet services have completely collapsed**
Palestinian telecommunications companies say that Israeli military bombardment of Gaza has cut off nearly all mobile phone and internet communications services ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400067-gazas-phone-and-internet-services-have-completely-collapsed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T12:57:04Z **Partial lunar eclipse captured in stunning images around the world**
On 28 October, the full moon had a red tinge for viewers in the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa, created by Earth's shadow ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400148-partial-lunar-eclipse-captured-in-stunning-images-around-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T10:04:59Z **You probably don't need 8 hours of sleep for a healthy brain**
Largest analysis of brain scanning data yet suggests concerns about getting 7-to-8 hours sleep a night are overblown ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399776-you-probably-dont-need-8-hours-of-sleep-for-a-healthy-brain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T09:14:45Z **Some insects disguise themselves as spiders to avoid getting eaten**
Several species of flies, moths and planthoppers look so much like their jumping spider enemies that they fool an image-recognition AI ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400032-some-insects-disguise-themselves-as-spiders-to-avoid-getting-eaten/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T16:00:35Z **Sun-blocking dust from asteroid impact drove the dinosaur extinction**
The Chicxulub impact 66 million years ago filled the sky with fine silicate dust, which blocked out sunlight and lingered for 15 years ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400245-sun-blocking-dust-from-asteroid-impact-drove-the-dinosaur-extinction/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T16:00:20Z **We can now only stay under 1.5°C target if we achieve net zero by 2034**
The amount of carbon dioxide we can still emit to have just a 50 per cent chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C is even smaller than previously thought ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400140-we-can-now-only-stay-under-1-5c-target-if-we-achieve-net-zero-by-2034/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T16:00:00Z **How we will discover the mysterious origins of life once and for all**
Seventy years ago, three discoveries propelled our understanding of how life on Earth began. But has the biggest clue to life's origins been staring biologists in the face all along? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034631-300-how-we-will-discover-the-mysterious-origins-of-life-once-and-for-all/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T19:00:25Z **Desert plant collects water from air by excreting salt on its leaves**
An evergreen desert shrub common in the Middle East excretes salt crystals onto its leaves that may help it draw moisture from nighttime air ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400273-desert-plant-collects-water-from-air-by-excreting-salt-on-its-leaves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-30T19:00:07Z **Biden executive order: How the US is trying to tame AI**
US president Joe Biden has announced an executive order that establishes ambitious guidelines on safety and security for artificial intelligence, but it will still need political will to put regulatory teeth and resources behind it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400302-biden-executive-order-how-the-us-is-trying-to-tame-ai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-31T07:00:28Z **Why cannabis smells like skunk – and how that could soon change**
Researchers recently identified the chemical source of marijuana's distinctive scent. The finding could help lead to less pungent pot or strains with new flavours ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399753-why-cannabis-smells-like-skunk-and-how-that-could-soon-change/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-31T11:00:28Z **Flatworms can either regrow lost heads or reproduce sexually, not both**
When flatworms have the ability to regenerate, they lose the option to lay eggs – instead they produce offspring by splitting themselves apart ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400325-flatworms-can-either-regrow-lost-heads-or-reproduce-sexually-not-both/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-31T17:05:38Z **A curious history of famous body parts**
Suzie Edge is a medical historian who frequently surprises (and sometimes shocks) her TikTok followers with health stories of famous people from the past. Here are some of her favourites ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400436-a-curious-history-of-famous-body-parts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-31T16:00:00Z **With privacy concerns rising, can we teach AI chatbots to forget?**
The way AI systems work means that we can’t easily delete what they have learned. Now, researchers are seeking ways to remove sensitive information without having to retrain them from scratch ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034632-500-with-privacy-concerns-rising-can-we-teach-ai-chatbots-to-forget/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-31T15:00:35Z **Face masks ward off covid-19, so why are we still arguing about it?**
The most recent review into the effectiveness of face masks has confirmed that they do help to prevent covid-19, but the intervention remains a controversial issue ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400394-face-masks-ward-off-covid-19-so-why-are-we-still-arguing-about-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-31T14:10:48Z **UK AI summit: G7 countries agree AI code of conduct**
Ahead of a meeting at Bletchley Park on the future of artificial intelligence hosted by UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, international agreements on AI are coming together ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400244-uk-ai-summit-g7-countries-agree-ai-code-of-conduct/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-10-31T18:00:54Z **Why is there a shortage of ADHD drugs and what can people do?**
People with ADHD may need to search for their medicines at multiple pharmacies or see their doctor to get their prescription altered ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400281-why-is-there-a-shortage-of-adhd-drugs-and-what-can-people-do/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T08:00:51Z **AIs can guess where Reddit users live and how much they earn**
Large language models such as GPT-4 were able to identify people’s personal information by analysing their posts on social media ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400514-ais-can-guess-where-reddit-users-live-and-how-much-they-earn/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T10:00:02Z **The best new science fiction books of November 2023**
A fresh vision of the Culture universe from Iain M. Banks plus new books from Brandon Sanderson and Naomi Alderman are among the science fiction treats in store this November ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398486-the-best-new-science-fiction-books-of-november-2023/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T13:34:27Z **UK AI summit is a 'photo opportunity' not an open debate, critics say**
The AI Safety Summit, hosted by UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, has been criticised for a lack of diverse perspectives, focusing on the wrong problems and being dominated by powerful technology company executives ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400626-uk-ai-summit-is-a-photo-opportunity-not-an-open-debate-critics-say/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T11:50:30Z **Ash from wildfires may fuel the growth of plankton in the ocean**
Wildfires can deposit large amounts of ash into the oceans, and experiments suggest that this material could boosts the growth of phytoplankton in seawater ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400629-ash-from-wildfires-may-fuel-the-growth-of-plankton-in-the-ocean/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T17:26:03Z **When will Storm Ciaran hit and what makes it a bomb cyclone?**
The strongest winds from Storm Ciaran are expected to hit south England on the morning of 2 November, and the storm may set a record for the lowest air pressure recorded in 200 years ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400796-when-will-storm-ciaran-hit-and-what-makes-it-a-bomb-cyclone/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T17:14:13Z **Tall children may be at greater risk of some forms of heart disease**
Tall 10-year-olds may be more at risk of developing an irregular heart rate in later life than their shorter counterparts, but less at risk of having a stroke ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400415-tall-children-may-be-at-greater-risk-of-some-forms-of-heart-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T16:47:38Z **Wildfire smoke is reversing decades of progress on clean air**
A spike in wildfires across the globe is stalling and even reversing improvements on air pollution, raising the risk of lung, heart and neurological problems ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400774-wildfire-smoke-is-reversing-decades-of-progress-on-clean-air/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T16:00:57Z **Bits of an ancient planet called Theia may be buried in Earth’s mantle**
Two strange, high-density blobs buried more than a kilometre underground may have come from the ancient world Theia, which is thought to have slammed into Earth to create the moon ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400567-bits-of-an-ancient-planet-called-theia-may-be-buried-in-earths-mantle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T16:00:23Z **Starfish don't have a body - they're just a big squished head**
Gene expression patterns in starfish reveal a surprising answer to the question of how they evolved their unusual body shape ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400256-starfish-dont-have-a-body-theyre-just-a-big-squished-head/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-01T16:00:00Z **Are you truly healthy? These new tests provide the ultimate check-up**
Conventional measures like blood pressure and body mass index only tell you so much. Testing your microbiome and metabolites, or even discovering your “immune grade”, can offer a clearer picture of your health ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034631-200-are-you-truly-healthy-these-new-tests-provide-the-ultimate-check-up/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T13:03:30Z **What will Elon Musk and Rishi Sunak talk about in their AI chat?**
The UK prime minister and US tech mogul are set to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, in a conversation streamed on Musk's X platform. Here are some topics they might touch on ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400928-what-will-elon-musk-and-rishi-sunak-talk-about-in-their-ai-chat/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T11:00:00Z **Mysterious cannabis-induced vomiting syndrome is on the rise**
