Clouds of dust blown from the Sahara desert generally have a cooling effect on the North Atlantic, but the winds that blow the dust are weaker than usual, possibly due to El Niño ⌘ Read more
Clouds of dust blown from the Sahara desert generally have a cooling effect on the North Atlantic, but the winds that blow the dust are weaker than usual, possibly due to El Niño ⌘ Read more
The fungal parasite Nosema is deadly to honeybee colonies and evolving resistance to fungicides, but engineered bacteria may help bees resist infection ⌘ Read more
Zebrafish eggs contain a compound called gadusol that acts as a sunscreen to protect the developing embryos from the sun’s rays ⌘ Read more
Language isolates, like Chimané from Bolivia, are unrelated to any other known tongue. Studying them is revealing how languages evolve and influence our perception of the world around us ⌘ Read more
A galaxy seen 700 million years after the big bang appears surprisingly mature, suggesting some pockets of the early universe were more tranquil than expected ⌘ Read more
Ants infected by the parasite don't work, are cared for by uninfected workers and live much longer than usual ⌘ Read more
A vegetable-growing trial has pitted expert human gardeners against an AI-powered robot – both produced comparable crops, but the robot used about 40 per cent less water ⌘ Read more
Alligator ponds have a greater diversity and abundance of plants and animals compared with the surrounding marsh, and offer aquatic refuge in dry months ⌘ Read more
Prion diseases are invariably fatal, but an experimental genetic treatment has dramatically extended the lifespans of infected mice ⌘ Read more
Researchers have identified a brain circuit that causes mice to show signs of being afraid when high up, with a similar mechanism expected to also occur in people ⌘ Read more
People who are genetically predisposed to have higher levels of Fusicatenibacter bacteria scored better on verbal and mathematical tests, while those with more Oxalobacter scored lower ⌘ Read more
An analysis of over 800 hours of footage from busy pedestrian areas in Japan found that pairs of people that share stronger social bonds are less likely to physically bump into other people walking ⌘ Read more
An equation developed to describe the motion of undulating animals and robots looks like the famous Schrödinger equation from quantum mechanics ⌘ Read more
Metformin, which is commonly used to control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, was more effective than placebo at preventing lingering complications 10 months after a coronavirus infection ⌘ Read more
Harvestmen can shed legs when attacked by predators, but this survival tactic may have lifelong ramifications for the future sexual strategies of young males ⌘ Read more
John Vaillant chronicles the most destructive fire in Canada’s history, and explores what lies ahead, in this timely book ⌘ Read more
The hunt for extraterrestrial spacecraft has generally been scattered and disorganised, but now NASA is collecting all the data in one place to try to find out if any UFOs really are alien ships ⌘ Read more
Robotic dogs do better than humans at identifying nests of invasive fire ants. The robots could be useful in helping eradicate an invasive species that packs a venomous sting ⌘ Read more
Water samples from the river Ouseburn in Newcastle upon Tyne during a rainstorm reveal high levels of faecal bacteria caused by raw sewage discharges ⌘ Read more
A drop of very cold liquid helium can be made to float for an indefinitely long time using strong magnets and quantum effects ⌘ Read more
Thousands of people have been evacuated due to the breach of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine. In a briefing, a minister for the Ukraine government explained how it is also harming ecosystems and farms ⌘ Read more
From a photograph of algae choking an Indian river to a shocking depiction of the wearing away of the UK coast, these are some of the pictures in the running for the contest ⌘ Read more
When the temperature drops, octopuses recode their RNA in thousands of places to alter the proteins made in their nerve cells ⌘ Read more
Climate data from 1979 to 2020 shows that clear air turbulence is occurring more frequently – a predicted consequence of a warmer atmosphere ⌘ Read more
Popular psychiatrist Daniel Amen says there are 7 subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that display different patterns in the brain. As focus on ADHD rises, this idea is getting more attention – but it isn't backed by the evidence ⌘ Read more
A hormone called GDF15 has been identified as the cause of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, which should lead to ways to prevent and treat the most severe cases ⌘ Read more
The Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii has begun erupting, spewing volcanic gas and ash across the island ⌘ Read more
Thwaites glacier in Antarctica would cause massive sea level rise if it melts completely, but models suggest the break-up of the ice shelf in front of it won't make it flow faster ⌘ Read more
Great crested newts live mostly underground, so they’re tricky to find – a researcher trained her dog, Freya, to detect the threatened amphibians deep in the soil with more than 87 per cent accuracy ⌘ Read more
Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada has triggered air quality alerts across the northern US, including in New York City ⌘ Read more
Sorting algorithms are basic functions used constantly by computers around the world, so an improved one created by an artificial intelligence could make millions of programs run faster ⌘ Read more
Pressure on the San Andreas fault from a now-dried lake could have been sufficient to trigger past major earthquakes in California. The lake’s disappearance could explain why there have been no such quakes for nearly 300 years ⌘ Read more
Primitive steroids found in ancient Australian rocks may have been made by the earliest complex cells before they evolved into animals, plants, fungi and algae ⌘ Read more
