New books from Adrian Tchaikovsky and the late Michael Crichton (with James Patterson) are among the great new sci-fi novels out this month ⌘ Read more
New books from Adrian Tchaikovsky and the late Michael Crichton (with James Patterson) are among the great new sci-fi novels out this month ⌘ Read more
The Dutch police force is already using a remotely controlled Spot robot dog made by Boston Dynamics to examine drug labs in raids, and now it wants to make the robot fully autonomous ⌘ Read more
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its massive Starship rocket today at 12.30pm UK time and we have all the details on the mission ⌘ Read more
People who stop taking antidepressants may get mental and physical symptoms as their bodies adjust to the lack of medicines - now we know how common this is ⌘ Read more
The Starliner spacecraft is on its way, carrying two astronauts to the International Space Station, having finally launched on its third attempt ⌘ Read more
Rising CO2 levels will spur the growth of forests, which store carbon, but an experiment suggests this effect could be restricted by the availability of phosphorus in the soil ⌘ Read more
People with eczema have higher levels of sodium in their urine than those without the skin condition, with every additional 1 gram linked to an 11 per cent increase in the risk of a diagnosis ⌘ Read more
In animal tests, a cube of hydrogel the length of a rice grain was implanted in the brain with a needle to monitor temperature or pressure, and then dissolved away after a few weeks ⌘ Read more
Could potassium fortification be the answer we're looking for when it comes to battling our unhealthy addiction to salt? ⌘ Read more
The global average temperature during May was highest for any May on record, reaching 1.52°C above the 1850 to 1900 average ⌘ Read more
Earth’s energy imbalance, a key measure of global warming, has doubled in the past 20 years, raising concerns about how much heat the oceans are absorbing ⌘ Read more
What does "equals" mean? For mathematicians, this simple question has more than one answer, which is causing issues when it comes to using computers to check proofs. The solution might be to tear up the foundations of maths ⌘ Read more
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its massive Starship rocket tomorrow and we have all the details on the mission ⌘ Read more
There are real benefits to a positive mindset, but the idea that we should always look on the bright side has gone too far. Research into toxic positivity can help restore balance ⌘ Read more
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its massive Starship rocket tomorrow and we have all the details on the mission ⌘ Read more
In recent years, China recalled pandas from three out of four US zoos that had the bears, signalling diplomatic tensions between the two countries – but this year China has offered two new pairs of giant pandas ⌘ Read more
An AI that watches you while you eat can estimate how much you’re consuming, and could help people track their calorie intake ⌘ Read more
Rock art along the Orinoco river in South America is made up of some of the largest etchings we know of and could date back 2000 years ⌘ Read more
Mice that exercised soon after waking up had stronger and longer bones than those that exercised later in the day ⌘ Read more
A rare sighting of a giant pangolin revives hopes for the species' survival in West Africa, despite threats from poaching and deforestation ⌘ Read more
Strange solids called temporal metamaterials finally make it possible to investigate the controversial idea of quantum friction – and push special relativity to its limits ⌘ Read more
A rare fossil skull provides strong evidence that the Dromornithidae, an extinct group of Australian flightless birds, were related to geese and ducks ⌘ Read more
Menstruation is occurring earlier and earlier in life for younger generations in the Western world, but researchers are puzzled as to why ⌘ Read more
The Chang’e 6 moon lander touched down on 2 June and began collecting lunar rock for China’s second sample-return mission ⌘ Read more
Efforts to remove animal traps and discourage poaching in Vietnamese protected areas have been partly effective, but conservationists say other approaches are needed to safeguard threatened species ⌘ Read more
If matter falls into one end of a wormhole, it could heat up in a tornado of plasma hot enough to initiate nuclear fusion – and come blasting out the other end ⌘ Read more
A simple statistical test can quickly guide humanitarian efforts in areas like Gaza and Ukraine impacted by war – and it could perform as well as more expensive, AI-powered methods ⌘ Read more
The true nature of time has eluded physicists for centuries, but a new theoretical model suggests it may only exist due to entanglement between quantum objects ⌘ Read more
A simulation-generated image reveals how charge distributions and gas densities vary in the plasma that floats across our universe ⌘ Read more
A small fern found only on a few Pacific islands has more than 100 metres of DNA in every single cell, more than any other organism that we know of ⌘ Read more
Boeing's Starliner capsule had a helium leak in one of its thrusters, but it is still scheduled to launch on 1 June for its first crewed flight to the International Space Station ⌘ Read more
One of the first bioelectronic devices to combine living bacteria with sensors has successfully improved healthy skin regeneration in mice with psoriasis ⌘ Read more
A 2020 rule that slashed air pollution from ships may have boosted global temperatures sooner than thought, helping to explain why 2023 was so hot ⌘ Read more
Humans from many cultures tend to associate the nonsense words “bouba” and “kiki” with different shapes – and now it seems that 3-day-old chicks have the same inclinations ⌘ Read more