A growing number of heavy cannabis users – especially young people – are showing up in emergency rooms with prolonged vomiting due to cannabis hyperemesis syndrome ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2398836-mysterious-cannabis-induced-vomiting-syndrome-is-on-the-rise/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T11:38:22Z **UK AI summit: US-led AI pledge threatens to overshadow Bletchley Park**
Nations are vying to see who can sign up the most countries to their AI safety agreements, with a surprise US announcement threatening to overshadow the UK's declaration ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400859-uk-ai-summit-us-led-ai-pledge-threatens-to-overshadow-bletchley-park/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T17:03:05Z **We must move faster to understand and regulate AI, says Rishi Sunak**
Speaking at the end of the UK's AI Safety Summit, prime minister Rishi Sunak said that we don't yet understand enough about AI models to regulate them properly, but work to do so must happen faster ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400942-we-must-move-faster-to-understand-and-regulate-ai-says-rishi-sunak/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T16:35:18Z **What did the UK's AI Safety Summit actually achieve?**
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's much-publicised AI summit at Bletchley Park has come to an end, and the result seems to be a promise to hold more summits. At this rate, legislation will struggle to keep pace with the development of AI ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400834-what-did-the-uks-ai-safety-summit-actually-achieve/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T16:29:13Z **Pesticides in soya farming may be behind leukaemia deaths in Brazil**
The replacement of cow pastures with soya plantations in parts of Brazil has corresponded with an increase in leukaemia deaths among children, possibly due to pesticide exposure ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400794-pesticides-in-soya-farming-may-be-behind-leukaemia-deaths-in-brazil/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T16:00:39Z **Earliest known war in Europe was a Stone Age conflict 5000 years ago**
Hundreds of human remains from one burial site hint at a prolonged conflict between Stone Age people, long before the formation of powerful states ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400895-earliest-known-war-in-europe-was-a-stone-age-conflict-5000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-02T21:41:10Z **Lucy spacecraft found another asteroid behind the asteroid Dinkinesh**
NASA's Lucy spacecraft flew past its first asteroid, Dinkinesh, on 1 November, and the first images have shown that Dinkinesh has a second, even tinier, asteroid orbiting it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401091-lucy-spacecraft-found-another-asteroid-behind-the-asteroid-dinkinesh/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-03T00:22:27Z **Elon Musk’s AI chat with Rishi Sunak: Everything you need to know**
A chat about AI between US tech mogul Elon Musk and UK prime minister Rishi Sunak focused heavily on utopian futures and theoretical risks of superhuman intelligence instead of actual harms caused by AI systems already deployed by tech companies ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401101-elon-musks-ai-chat-with-rishi-sunak-everything-you-need-to-know/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-03T08:00:01Z **Hydrogen is a green fuel despite small warming effect from pipe leaks**
In the future, some industrial processes may be powered by hydrogen instead of fossil fuels. If the hydrogen leaks into the atmosphere before it is burned it can contribute to climate change – but not much ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400577-hydrogen-is-a-green-fuel-despite-small-warming-effect-from-pipe-leaks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-03T12:31:34Z **Stunning image of South America's largest lake hides a dark secret**
Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, the largest lake in South America, has been captured in detail by the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401149-stunning-image-of-south-americas-largest-lake-hides-a-dark-secret/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-03T12:00:28Z **Postcard from Earth review: Amazing visuals can’t lift Aronofsky movie**
It’s not Black Swan or The Wrestler. Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth is visually stunning with ultra high-res canyons and wildlife but as a movie, it is cheesy and simplistic ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401109-postcard-from-earth-review-amazing-visuals-cant-lift-aronofsky-movie/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-03T21:13:05Z **Quantum batteries could charge better by breaking rules of causality**
Taking advantage of a quantum phenomenon called indefinite causal order could make quantum batteries charge more efficiently ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401198-quantum-batteries-could-charge-better-by-breaking-rules-of-causality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-06T10:00:33Z **Eight healthy habits that could slow your rate of ageing**
Not smoking, exercising regularly and keeping your cholesterol in check could make your biological age younger than your chronological age ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401179-eight-healthy-habits-that-could-slow-your-rate-of-ageing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-06T13:00:24Z **DNA vaccines coding for live viruses could soon be tested in people**
DNA vaccines would be much easier to store than mRNA alternatives and should be as effective as conventional vaccines that contain live viruses ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400932-dna-vaccines-coding-for-live-viruses-could-soon-be-tested-in-people/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-06T17:00:22Z **Spine stimulator lets man with severe Parkinson's walk without falling**
A man with Parkinson's disease who fell up to six times a day can now walk several kilometres without falling due to a device that electrically stimulates his spinal cord ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401388-spine-stimulator-lets-man-with-severe-parkinsons-walk-without-falling/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-06T16:00:00Z **The surprising life and avoidable demise of Earth’s remarkable oases**
The antiquity, stability and weird chemistry of oases have made them cradles of evolution, yet humanity's need for water is putting these unique habitats in peril ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034640-500-the-surprising-life-and-avoidable-demise-of-earths-remarkable-oases/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-06T19:31:27Z **Crabs evolved to live away from the ocean up to 17 different times**
Unlike most other animal groups that left the sea behind, crabs have done it many times throughout their evolutionary history – and some crab lineages have even reversed course back to the ocean ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401475-crabs-evolved-to-live-away-from-the-ocean-up-to-17-different-times/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-06T18:00:52Z **Twin ocean climate anomalies may trigger heat and drought in 2024**
A strong El Niño in the Pacific Ocean is coinciding with a similarly strong climate pattern in the Indian Ocean, suggesting South-East Asia and Australia will soon experience heat, drought and wildfires ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401228-twin-ocean-climate-anomalies-may-trigger-heat-and-drought-in-2024/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T13:15:58Z **Euclid space telescope releases its first stunning full-colour images**
The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has released five of its first science images, including an iconic nebula and glistening galaxies ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401441-euclid-space-telescope-releases-its-first-stunning-full-colour-images/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T12:25:09Z **The sun is smaller than we thought it was**
Measurements of sound waves passing through the sun seem to confirm that it isn’t as big as we thought and we don’t fully understand its interior ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401527-the-sun-is-smaller-than-we-thought-it-was/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T12:00:33Z **Swarm of robots can make collective decisions by imitating bees**
A group of small, simple robots can make a collective decision by exchanging infrared light signals in a process inspired by how bees decide where to build their nests ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401087-swarm-of-robots-can-make-collective-decisions-by-imitating-bees/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T10:00:49Z **Ocean heat could supply essentially endless clean energy to islands**
An old idea to use ocean heat to generate clean electricity has long failed to gain traction, but the technology – known as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) – is seeing a resurgence of interest from islands dependent on fossil fuels ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401171-ocean-heat-could-supply-essentially-endless-clean-energy-to-islands/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T17:04:34Z **Drug that cuts breast cancer risk set for wider use in UK**
An oral medicine called anastrozole has been approved by the UK's drug regulatory agency for reducing the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women at moderate-to-high risk of the condition ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401633-drug-that-cuts-breast-cancer-risk-set-for-wider-use-in-uk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T16:00:00Z **Rats squeak with happiness when they are with another rat**
Rats emit a high-pitched squeak when around another rat, seemingly just to express a positive emotion ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401348-rats-squeak-with-happiness-when-they-are-with-another-rat/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T16:00:00Z **Sweeteners: The bitter truth about low-calorie sugar substitutes**
Low-calorie sweeteners such as aspartame have become common in all our diets. With concerns over their health impacts, should you turn to new plant-based alternatives to get your sweet hit? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034640-400-sweeteners-the-bitter-truth-about-low-calorie-sugar-substitutes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T15:17:48Z **Can we smash together all of the asteroids to build a new planet?**
The asteroid belt is messy and sometimes a threat to our solar system’s planet, so on this episode of Dead Planets Society it’s time to tidy it up into a single asteroid world ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401185-can-we-smash-together-all-of-the-asteroids-to-build-a-new-planet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T21:00:10Z **Rising humidity has boosted storm potential in northern hemisphere**
Over the past 40 years, rising humidity means the atmospheric conditions that trigger severe storms are now more likely to occur – but there might not necessarily be more tornadoes as a result ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401599-rising-humidity-has-boosted-storm-potential-in-northern-hemisphere/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T20:35:47Z **Orcas sink another sailboat as a bewildering wave of attacks continues**