Passing 1.5°C of global warming isn't just a political disaster, it will have dire consequences for us all, as those living on the front line already know ⌘ Read more
From how well they work to side effects such as hair loss, here’s the skinny on new weight loss injections that work by blocking a hormone that normally reduces appetite ⌘ Read more
Masturbation in male primates seems to have evolved to boost reproductive success and cut the chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection, but the picture isn’t so clear for females ⌘ Read more
A junior astronomy competition is spectacularly derailed by world-changing events in this star-studded film by Wes Anderson, but what is really going on? It’s complicated ⌘ Read more
An egg laid by a female American crocodile with no access to males developed into a fully formed fetus in the first known case of "virgin birth" in a crocodilian ⌘ Read more
The brain processes voices differently depending on the volume of the speaker and if the listener is focused on them ⌘ Read more
The long-pursued goal of a permanent, one-dose contraceptive may have been achieved in female cats and it should work in other species too ⌘ Read more
Synaesthesia is sometimes called an ‘extra ability’ that means some people mix colours and words or other sensory inputs. Now, it is becoming clear that it emerges in childhood to help us learn ⌘ Read more
The Kakhovka dam in Ukraine has been damaged in an explosion, possibly as a result of Russian attack. The resulting floods could have a major impact on people and wildlife ⌘ Read more
A test taken by more than 1.5 million people shows that the latest generation of artificial intelligences are almost indistinguishable from humans, at least in a brief conversation ⌘ Read more
New discoveries suggest that Homo naledi, an ancient and primitive hominin, may have displayed complex behaviour despite its small brain ⌘ Read more
Airlines have plans to use biofuels made from animal fats to meet climate targets, but a report warns this could increase emissions via effects on other sectors ⌘ Read more
The quantum realm contains profound mysteries. Here, New Scientist editors have selected some of our most mind-bending feature-length articles about the deepest layer of reality we know ⌘ Read more
A much-needed new kind of antibiotic can kill bacteria such as MRSA and works in a way that makes it extremely difficult for resistance to evolve ⌘ Read more
A test based on seven chemicals found in uterine fluid outperformed the leading tool for diagnosing early-stage ovarian cancer – a disease that is usually spotted late and is frequently deadly ⌘ Read more
People in Freetown, Sierra Leone, are increasingly exposed to extreme heat due to climate change and the urban heat island effect, but covering homes in a reflective film significantly cut indoor temperatures ⌘ Read more
Ozopromide, which is found in octopus ink, could kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones intact. The finding could be used to develop new cancer treatments ⌘ Read more
An oil company in China has started drilling a hole that would be the deepest in the country and among the deepest in the world ⌘ Read more
A computer chip made of glass and silicone holds liquids that move from one side of the chip to the other in reaction to pressure changes. This has been used to control and automate miniaturised biochemistry experiments ⌘ Read more
Astronomers have found strange strings of hot gas near the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, and they may be hurtling towards Earth ⌘ Read more
It has been widely reported that a US Air Force drone went rogue and "killed" its operator in a simulation, sparking fears of an AI revolution - but this simulation never took place. Why are we so quick to believe AI horror stories? ⌘ Read more
Carbon emissions from wildfires in Canada were the highest ever recorded in May, highlighting the growing risk of blazes earlier in the year ⌘ Read more
A monstrous concrete pipe with a capacity of 1.6 million cubic metres is being built under London to reduce the frequency of sewage discharges into the Thames ⌘ Read more
Modern flintknappers experience a wide variety of injuries that could have led to life-changing consequences or death for ancient humans making stone tools ⌘ Read more
A sensor around a millimetre in size has been tested to monitor a honeybee flying around some flowers. It could also work for medical monitoring inside a person's body ⌘ Read more
A survey of bacteria and archaea living in 99 coral reefs across the Pacific Ocean found these ecosystems may contain more microbes than current estimates for the whole planet – suggesting everywhere else on Earth does too ⌘ Read more
The large landing vehicles planned for NASA’s upcoming moon missions could throw up large amounts of dust from the lunar surface, posing a possible danger to orbiters ⌘ Read more
An ecotourism guide in Mexico filmed a whale shark gulping down material from the seabed, a behaviour that has never been observed in this species before ⌘ Read more
Men who tried a high-fat, high-sugar diet developed disrupted electrical brain activity during the deepest stage of their sleep, suggesting that the food reduced their sleep quality ⌘ Read more
Stem cells found within babies’ umbilical cords, normally discarded as medical waste, could help people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes reduce their need for insulin injections ⌘ Read more
Controversial author Peter Singer, who inspired the animal rights movement, explains why killing humanely reared animals may be a defensible ethical position and why he has rewritten Animal Liberation for the 21st century ⌘ Read more
Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a water ocean that makes it one of the most promising places to search for life, and water is spewing out of it in a jet bigger than any we have seen before ⌘ Read more
Desert ants construct mounds to help them navigate the featureless landscape of the North African salt pan ⌘ Read more