We asked New Scientist staff to pick their favourite science fiction books. Here are the results, ranging from 19th-century classics to modern day offerings, and from Octavia E. Butler to Iain M. Banks ⌘ Read more
A star in a distant galaxy appears to have been almost torn apart in a close shave with a supermassive black hole, not once but twice – and astronomers hope to see it happen again ⌘ Read more
A survey of 253 US teens has found that, on average, their mood lifted after using their smartphones ⌘ Read more
Babies seem to cluster together their squeals and growling noises, rather than making them sporadically, which suggests they are part of their preparation for talking ⌘ Read more
The El Nino climate pattern has contributed to a year of record-breaking temperatures. We must bend the curve of carbon emissions before the next one arrives ⌘ Read more
Cow udders have lots of bird-like flu virus receptors but no human-like ones, a study has found, meaning there’s no reason for the virus to evolve to become better at infecting people ⌘ Read more
People who have had a recent vaccine against tetanus appear to be less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, suggesting that the bacterial infection is involved in the condition ⌘ Read more
Time loops have long been the stuff of science fiction. Now, using the rules of quantum mechanics, we have a way to effectively transport a particle back in time – here’s how ⌘ Read more
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its massive Starship rocket, perhaps as soon as 5 June, and we have all the details on the mission ⌘ Read more
Mars is a planet much beloved and much maligned, and in this episode of Dead Planets Society it is getting a dramatic makeover via an enormous orbiting magnet ⌘ Read more
Google's AI Overviews tool can offer impressive answers to search queries, but it will also make up facts and tell people to eat rocks. Can it be fixed, or will it have to be scrapped? ⌘ Read more
Cut marks on a 4000-year-old skull suggest ancient Egyptian doctors tried to treat a man with nasopharyngeal cancer ⌘ Read more
Several psychological biases undermine our ability to make new friends. Understand them and you’ll know the secrets to building meaningful relationships that last ⌘ Read more
Sophie Attwood is working with the food industry to promote some surprising psychological tricks designed to make environmentally friendly choices more desirable ⌘ Read more
Artificial intelligence models similar to ChatGPT are able to identify errors in computer code, letting people claim rewards for finding them - but others are using the same tools to report bugs that don't actually exist ⌘ Read more
Mining for minerals needed for wind turbines and other clean energy technologies has a high environmental cost, but some kinds of seaweed could offer an alternative source ⌘ Read more
One way to explain why time only moves forward is the quantum arrow of time, and it has major implications for both the universe's early period and its eventual demise ⌘ Read more
Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada and Mexico is already worsening air quality in the US, but some signs suggest clearer skies than last year ⌘ Read more
A set of Australian fossils offers a rare glimpse of the ancient relatives of platypuses and echidnas that lived alongside the dinosaurs 100 million years ago ⌘ Read more
Mice that were given a high dose of the antiviral drug oseltamivir phosphate, better known as Tamiflu, after prolonged and excessive noise exposure showed fewer signs of hearing loss compared with those not given the medication ⌘ Read more
On Yakushima island, sika deer might have forced flora to shrink as small as a tenth of the size of their mainland counterparts ⌘ Read more
An AI model can identify landmine areas with up to 92 per cent accuracy, which could help to speed up the removal of the deadly devices ⌘ Read more
If our solar system and even our sun contain tiny black holes formed just after the big bang, they should be orbiting in elaborate patterns ⌘ Read more
The author of All Systems Red, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, on why her novella takes on the thorny topic of what a machine intelligence might do, if it could make its own choices ⌘ Read more
As newer homes are built or older homes are renovated, empty attic spaces are disappearing – this eliminates a vital refuge for birds and bats during a biodiversity crisis ⌘ Read more
In this dramatic opening to Martha Wells' All Systems Red, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to her character Murderbot, a sentient machine intelligence ⌘ Read more
The aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C is based on long-term average temperatures, but analysis shows that if three years cross the threshold, it is almost certain that the target has been missed ⌘ Read more
This year could bring up to 25 named tropical storms, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says, due to hot Atlantic Ocean surface temperatures and a shift to La Niña conditions ⌘ Read more
Male mice injected with a molecule that affects sperm movement were temporarily unable to impregnate a female, showing promise for a new type of birth control drug for people ⌘ Read more
A dose of caffeine helped ants locate a sweet reward 30 per cent faster, suggesting the drug boosts learning in the insects ⌘ Read more
The warm El Niño pattern in the Pacific Ocean combined with global warming and other factors to create the hottest year on record – and this year may not be any cooler ⌘ Read more
The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has taken images of galaxies, galaxy clusters and newborn stars in unprecedented detail ⌘ Read more
Male proboscis monkeys use their enormous noses to make loud trumpeting sounds, and the organ’s size advertises their health and status to prospective mates and rivals ⌘ Read more
New survey data estimates that 7.1 million children in the US have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point, about 1 million more kids than had been diagnosed as of 2016 ⌘ Read more