Orcas have been damaging or sinking boats in the Strait of Gibraltar for the past few years and we don’t know why ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401695-orcas-sink-another-sailboat-as-a-bewildering-wave-of-attacks-continues/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-07T23:25:57Z **Newfound moon around asteroid Dinkinesh is actually two touching rocks**
When NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew past the asteroid Dinkinesh, it found an unexpected satellite – but further images revealed that it’s actually two rocks tenuously connected together ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401710-newfound-moon-around-asteroid-dinkinesh-is-actually-two-touching-rocks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T10:00:33Z **Just 3.5 minutes of intense activity a day may keep your heart healthy**
A few minutes a day of intense physical activity, which can come from everyday chores, is linked with a lower rate of heart attacks, particularly in female non-exercisers ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401117-just-3-5-minutes-of-intense-activity-a-day-may-keep-your-heart-healthy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T09:00:40Z **When to see Venus disappear behind the moon for its lunar occultation**
Venus will vanish behind the moon for about an hour in the morning of 9 November in Europe, western Russia and some of northern Africa – here’s how to watch it happen ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401621-when-to-see-venus-disappear-behind-the-moon-for-its-lunar-occultation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T13:19:22Z **Superconductor hopes dashed after journal retracts ‘red matter’ study**
Nature has retracted the scientific paper that claimed earlier this year that the wonder material known as “red matter” was the world’s first room-temperature superconductor ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401794-superconductor-hopes-dashed-after-journal-retracts-red-matter-study/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T13:00:54Z **Why is Canada's assisted dying policy in the global spotlight?**
Medically assisted dying was behind more than 4 per cent of Canada's deaths last year, but uptake is lower in other parts of the world that allow such fatalities ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401617-why-is-canadas-assisted-dying-policy-in-the-global-spotlight/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T11:00:54Z **How Jupiter's powerful storms compare to weather on hot Jupiters**
From the Great Red Spot to the extreme jet stream, Jupiter’s weather is intense, but that's nothing compared to the extraordinary storms and winds on other gas giants in the universe ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401226-how-jupiters-powerful-storms-compare-to-weather-on-hot-jupiters/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T17:00:34Z **The cannabis of the future might not come from plants**
We can now synthesise THC, CBD and other cannabinoids in bioreactors – these could be used to make new therapeutic compounds with a lower environmental cost ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400841-the-cannabis-of-the-future-might-not-come-from-plants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T16:00:58Z **Distant Milky Way-like galaxy is older than we thought possible**
The most distant Milky Way-like galaxy ever seen – a barred spiral galaxy – has been spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope and it is more than 11 billion years old ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401932-distant-milky-way-like-galaxy-is-older-than-we-thought-possible/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T16:00:56Z **Atom-by-atom recordings track what happens after substances dissolve**
Solvation is the complicated process through which a dissolved substance like salt interacts with a solvent like water – and we are closer to understanding how it unfolds at the atomic level ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401643-atom-by-atom-recordings-track-what-happens-after-substances-dissolve/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T16:00:42Z **Yeast has half its DNA rewritten in quest for synthetic complex cells**
A team aiming to produce the first complex cell with an entirely synthetic genome has created a strain of yeast with half of its chromosomes designed from scratch ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401760-yeast-has-half-its-dna-rewritten-in-quest-for-synthetic-complex-cells/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T16:00:26Z **A type of vitamin B3 might treat chronic pain related to inflammation**
Chronic pain can outlast inflammation, the usual driver of pain in the body – a study in mice suggests a vitamin supplement could help relieve it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401405-a-type-of-vitamin-b3-might-treat-chronic-pain-related-to-inflammation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T15:06:56Z **Rainforest loss in South-East Asia could extend El Niño and La Niña**
Climate models suggest that deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia will cause feedback loops that contribute to longer El Niño and La Niña events, bringing more extreme impacts around the world ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401891-rainforest-loss-in-south-east-asia-could-extend-el-nino-and-la-nina/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T15:00:00Z **A second big bang? The radical idea rewriting dark matter’s origins**
The enduring mystery of dark matter has led some physicists to propose that it was forged in a distinct moment of cosmic creation, potentially transforming our view of the early universe ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034640-300-a-second-big-bang-the-radical-idea-rewriting-dark-matters-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-08T21:34:38Z **Highly effective weight-loss drug Zepbound approved for use in the US**
A drug called tirzepatide and sold under the name Zepbound has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use as a weight-loss medication ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2371986-highly-effective-weight-loss-drug-zepbound-approved-for-use-in-the-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-09T00:01:27Z **Blood tests for Alzheimer’s may be rolled out within five years**
The prediction stems from a project to translate tests currently used in research into aids for routine diagnosis in hospitals ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401867-blood-tests-for-alzheimers-may-be-rolled-out-within-five-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-09T08:00:30Z **Bubble collisions underwater may create tiny droplets in sea spray**
We’ve long struggled to explain why sea spray contains so many tiny water droplets – now, experiments suggest the droplets may be created underwater when bubbles collide and merge ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401950-bubble-collisions-underwater-may-create-tiny-droplets-in-sea-spray/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-09T11:45:38Z **Highly effective weight-loss drug Zepbound approved in the US and UK**
A drug called tirzepatide and sold under the name Zepbound has been approved in the US and the UK for use as a weight-loss medication ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2371986-highly-effective-weight-loss-drug-zepbound-approved-in-the-us-and-uk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-09T16:35:02Z **Greenland glaciers are receding twice as fast as in the 20th century**
An analysis of archive photographs shows that the retreat rate of hundreds of glaciers around the coast of Greenland has accelerated dramatically due to global warming ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402184-greenland-glaciers-are-receding-twice-as-fast-as-in-the-20th-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-09T16:00:21Z **Peanut toothpaste shows promise at preventing allergic reactions**
A toothpaste that contains peanut proteins did not cause any serious side effects in people with an allergy to the food and showed early signs of preventing dangerous reactions ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402095-peanut-toothpaste-shows-promise-at-preventing-allergic-reactions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-09T15:30:06Z **Human eyeball successfully transplanted for the first time**
Aaron James received the first ever eyeball transplant during a 21-hour-long surgical procedure – and five months later, his new eyeball is healthy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402020-human-eyeball-successfully-transplanted-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-09T21:00:26Z **Astronomers have found the most distant black hole ever confirmed**
The most distant supermassive black hole confirmed is more than 31 billion light years away, and it could be the key to figuring out how these behemoths grew so big so fast ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402016-astronomers-have-found-the-most-distant-black-hole-ever-confirmed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T01:00:25Z **Frequently seeing friends and family may cut the risk of early death**
People who socialise regularly with friends or family live longer than those who never do, according to a study in more than 450,000 people in the UK ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402234-frequently-seeing-friends-and-family-may-cut-the-risk-of-early-death/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T00:01:22Z **Sea cucumbers surprise scientists with spectacular light show**
Ten sea cucumber species have been found to emit light for the first time, and researchers predict 200 more deep-sea species in this group could be bioluminescent ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397168-sea-cucumbers-surprise-scientists-with-spectacular-light-show/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T00:00:33Z **Hollywood strike ends – but actors’ battle against AI may not be over**
The longest actors’ strike in Hollywood history ended with an agreement that requires studios to get consent and pay performers for using AI-created digital replicas – but AI could still drastically change the industry ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402251-hollywood-strike-ends-but-actors-battle-against-ai-may-not-be-over/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T09:00:21Z **Overly smooth eyebrows could give away fake passport photos**
A composite image made from two faces can fool humans and AI, but unusually smooth eyebrows, which are an effect of image morphing, provide a way to detect them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400446-overly-smooth-eyebrows-could-give-away-fake-passport-photos/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T07:00:21Z **Why the quantum universe is weirder than you think**
The quantum realm is full of strange effects, but there’s a reason why everything looks normal from our point of view, writes physicist Sebastian Deffner ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400473-why-the-quantum-universe-is-weirder-than-you-think/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T14:10:03Z **Plants thrive in lunar soil with help from phosphorus-making bacteria**