A bacterium found in English oak buds can help separate out the rare earth elements used in technologies such as electric cars and wind turbines ⌘ Read more
NASA's group that formed around a year ago to study unidentified aerial phenomena is holding its first public meeting ahead of a report expected in the next few weeks ⌘ Read more
UK start-up Puraffinity has created a method of removing pollution from water using a material that selectively binds to PFAS chemicals ⌘ Read more
We know that exercising is good for the brain. But now that we understand why, we can say what kinds of workouts maximise the brain-boosting powers of physical exertion ⌘ Read more
Macaques living on Yakushima Island in the 1980s experienced severe enamel hypoplasia, probably caused by extreme stress resulting from human activities ⌘ Read more
An unsatisfying caveat in a mathematical breakthrough discovery of a single tile shape that can cover a surface without ever creating a repeating pattern has been eradicated. The newly-discovered "spectre" shape can cover a surface without repeating and without mirror images ⌘ Read more
The coronavirus has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, but vaccines help to keep mothers and babies safe ⌘ Read more
Soprano pipistrelles can sense the polarity and inclination of magnetic field lines, and use the position of the setting sun to calibrate their internal compass ⌘ Read more
Infants may pick up on people's faces before anything else, which could explain why they can be scared of strangers at a young age ⌘ Read more
A 3D-printed material emits a green glow when friction or pressure is applied to it. One application could be reducing the chances of a fracture when drilling into bone during surgery ⌘ Read more
A strange canine was spotted in a pack of wolves near Pune in western India, but it stood out for its lighter coat and dog-like facial features. It was confirmed to be a wolf-dog hybrid through genetic sequencing ⌘ Read more
An experiment with a sticky fly trap in a Canadian forest suggests you will get more deer fly bites if you walk around than if you sit still ⌘ Read more
A river near Edinburgh, UK, has served for more than a decade as a natural laboratory for studying flood defences, providing benefits such as improved water quality worth millions of pounds ⌘ Read more
Nude photos, bank details and stolen credit card numbers have been found on devices sold by US police forces via auction sites ⌘ Read more
A pathway between the brain and the immune system discovered in mice could explain why prolonged stress can exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease ⌘ Read more
The brain implant company Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk among others, previously tested implants in pigs and monkeys. Now it has approval for human trials ⌘ Read more
The US actors’ union will negotiate with Hollywood studios over the rights to use AI to create "digital twins" of actors, and the results could determine the viability of acting as a career ⌘ Read more
People with a rare condition experienced fewer or no complications after receiving an experimental mRNA therapy, with the technology having the potential to treat a range of disorders ⌘ Read more
A trick for asking questions using capital letters seems to baffle artificial intelligences like ChatGPT, while humans can easily give the right answer ⌘ Read more
Sunlight transmitted through an optical fibre could be used to help cool a single charged atom to a temperature only a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero ⌘ Read more
Trichodesmium, a kind of cyanobacterium that is vital to ocean ecosystems, forms colonies that work together and change shape to get the light and nutrients the microbe needs to grow ⌘ Read more
A coded message called “A Sign in Space” has been sent from a spacecraft orbiting Mars to simulate potential communication from an advanced alien civilisation ⌘ Read more
Around half of all wetlands in the contiguous US will now lose their protections under the Clean Water Act, exposing them to pollution and development ⌘ Read more
Thousands more species are probably waiting to be discovered in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a region of the Pacific Ocean where companies are planning to extract valuable metals ⌘ Read more
Molecular imaging shows that botulinum neurotoxin uses three receptors to enter neurons. The finding could help develop drugs to stop the toxin from infecting cells ⌘ Read more
Focused ultrasound waves targeting a certain area of the brain can lower body temperature in rodents, showing a possible way to put people in suspended animation ⌘ Read more
Justin Cronin's new science fiction novel transmutes the familiar trope of a utopia with a dark secret into a deep story with humanity at its centre. Read along with us at New Scientist's book club ⌘ Read more
This tantalising extract is taken from the prologue of The Ferryman by Justin Cronin, a science fiction novel which is the first pick for New Scientist's book club ⌘ Read more
A fluxonium qubit can keep its most useful quantum properties for about 1.48 milliseconds, drastically longer than similar qubits currently favoured by the quantum computing industry ⌘ Read more
The condition may at least partly be caused by insufficient binding of a neurotransmitter to receptors in the brainstem ⌘ Read more
A leading "bioplastic" used in single-use cups and containers degrades in the ocean just as slowly as the oil-based stuff, and must be broken down in commercial facilities to be composted ⌘ Read more
Condenser tumble dryers are sold as a "sustainable" option because of their low energy demand, but they still shed large quantities of microfibres into the environment ⌘ Read more
Existing solar cells are normally only used on flat, static surfaces to avoid them cracking, but now there is a flexible alternative with the same energy-generating efficiency ⌘ Read more
Implants in brain and spine allow Dutch man to walk and climb stairs by power of thought, in world first use of the technology ⌘ Read more