An experiment inspired by Homer’s description of combat in The Iliad tested the capabilities of the Dendra armour suit from Greece’s Bronze Age ⌘ Read more
From the vastness of the universe to the infinitesimal particles that comprise it, extremes of scale defy comprehension – and present a problem for physicists seeking a unified theory of everything ⌘ Read more
New proposals for addictions seem to keep cropping up, but the reality is we don't truly understand the mechanisms behind our cravings in the first place ⌘ Read more
People with higher genetic risk for depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are more likely to have unusual activity levels of "fossil viruses" in their genomes ⌘ Read more
Subatomic particles can appear to instantly influence one another, no matter how far apart they are. These days, that isn't a source of mystery – it's a fact of the universe and a resource for new technologies ⌘ Read more
Scientists have long thought the source of the sun's magnetic field sat deep within the star, but it may exist in a far more convenient spot for us to observe it ⌘ Read more
The highly unstable radioactive element promethium is hard to study in the lab, but chemists have now coaxed it into forming a compound in water so they can observe its bonding behaviour ⌘ Read more
The largest study yet looking at whether conditions such as depression and anxiety could spread between teenagers finds that one person in a class being diagnosed is linked with a higher risk for their classmates ⌘ Read more
Pelting metals under high temperatures has revealed that some get even stronger when heated, which could help us choose better materials for making helicopters and planes ⌘ Read more
Cement production is a huge source of carbon emissions with no green alternative, but a new process that uses waste from demolished buildings could dramatically reduce its climate impact ⌘ Read more
Researchers have come to see cancers as akin to organisms, existing in complex ecosystems and subject to evolutionary pressures. Now they are targeting cancer’s ability to adapt ⌘ Read more
The big puma fungus hasn't been seen since it was discovered in 1982 in Chile’s Nahuelbuta mountains – now an expedition has finally rediscovered these tiny, elusive mushrooms ⌘ Read more
To avoid the worst effects of climate change, the world must balance carbon emissions with carbon sinks by 2050. But even if we hit the target, a lot depends on how much we emit in the meantime ⌘ Read more
An excavation on Timor reveals humans first settled on the island 44,000 years ago, long after the earliest occupation of Australia – suggesting migration to the latter took another route ⌘ Read more
Cows seem to be more willing to lick and accept food from women, and are more likely to act aggressively around men ⌘ Read more
The Linac Coherent Light Source in California fired an X-ray pulse that lasted only a few hundred billionths of a billionth of a second but carried nearly a terawatt of power ⌘ Read more
Fractals are common in nature because of the surprisingly simple way they are made. Mathematically, they also help us make sense of complexity and chaos – and maybe even quantum weirdness ⌘ Read more
The world's biggest AI companies have made artificial general intelligence, or AGI, their goal. But it isn't always clear what AGI means, and there is debate about whether it is a valuable idea ⌘ Read more
Neurodiversity reframes neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD as differences to be embraced rather than treated – but that doesn’t mean abandoning diagnosis and intervention altogether ⌘ Read more
Researchers have designed a new system to capture carbon dioxide from shipping exhaust after studying how limestone naturally dissolves in the ocean ⌘ Read more
ChatGPT often suggests lower-income neighbourhoods to people who are Black, showing prejudices reflecting generations of housing discrimination in the US ⌘ Read more
A trio of hexagonal islands could generate solar electricity to power a process that accelerates coral growth, with space for a research lab and a garden ⌘ Read more
An acid produced by an acne-causing bacteria reduced the severity of people's dandruff by adjusting their scalp's microbiome ⌘ Read more
There are all kinds of different ways to measure biodiversity. But if we are to arrest its alarming decline, biologists must agree on a method that best captures how it changes over time ⌘ Read more
For the first time, a quantum sensor has been used to record magnetic signals from the heart of a living animal, opening the door for future uses of quantum technology in medical settings ⌘ Read more
Experiments show that effect doesn’t always follow cause in the weird world of subatomic particles, offering fresh clues about the quantum origins of space-time ⌘ Read more
The rare Bornean flat-headed frog was thought to be the only frog with no lungs, but we now know it has very, very tiny ones ⌘ Read more
Electrical stimulation on the back during rehabilitation exercises causes lasting improvements in people’s ability to use their hands. ⌘ Read more
Estimates suggest there are trillions of free-floating worlds in our galaxy alone. Most of them will be frozen planets like Pluto, but some might be warmer – and possibly even habitable ⌘ Read more
We can describe different kinds of thought and how they arise, to some extent, but the relationship between neural activity and the nature of what we are thinking isn't well understood ⌘ Read more
Mathematicians are celebrating a 1000-page proof of the geometric Langlands conjecture, a problem so complicated that even other mathematicians struggle to understand it. Despite that, it is hoped the proof can provide key insights across maths and physics ⌘ Read more
A virtual reality system and a head-mounted 360-degree camera make it possible to look directly behind you without twisting your entire body ⌘ Read more