The moon lacks the nutrients that plants need to grow, but adding three types of bacteria to a simulation of lunar soil enabled tobacco plants to flourish in lab experiments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402321-plants-thrive-in-lunar-soil-with-help-from-phosphorus-making-bacteria/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T14:00:11Z **First practical use for nuclear fusion could help cancer treatment**
Fusion reactors could be used to produce radioactive isotopes for hospitals way before they become useful power generators ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399777-first-practical-use-for-nuclear-fusion-could-help-cancer-treatment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T13:26:51Z **Endangered echidna not seen in 60 years caught on camera**
An echidna named after David Attenborough that hadn't been seen by scientists in more than 60 years has been caught on camera for the first time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402296-endangered-echidna-not-seen-in-60-years-caught-on-camera/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T12:00:09Z **Painful fibromyalgia may be caused by the wrong kind of gut microbes**
Altering the gut bacteria of both mice and people either induced or relieved the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401739-painful-fibromyalgia-may-be-caused-by-the-wrong-kind-of-gut-microbes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T11:29:57Z **Stunning photo of rare Malayan tiger snapped by camera trap**
With fewer than 150 left in the wild, the Malayan tiger is rarely seen – but images from camera traps provide hope that conservation efforts are paying off ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402215-stunning-photo-of-rare-malayan-tiger-snapped-by-camera-trap/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T16:30:41Z **Underwater walkie-talkies could work long-distance with radio trick**
Divers often struggle to communicate because radio waves can’t travel far through water, but a way to send the waves up and across the surface before dropping back down again could change that ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402350-underwater-walkie-talkies-could-work-long-distance-with-radio-trick/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T22:00:49Z **Spray-on sensors can turn any clothing into motion-sensing technology**
Spraying a stretchy and conductive polymer onto any store-bought garment turns it into a sensor for monitoring body movement during physical therapy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402474-spray-on-sensors-can-turn-any-clothing-into-motion-sensing-technology/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-10T21:00:18Z **Cannabis use is on the rise in the US – except among younger teens**
Cannabis is more popular in North America than anywhere else and its use continues to grow – but, somewhat surprisingly, not among adolescents ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402268-cannabis-use-is-on-the-rise-in-the-us-except-among-younger-teens/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-11T13:30:58Z **Weight loss-drug Wegovy can avert heart attacks - will this widen use?**
The latest set of heart disease results seen with using Wegovy to treat obesity could help swing medical opinion in its favour ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402406-weight-loss-drug-wegovy-can-avert-heart-attacks-will-this-widen-use/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-13T05:00:30Z **Metal pollution may be skewing the sex ratio of sea turtles**
Some sea turtle populations have become skewed towards females because of climate change, and now it appears that chemical pollution might be adding to the problem ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402481-metal-pollution-may-be-skewing-the-sex-ratio-of-sea-turtles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-13T11:00:52Z **Read an extract from Julia by Sandra Newman**
This chilling extract is from Sandra Newman's retelling of George Orwell's dystopian classic, 1984, the latest pick for our New Scientist Book Club. It takes place as Newman's protagonist Julia sets off for the Two Minutes Hate ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402559-read-an-extract-from-julia-by-sandra-newman/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-13T10:16:05Z **Self-driving car-makers could face prison for misleading adverts in UK**
The UK's Automated Vehicles Bill would make it a criminal offence for car-makers to use certain marketing terms unless their vehicles are fully self-driving, with a punishment of up to two years in prison and a fine ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402075-self-driving-car-makers-could-face-prison-for-misleading-adverts-in-uk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-13T16:00:50Z **Robotic chemist discovers how to make oxygen from Martian minerals**
A chemistry robot analysed meteorite samples and tested a range of catalysts, demonstrating a possible approach for producing oxygen at a Martian colony ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402636-robotic-chemist-discovers-how-to-make-oxygen-from-martian-minerals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-13T16:00:30Z **Women in the US outlive men by 6 years – the largest gap in decades**
Men are living shorter lives than women in the US, a widening gap largely driven by deaths due to covid-19, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402537-women-in-the-us-outlive-men-by-6-years-the-largest-gap-in-decades/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-13T16:00:28Z **Just leaving trees to grow could store a third of our carbon emissions**
Simply allowing existing trees to grow to maturity could theoretically suck billions of tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402543-just-leaving-trees-to-grow-could-store-a-third-of-our-carbon-emissions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-13T16:00:00Z **Fresh ideas about the causes of acne are bringing new treatments**
We are finally working out what happens to the skin and gut microbiome when someone gets acne, giving us new targets for treatments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034650-100-fresh-ideas-about-the-causes-of-acne-are-bringing-new-treatments/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T08:00:06Z **A comet wagged its tail as it flew past the sun**
The tail of comet Erasmus swung back and forth during its closest approach to the sun, probably because of a cloud of plasma spat out during a solar storm ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402597-a-comet-wagged-its-tail-as-it-flew-past-the-sun/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T12:00:26Z **AI can steal passwords in virtual reality from avatar hand motions**
Artificial intelligence can work out what someone is privately typing in VR meetings in Meta Horizon Workrooms by looking at the way their avatar's hands move ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401929-ai-can-steal-passwords-in-virtual-reality-from-avatar-hand-motions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T11:46:13Z **One-time CRISPR treatment could permanently lower cholesterol**
A small trial of a cholesterol-lowering treatment based on CRISPR gene editing has produced promising results, but there are questions over safety ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402731-one-time-crispr-treatment-could-permanently-lower-cholesterol/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T16:00:00Z **How AI avatars of the deceased could transform the way we grieve**
Companies are now offering chatbots that appear to come from beyond the veil. But psychologists say this "grief tech" may interfere with the patterns of brain activity through which we adapt to loss ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034650-700-how-ai-avatars-of-the-deceased-could-transform-the-way-we-grieve/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T15:18:23Z **Iceland volcano: 15 km magma tunnel under town threatens to erupt**
A 15-kilometre-long mass of lava has formed underneath the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland and could erupt at any time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402892-iceland-volcano-15-km-magma-tunnel-under-town-threatens-to-erupt/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T15:00:02Z **DeepMind AI can beat the best weather forecasts - but there is a catch**
By using artificial intelligence to spot patterns in weather data, Google DeepMind says it can beat existing weather forecasts up to 99.7 per cent of the time, but data issues mean the approach is limited for now ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402556-deepmind-ai-can-beat-the-best-weather-forecasts-but-there-is-a-catch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T16:49:10Z **Covid-19 rebound affects 1 in 5 people after taking Paxlovid**
Covid-19 rebound, when the virus increases in the body after initially decreasing, affected just under 21 per cent of people after they took Paxlovid in a trial, compared with fewer than 2 per cent not on the treatment ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402842-covid-19-rebound-affects-1-in-5-people-after-taking-paxlovid/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T00:01:24Z **Comets may bring ingredients for life most easily to clustered planets**
Comets may be a key source for the building blocks of life, but the only planetary systems where those ingredients could survive impact may be ones with large stars or lots of neighbouring worlds ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402996-comets-may-bring-ingredients-for-life-most-easily-to-clustered-planets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T00:01:18Z **Ants treat their own fungal infections by eating aphids**
Silky ants with a fungal infection favour food containing aphids, which are a source of hydrogen peroxide, and this increases their chances of survival ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402845-ants-treat-their-own-fungal-infections-by-eating-aphids/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-14T21:01:38Z **Anemones are first known animals to follow the sun like plants do**
Snakelocks anemones are the first known “heliotropic” animals – their tentacles point towards the sun, tracking its movements like plants do ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402990-anemones-are-first-known-animals-to-follow-the-sun-like-plants-do/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T06:00:08Z **GPT-4 gives medical advice that saves doctors' time but can be harmful**
The AI that powers ChatGPT could save doctors' time when responding to cancer-related queries, but also gives potentially harmful recommendations in around 7 per cent of cases ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402048-gpt-4-gives-medical-advice-that-saves-doctors-time-but-can-be-harmful/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T14:00:00Z **The archaeological finds that show art is far older than our species**
We used to trace the origins of art to Stone Age Europe. Now we have evidence of artistic sensibility in earlier hominins, from Neanderthals to Homo erectus and beyond ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034650-500-the-archaeological-finds-that-show-art-is-far-older-than-our-species/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T12:00:48Z **Inflatable exoskeleton could build strength in injured wrists**
An exoskeleton that moves the wrists up and down and side to side could help people recover from injuries to the joints ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402790-inflatable-exoskeleton-could-build-strength-in-injured-wrists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T19:00:23Z **Game-playing DeepMind AI can beat top humans at chess, Go and poker**
An artificial intelligence capable of beating humans at a variety of games is an important step towards a more general intelligence, says Google DeepMind ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402645-game-playing-deepmind-ai-can-beat-top-humans-at-chess-go-and-poker/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T19:00:06Z **Fossil footprints are the oldest traces of birds in Australia**
A set of tracks made over 120 million years ago push back the earliest known appearance of birds in the southern continents ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403224-fossil-footprints-are-the-oldest-traces-of-birds-in-australia/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T16:00:47Z **Ultracold atoms in space will let us stress test Einstein's relativity**
Potassium and rubidium atoms aboard the International Space Station have been cooled almost to absolute zero to put a fundamental principle of Einstein’s general theory of relativity to the ultimate test ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402740-ultracold-atoms-in-space-will-let-us-stress-test-einsteins-relativity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T16:00:21Z **Fluffy exoplanet blasted by its sun has clouds that rain sand**
The James Webb Space Telescope has let us peer into the atmosphere of gas giant planet WASP-107b, and it has clouds made of sand and an atmosphere of sulphur dioxide and water vapour ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403155-fluffy-exoplanet-blasted-by-its-sun-has-clouds-that-rain-sand/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T16:00:15Z **The brain's waste disposal system can prevent swelling after an injury**
A blow to the head may suppress the brain's waste disposal system, leading to a dangerous build-up of fluid. Now, a study in mice suggests a drug cocktail can get the system working again ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403016-the-brains-waste-disposal-system-can-prevent-swelling-after-an-injury/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T16:00:03Z **3D-printed robotic hand has working tendons and muscles**
The ability to 3D print using bendy and rigid materials at the same time could open up new possibilities for robotics ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402933-3d-printed-robotic-hand-has-working-tendons-and-muscles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-15T20:00:49Z **Cannabis can harm young brains but may improve learning in older age**
There is growing evidence that cannabis use may disrupt adolescent brain development, but in older adults it seems to lead to more neural connections in brain regions associated with memory and learning ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402391-cannabis-can-harm-young-brains-but-may-improve-learning-in-older-age/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T10:00:23Z **Blood test could predict the severity of depression in adolescents**
Researchers have found nine markers in blood that are associated with adolescents experiencing more severe symptoms of depression months later ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403010-blood-test-could-predict-the-severity-of-depression-in-adolescents/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T08:00:53Z **Flexible needle goes soft after injections for safety and comfort**
Needles and catheters can irritate the body and may pose a risk to others if not properly disposed of, but a flexible alternative made from gallium solves both problems ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403047-flexible-needle-goes-soft-after-injections-for-safety-and-comfort/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T14:41:19Z **Sickle cell CRISPR 'cure' is the start of a revolution in medicine**
The approval of a CRISPR treatment, for sickle cell and beta thalassemia, is just the start for a technology still in its infancy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403426-sickle-cell-crispr-cure-is-the-start-of-a-revolution-in-medicine/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T14:42:05Z **SpaceX Starship: What time is the launch and what could happen?**
Elon Musk's SpaceX is gearing up for the second ever launch of its massive Starship rocket on 17 November ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403439-spacex-starship-what-time-is-the-launch-and-what-could-happen/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T12:00:48Z **Tiny lasers can be made from soap bubbles**
Shining light on bubbles made from soapy water mixed with a fluorescent dye turns them into tiny lasers that can work as pressure sensors ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402943-tiny-lasers-can-be-made-from-soap-bubbles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T16:00:15Z **COP28 must stick to 1.5°C target to save ice sheets, urge scientists**
A report warns that 2°C of global warming would mean losing most of the world’s ice sheets and glaciers, leading to catastrophic sea level rise ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403404-cop28-must-stick-to-1-5c-target-to-save-ice-sheets-urge-scientists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T16:00:00Z **Forget the Amazon – are these the most remarkable rivers in the world?**
When most people are asked to name a river, they often reach for the Amazon or Nile, but these aren’t the only remarkable rivers out there. Here are 10 more from around the world – and solar system ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/10-forget-the-amazon-are-these-the-most-remarkable-rivers-in-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T19:00:31Z **Cooling system could replace air con and drastically cut energy use**
A heat-pump-like system that relies on a phenomenon called electrocaloric cooling could heat or chill a room almost twice as efficiently as standard air-con units ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403491-cooling-system-could-replace-air-con-and-drastically-cut-energy-use/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T19:00:07Z **Bonobos are friendly with those outside their group – unlike chimps**
The convivial nature of bonobos is in stark contrast to chimpanzees and may shed light on the evolutionary origins of cooperation in humans ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403476-bonobos-are-friendly-with-those-outside-their-group-unlike-chimps/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-16T17:30:37Z **How the US and China talking AI safety could reduce nuclear war risk**
At a meeting between US president Biden and China president Xi, there was agreement on the need for more US-China government talks on AI safety ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403453-how-the-us-and-china-talking-ai-safety-could-reduce-nuclear-war-risk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T09:00:27Z **Dancing monkey hormones shed light on harmful street shows in Pakistan**
Stress hormone measurements highlight the poor welfare of monkeys trained to perform for the public in street shows, but social conditions make it challenging to end the practice ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402957-dancing-monkey-hormones-shed-light-on-harmful-street-shows-in-pakistan/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T12:00:11Z **Genital herpes linked to accelerated brain shrinkage**
People who tested positive for the virus behind genital herpes tended to have reduced thickness of their outermost brain layer, which has been linked to Alzheimer's disease ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402546-genital-herpes-linked-to-accelerated-brain-shrinkage/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T11:51:41Z **How to watch the Leonid meteor shower peaking this weekend**
The Leonids are known for their bright, fast-moving meteors. The shower will peak on 17 and 18 November and can be seen from anywhere in the world ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403573-how-to-watch-the-leonid-meteor-shower-peaking-this-weekend/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T10:00:23Z **Why so many prehistoric monuments were painted red**
Megaliths, or huge stones, were used for thousands of years to build monuments, and they were far more colourful than you might think – the most common pigments used to decorate them came from reddish cinnabar and ochre ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403289-why-so-many-prehistoric-monuments-were-painted-red/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T17:00:10Z **How a dash of science can help bake the perfect eggless chocolate cake**
To make a cake delightful even when eggs aren’t in attendance, it is important to account for all the roles that they play in cake batters ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403561-how-a-dash-of-science-can-help-bake-the-perfect-eggless-chocolate-cake/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T16:50:05Z **The pandemic helped some children develop their vocabulary**
Some preschool children in Canada scored higher on cognitive skills tests during the pandemic than those tested before covid-19 emerged, possibly because their parents were at home more ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403513-the-pandemic-helped-some-children-develop-their-vocabulary/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T16:00:00Z **Electronic pill monitors your breathing and heart rate from your gut**
A smart pill can accurately monitor your breathing and heart rate from inside your gut, which may be useful for detecting sleep apnoea ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403367-electronic-pill-monitors-your-breathing-and-heart-rate-from-your-gut/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T15:00:54Z **Time seems to slow down when you're high – why does that happen?**
Cannabis does strange things to our sense of time passing, possibly by over-exciting neurons in a brain region that helps regulate our body clock ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402480-time-seems-to-slow-down-when-youre-high-why-does-that-happen/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-17T19:00:45Z **Lasers fired at crystals could uncover quantum nature of the vacuum**
Ultra-short laser pulses may allow us to measure entanglement in a way that answers questions about the quantum nature of the vacuum ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403363-lasers-fired-at-crystals-could-uncover-quantum-nature-of-the-vacuum/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-20T12:44:56Z **Earth passes 2°C of warming on hottest day ever recorded**
The global average surface temperature was more than 2°C higher than pre-industrial levels on 17 November for the first time since records began, according to provisional data ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403743-earth-passes-2c-of-warming-on-hottest-day-ever-recorded/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-20T10:39:48Z **OpenAI CEO Sam Altman lands new job at Microsoft after surprise firing**
The head of one of the world's leading AI companies was fired for not being 'candid' with the board, then swiftly hired by one of the company's major shareholders, Microsoft ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403665-openai-ceo-sam-altman-lands-new-job-at-microsoft-after-surprise-firing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-20T16:00:46Z **Bat uses its huge penis like an arm during sex**
Video recordings reveal that penetration does not occur when serotine bats mate; instead males use their penis to push a protective membrane out of the way ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403830-bat-uses-its-huge-penis-like-an-arm-during-sex/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-20T16:00:33Z **Cannabis addiction may be partly down to genetics**
An analysis of genetic data from more than 1 million people shows that those with cannabis use disorder share similar markers ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403519-cannabis-addiction-may-be-partly-down-to-genetics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-20T16:00:00Z **How did Paranthropus, the last of the ape-people, survive for so long?**
Paranthropus was an ape-like hominin that lived on in a world dominated by big-brained early humans. Recent archaeological discoveries, like stone tools, are revealing how they lived ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034660-800-how-did-paranthropus-the-last-of-the-ape-people-survive-for-so-long/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T06:00:54Z **Brain cells that tell mice it's time to eat may also be in people**
Further light has been shed on the mechanism of weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Ozempic, as the brain cells that they suppress have been found to keep track of previous eating patterns ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403657-brain-cells-that-tell-mice-its-time-to-eat-may-also-be-in-people/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T05:00:18Z **Hairy legs make you swim better – if you're a shrimp**
Normally, hair increases drag whilst swimming but for shrimp hair seems to make it easier for them to move through water ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403802-hairy-legs-make-you-swim-better-if-youre-a-shrimp/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T11:00:23Z **Strange nebula changes colour rhythmically like a mood lamp**
A mysterious, star-like object seems to be making its nebula change colour and brightness in a rhythmic way every four years ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403734-strange-nebula-changes-colour-rhythmically-like-a-mood-lamp/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T10:41:12Z **Endangered vultures saved from deadly poisoning and electrocution**
A decade-long conservation effort spanning 14 countries has halted the decline of a key population of Egyptian vultures by preventing poisoning and insulating electrical infrastructure ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403949-endangered-vultures-saved-from-deadly-poisoning-and-electrocution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T10:00:06Z **NVIDIA wants to use AI chatbots to help build better chips**
Generative AI tools such as chatbots may be able to help chip designers generate code and find software bugs ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403629-nvidia-wants-to-use-ai-chatbots-to-help-build-better-chips/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T09:00:34Z **Cannabis derails train of thought, but may not affect long-term memory**
Cannabis interferes with the working memory we use to keep track of what we are doing, but whether the drug causes long-lasting memory impairments is less clear ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402437-cannabis-derails-train-of-thought-but-may-not-affect-long-term-memory/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T14:52:43Z **What would life on Earth be like if our planet were cube-shaped?**
In the two-part season finale of Dead Planets Society, our hosts are turning Earth into a cube with fascinating results – walking to space, enormous sea monsters and more ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403635-what-would-life-on-earth-be-like-if-our-planet-were-cube-shaped/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-21T14:00:31Z **A big gulf in ocean science threatens to sink the climate change fight**
To tackle global warming, we must properly grasp what is happening in the oceans. That is why, at COP28, we will be calling on world leaders to urgently ramp up marine observations, says oceanographer Margaret Leinen ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403979-a-big-gulf-in-ocean-science-threatens-to-sink-the-climate-change-fight/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T08:01:51Z **Space flight may increase erectile dysfunction among astronauts**
Rats that experienced a simulation of microgravity and cosmic radiation showed signs of erectile dysfunction a year later ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404064-space-flight-may-increase-erectile-dysfunction-among-astronauts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T10:53:39Z **African penguins recognise their partners by the spots on their chest**
The unique patterns of dots on the front of African penguins seem to be key to their ability to pick out their partners in a crowded colony ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404134-african-penguins-recognise-their-partners-by-the-spots-on-their-chest/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T10:20:25Z **COP28: When is the climate summit and why is it being held in Dubai?**
The COP28 climate summit is taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November to 12 December ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404057-cop28-when-is-the-climate-summit-and-why-is-it-being-held-in-dubai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T13:49:00Z **Eight personality traits may help people live to 100 and beyond**
Interviews with 19 centenarians reveal that they often share several personality traits – including being sociable, positive and resilient – which may have helped them reach an advanced age ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034664-300-eight-personality-traits-may-help-people-live-to-100-and-beyond/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T12:34:00Z **Mutation behind Huntington's linked to higher childhood intelligence**
The genetic mutation that causes the brain condition Huntington's disease may result in greater intelligence among young people, which could explain why evolution has selected for it ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034663-700-mutation-behind-huntingtons-linked-to-higher-childhood-intelligence/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T17:17:28Z **Nutrient found in beef and milk shows promise against several cancers**
A fatty acid found in beef and milk attacked different types of cancerous cells in a series of lab and animal experiments ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404225-nutrient-found-in-beef-and-milk-shows-promise-against-several-cancers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T16:00:03Z **Covid-19 vaccines should target only omicron for best immune response**
Covid-19 vaccines may offer better protection if they just target the omicron variant, rather than both omicron and the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404392-covid-19-vaccines-should-target-only-omicron-for-best-immune-response/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T16:00:00Z **How to get a better night's sleep by hacking your brainwaves**
Wearable technology that stimulates the brain to make you sleep more deeply promises to revolutionise your slumber – can it really lead to a better night’s rest? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034663-000-how-to-get-a-better-nights-sleep-by-hacking-your-brainwaves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T19:00:51Z **Construction robot builds massive stone walls on its own**
A robotic construction vehicle can use 3D digital mapping and AI to learn the best placement for each stone in a wall, without instruction from a human ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404382-construction-robot-builds-massive-stone-walls-on-its-own/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T19:00:06Z **Babies may start to learn language before they are born**
Newborn babies respond differently to their mother tongue, suggesting that exposure to language in the uterus may provide the foundations for learning ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404345-babies-may-start-to-learn-language-before-they-are-born/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T00:01:42Z **Breathtaking images from Environmental Photographer of the Year awards**
Winning entries in this year’s Environmental Photographer of the Year competition highlight humanity’s efforts to reduce our impact on the climate and adapt to a changing world ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404431-breathtaking-images-from-environmental-photographer-of-the-year-awards/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-22T23:30:22Z **Drone delivers defibrillators for cardiac arrest faster than ambulance**
People who have gone into cardiac arrest can get treatment faster if a drone delivers a defibrillator, but there needs to be someone nearby trained in CPR, shows a trial in Sweden ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404428-drone-delivers-defibrillators-for-cardiac-arrest-faster-than-ambulance/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T10:00:38Z **Not sleeping enough before surgery may increase pain during recovery**
Mice that were deprived of sleep before surgery experienced more pain and inflammation afterwards than animals that had slept enough ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404113-not-sleeping-enough-before-surgery-may-increase-pain-during-recovery/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T10:00:08Z **Mercury has salt glaciers that could provide the conditions for life**
Mercury may have deep underground salt glaciers that encircle the whole planet and could possibly create the conditions necessary for life ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403932-mercury-has-salt-glaciers-that-could-provide-the-conditions-for-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T08:00:01Z **What is ‘loss and damage’ and why is it a central issue at COP28?**
The COP28 climate summit in Dubai could see countries agree on key details of a long-awaited fund to help low-income countries pay for climate-related damages ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404233-what-is-loss-and-damage-and-why-is-it-a-central-issue-at-cop28/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T13:00:08Z **AI cleaning robot can tidy up clothes in a messy bedroom**
Cameras and a grasping arm help this robot pick up a pile of discarded clothes and put them in a laundry basket ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404048-ai-cleaning-robot-can-tidy-up-clothes-in-a-messy-bedroom/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T16:50:42Z **Did Homo naledi bury its dead? Debate rages over human relative**
Studies earlier this year claimed that the extinct hominin Homo naledi buried its dead and produced rock art, but other researchers say the evidence is “non-existent” ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404369-did-homo-naledi-bury-its-dead-debate-rages-over-human-relative/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T15:32:13Z **Pneumonia in China: Everything we know so far about mystery illness**
Unexplained pneumonia cases among children in China may be a result of common respiratory infections rebounding after the country's strict covid-19 lockdowns ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404643-pneumonia-in-china-everything-we-know-so-far-about-mystery-illness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T19:00:26Z **A mysterious, incredibly energetic cosmic ray has smashed into Earth**
A cosmic ray dubbed Amaterasu is the second most powerful one we have ever seen, beaten only by the "Oh-My-God particle". Both have baffled astronomers and defy explanation ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404603-a-mysterious-incredibly-energetic-cosmic-ray-has-smashed-into-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-23T20:27:23Z **Abandoned coal mines could store wind energy**
Surplus wind power can be used to heat up water in flooded mines – a test of the idea is being planned in Scotland in 2024 ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403650-abandoned-coal-mines-could-store-wind-energy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-24T11:00:21Z **AIs can trick each other into doing things they aren't supposed to**
Many artificial intelligence models available to the public are designed to refuse harmful or illegal requests, but it turns out that AIs are very good at convincing each other to break the rules ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401854-ais-can-trick-each-other-into-doing-things-they-arent-supposed-to/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-24T10:00:09Z **Strange way black holes lose energy could help solve cosmic puzzle**
The spin of black holes may be harnessed by their magnetic fields, which release hundreds of millions of times the energy of the sun and could power their enormous jets ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404079-strange-way-black-holes-lose-energy-could-help-solve-cosmic-puzzle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-24T09:00:32Z **People feel more creative after using cannabis – they aren't**
There is no strong evidence that taking cannabis improves our ingenuity, although it does make users feel more creative ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402423-people-feel-more-creative-after-using-cannabis-they-arent/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-24T08:00:22Z **Cyborg jellyfish have a swimming cap and electric propulsion system**
Equipping jellyfish with artificial aids can boost their speed and could allow them to carry ocean sensors ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404025-cyborg-jellyfish-have-a-swimming-cap-and-electric-propulsion-system/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-24T14:27:09Z **It's easier to chat at parties if you don't know the music playing**
Background music is less distracting at parties if you're unfamiliar with the songs being played, according to brain activity data ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404743-its-easier-to-chat-at-parties-if-you-dont-know-the-music-playing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-27T08:00:45Z **AI can figure out sewing patterns from a single photo of clothing**
Creating a sewing pattern from an existing garment can be a time-consuming task, but now an artificial intelligence model can do the job from a photo ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404358-ai-can-figure-out-sewing-patterns-from-a-single-photo-of-clothing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-27T16:00:00Z **Long covid: What we now know about its causes and possible treatments**
Almost four years after the first cases emerged, we are accumulating evidence about the physiology behind this complex condition – from microclots to viral persistence ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034670-800-long-covid-what-we-now-know-about-its-causes-and-possible-treatments/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-27T13:00:13Z **The Future of Language review: Powerful tech will change everything**
AI and a raft of revolutionary technologies are poised to transform how we communicate, says a new book by Philip Seargeant. Vijaysree Venkatraman explores the implications ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404728-the-future-of-language-review-powerful-tech-will-change-everything/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-27T17:00:23Z **Why it's healthy for older people to be slightly overweight**
UK dietitians say people over 65 need more fat reserves, but why are they going against most other healthy weight guidelines? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404871-why-its-healthy-for-older-people-to-be-slightly-overweight/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-27T16:58:16Z **H1N2 swine flu: UK's first human case recovers after mild illness**
Infected person has made full recovery but officials are investigating where they caught the virus and whether they may have passed it to other people ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404969-h1n2-swine-flu-uks-first-human-case-recovers-after-mild-illness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T08:00:41Z **Robots with squidgy paws could navigate uneven terrain**
A robot paw made from half a silicone ball could help robots keep their footing, thanks to an internal camera that monitors how its shape deforms ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401741-robots-with-squidgy-paws-could-navigate-uneven-terrain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T12:00:29Z **A new way to estimate our maximum lifespan could help us extend it**
The maximum lifespan of mammalian species such as humans can be estimated from so-called epigenetic markers - and altering those might extend our longevity ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404778-a-new-way-to-estimate-our-maximum-lifespan-could-help-us-extend-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T11:19:23Z **Majestic photo shows China's Tiangong space station in all its glory**
The Tiangong space station, China’s orbiting laboratory, was completed last year – now it has been photographed in full for the first time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405167-majestic-photo-shows-chinas-tiangong-space-station-in-all-its-glory/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T10:48:30Z **Physicists find ultimate limit for how accurate clocks can be**
A fundamental trade-off between the resolution of a clock and its accuracy could have important implications for quantum computers, which must measure short timescales accurately ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405140-physicists-find-ultimate-limit-for-how-accurate-clocks-can-be/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T09:38:01Z **Glimpse of the earliest supernovae could reveal our cosmic origins**
Almost every element in the universe, including those that make up our bodies, was created by a process that began when the earliest stars exploded - and now the James Webb Space Telescope may have seen signs of those supernovae ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405128-glimpse-of-the-earliest-supernovae-could-reveal-our-cosmic-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T16:30:00Z **How counting the true cost of cheap food could make a better world**
What we pay for food and other goods doesn’t reflect the environmental and social damage they cause. But a radical new approach to economics could change that ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034670-900-how-counting-the-true-cost-of-cheap-food-could-make-a-better-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T16:19:17Z **The ancient origins of cannabis and our changing attitudes towards it**
Cannabis attitudes are undergoing a seismic shift but what do really know about the drug? Our three-part special podcast series is uncovering the science of marijuana ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405068-the-ancient-origins-of-cannabis-and-our-changing-attitudes-towards-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T16:00:24Z **Why some medical conditions are due to evolutionary design flaws**
Rather than assuming medical conditions happen because something in the body has “gone wrong”, considering evolutionary explanations for illnesses and symptoms may help us better understand how to treat them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405182-why-some-medical-conditions-are-due-to-evolutionary-design-flaws/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T16:00:04Z **Extreme rainfall is increasing even more than expected as world warms**
A study comparing weather records with climate model projections suggests that the latest models are underestimating how often future rainfall extremes will occur ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405220-extreme-rainfall-is-increasing-even-more-than-expected-as-world-warms/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-28T14:23:42Z **Could the world finally agree to ditch fossil fuels at COP28?**
Some countries are pushing for an agreement to phase out fossil fuels at the COP28 summit in Dubai, but others argue that such a deal wouldn't be fair ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404939-could-the-world-finally-agree-to-ditch-fossil-fuels-at-cop28/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T08:00:54Z **Will carbon dioxide removal tech help or hinder climate targets?**
Billions of dollars are pouring into the carbon dioxide removal industry, which aims to clean up emissions and slow global warming, but few companies have delivered results. Is the technology a planetary saviour or a risky bet? ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405228-will-carbon-dioxide-removal-tech-help-or-hinder-climate-targets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T13:00:55Z **Key molecule for life may have formed on interstellar ice**
Some scientists suspect that amino acids were transported to Earth by meteorites. A team has now found that an amino acid called carbamic acid forms at extreme cold temperatures, suggesting that it may have been created on clumps of ice in deep space ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405371-key-molecule-for-life-may-have-formed-on-interstellar-ice/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T14:13:13Z **COP28: These are the key clean energy targets the world must agree on**
Momentum is building for an agreement at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai to triple renewable energy capacity and double the rate of energy efficiency gains by 2030 ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405401-cop28-these-are-the-key-clean-energy-targets-the-world-must-agree-on/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T19:00:23Z **Unknown animals left birdlike footprints long before birds existed**
Ancient footprints found in Lesotho resemble those left by birds, but they were made around 60 million years before the ancestors of birds split from other dinosaurs ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405496-unknown-animals-left-birdlike-footprints-long-before-birds-existed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T16:00:45Z **Ancient life thrived after supercontinents trapped nutrient-rich soil**
There is a surprisingly close link between the flow of nutrient-rich soil around the ancient world and growing biodiversity - which could be a problem now, as human activity is disrupting and degrading soil ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405369-ancient-life-thrived-after-supercontinents-trapped-nutrient-rich-soil/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T16:00:41Z **Crystal-hunting DeepMind AI could help discover new wonder materials**
We know of around 48,000 inorganic crystal structures, which provide materials with a range of properties. Now, an AI created by Google DeepMind has predicted over 2 million more possibilities ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404929-crystal-hunting-deepmind-ai-could-help-discover-new-wonder-materials/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T16:00:27Z **A single bitcoin transaction uses enough water to fill a swimming pool**
The environmental impact of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is increasingly being scrutinised, due to the vast amounts of electricity they consume. Now it seems that water use is also a big problem ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404219-a-single-bitcoin-transaction-uses-enough-water-to-fill-a-swimming-pool/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T16:00:19Z **Six planets found orbiting a bright star 100 light years away**
The orbits of six planets around the star HD 110067 have been in a fixed pattern for billions of years, giving astronomers clues about how they formed ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405379-six-planets-found-orbiting-a-bright-star-100-light-years-away/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T16:00:00Z **The wonder particle: How axions could solve more than just dark matter**
Physicists are coming to realise that hypothetical particles called axions could explain not only dark matter, but dark energy too, and more besides. Now there is fresh impetus to detect them ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034670-700-the-wonder-particle-how-axions-could-solve-more-than-just-dark-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-29T22:00:33Z **Cannabis probably doesn't help you sleep better**
Many people take cannabis to help them sleep, but there is little evidence that the drug makes a difference ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402374-cannabis-probably-doesnt-help-you-sleep-better/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T11:27:09Z **The music you should play at a party to ensure conversations flow**
It's easier to focus on conversations when background music is playing if the song is unfamiliar to you, according to brain activity data ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404743-the-music-you-should-play-at-a-party-to-ensure-conversations-flow/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T11:00:08Z **Physicists have worked out how to pour water as quietly as possible**
The sound of pouring water into a cup can be tamped down by changing the height of the pour or the diameter of the spout, but physicists have found another variable that helps silence it even more ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404565-physicists-have-worked-out-how-to-pour-water-as-quietly-as-possible/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T10:30:58Z **COP28: How this year shattered nearly every modern climate record**
The COP28 climate summit kicked off with a report on the many records broken in 2023, including unprecedented rises in greenhouse gases, global temperatures and sea level ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405695-cop28-how-this-year-shattered-nearly-every-modern-climate-record/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T10:00:16Z **The battle to bring beavers back to Scotland**
The reintroduction of beavers has already transformed parts of the Scottish landscape and provided much-needed habitats for many animals, delighting conservationists but alarming some landowners ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405108-the-battle-to-bring-beavers-back-to-scotland/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T12:00:34Z **Traces of cannabis found in pre-modern human bones for the first time**
A 17th century hospital crypt in Milan, Italy has yielded the first archaeological evidence of cannabis' psychoactive components in human bones ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404056-traces-of-cannabis-found-in-pre-modern-human-bones-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T19:00:53Z **Chinstrap penguins take thousands of very short naps every day**
While incubating their eggs, chinstrap penguins need to stay vigilant for predators – so they only sleep for a few seconds at a time ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405721-chinstrap-penguins-take-thousands-of-very-short-naps-every-day/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T19:00:41Z **DNA repair has been captured in a step-by-step molecular movie**
Researchers have worked out how a protein called photolyase repairs DNA using light, and their discoveries could guide the development of light-based manufacturing technologies ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405788-dna-repair-has-been-captured-in-a-step-by-step-molecular-movie/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T19:00:03Z **Tiny star found harbouring a huge planet that shouldn’t exist**
An enormous planet has been spotted orbiting a small star, and it could not have formed under either of our existing models of the birth of planets ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405683-tiny-star-found-harbouring-a-huge-planet-that-shouldnt-exist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-11-30T23:00:29Z **Bottlenose dolphins can sense electric fields with their snouts**
Like platypuses and some sharks, bottlenose dolphins have an electric sense which they may use to navigate and search for food ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405730-bottlenose-dolphins-can-sense-electric-fields-with-their-snouts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T08:00:02Z **Marmosets swap brain cells with their siblings**
Most marmosets have non-identical twins or triplets, which exchange blood cells while in the uterus - and now it seems they also swap certain brain cells ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405114-marmosets-swap-brain-cells-with-their-siblings/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T12:00:55Z **World must prepare for frequent and severe droughts, report warns**
With climate change driving more intense dry spells, the world must invest in early warning systems and measures to conserve water, a UN report says ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405887-world-must-prepare-for-frequent-and-severe-droughts-report-warns/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T10:30:55Z **The best new science fiction books of December 2023**
A novelisation of Zack Snyder’s film Rebel Moon, a new Star Wars novel and the much-anticipated second spy thriller from Terry Hayes are among the great science fiction reads out in December ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405778-the-best-new-science-fiction-books-of-december-2023/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T10:00:45Z **Robot eel reveals how the strange fish swim so efficiently**
Tests with an eel-inspired robot show that the unusual fish may swim most efficiently by reducing their speed ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405815-robot-eel-reveals-how-the-strange-fish-swim-so-efficiently/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T09:53:19Z **See a forgotten meteor shower caused by a dead comet this weekend**
The Andromedid meteor shower is normally a quiet affair, but very occasionally it puts on an intense show - which may happen on 2 December ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405884-see-a-forgotten-meteor-shower-caused-by-a-dead-comet-this-weekend/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T14:00:20Z **Vaping vs edibles: How does the way we use cannabis alter its effects?**
Edibles, vapes and spliffs all contain the same psychoactive compounds but the effects they have on the body vary ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402401-vaping-vs-edibles-how-does-the-way-we-use-cannabis-alter-its-effects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T18:33:53Z **GPT-4 developer tool can be exploited for misuse with no easy fix**
OpenAI’s developer tool for its GPT-4 large language model can be misused to trick the AI into providing information to aid would-be terrorists, and fixing the problem won’t be easy ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405680-gpt-4-developer-tool-can-be-exploited-for-misuse-with-no-easy-fix/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T17:29:50Z **Painkillers seem to work better if you have unpleasant side effects**
People found a nasal spray painkiller more effective when it caused a slight burning sensation. This suggests that deliberately increasing some drugs' unwanted side effects could enhance their therapeutic benefits ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405946-painkillers-seem-to-work-better-if-you-have-unpleasant-side-effects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T22:36:07Z **How big a problem are methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases?**
Carbon dioxide is the dominant driver of climate change, but countries convening at COP28 are expected to make agreements to reduce methane and other often overlooked greenhouse gases ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2406098-how-big-a-problem-are-methane-and-other-non-co2-greenhouse-gases/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T22:00:17Z **Why does weed give you the ‘munchies’? Here's what the science says**
There may be several reasons why cannabis encourages people to eat, including the fact that the psychoactive compound in the drug affects the neurons that control hunger ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397586-why-does-weed-give-you-the-munchies-heres-what-the-science-says/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-01T21:11:15Z **Passing star could fling Earth out past Pluto into the Oort cloud**
If another star passed close to our solar system, there is a small chance that Earth could crash into another planet, get stolen by the interloping star or even be sent hurtling towards the Oort cloud ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405706-passing-star-could-fling-earth-out-past-pluto-into-the-oort-cloud/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-02T07:00:58Z **Largest stream of stars ever found could teach us about dark matter**
The newfound Giant Coma Stream of stars stretches nearly 1.7 million light years across the cosmos, and it could have holes blasted through it by clumps of dark matter ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2406120-largest-stream-of-stars-ever-found-could-teach-us-about-dark-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home) 2023-12-04T00:00:20Z **Ultrasound can push vaccines into the body without needles**
Vaccinations could be made less painful by treating skin with a vaccine-laden liquid and using ultrasound to push it into the body ⌘ [Read more](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405868-ultrasound-can-push-vaccines-into-the-body-without-needles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home)