The sun is tearing an asteroid to pieces, and Earth is now flying through the fallout
Across Earth, every night, thousands of automated stargazers are waiting to take pictures of shooting stars. I am one of the scientists who study these meteors.
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Dead leaves now linger longer in Veluwe forests as acidic soils suppress decay
Decomposition of dead leaves in Veluwe forests has declined by tens of percent since the turn of the century. Meteorologists from Wageningen University & Research discovered this in an analysis of long-term measurements. The cause appears to lie in soil acidity. This is
Talking dogs and chatty cats could one day ‘speak’ in our language
Advances in decoding animal sounds might someday make animal translators a possibility.
In Arizona's desert, tiny ants turn into living hygienists, climbing inside bigger ants' mandibles and cleaning them
Ants are known for many things. They fight, bite and sometimes compete for every crumb. We can now possibly add cleaning services to that list, according to a study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
A counterintuitive molecular behavior opens new possibilities for cancer radiotherapy
A new study led by researchers at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) reveals why a particular boron-rich molecule, called o-FESAN, behaves in an unusually helpful way, remaining intercalated into DNA even though it was thought it should be repelled by
Person functionally cured of HIV after bone marrow transplant from sibling
A man with HIV has gone into remission after receiving bone marrow from his brother, who has a rare mutation that prevents the function of receptors that HIV binds to
From curiosity to conservation: How citizen science is teaching children and adults to see, experience nature
It often starts with something small, such as a new bird in a branch, a vibrant butterfly in a yard, a colorful plant growing through a crack in the sidewalk, or as part of a lawn. Suddenly, you are engaged and can't help but snap a photo with your smartphone to satisfy that
A tabletop ring of atoms brings the universe's doomsday vacuum collapse into the lab
Physicists in China have simulated the effect of "false vacuum decay": a phenomenon believed to play out constantly in the seemingly empty expanses of space, and which one theory even suggests could bring an abrupt end to the entire universe. In a paper published in Physical
Powerful imaging pulls lost ocean life from 445-million-year-old stone and exposes a hidden extinction record
New technology has helped a team of scientists uncover more than 20 microscopic fossils, including a species previously unknown to science. The discovery may provide us with fresh insights into the Late Ordovician, one of the largest mass extinction events in our planet's
The moon just got a new scar
Look up at a full moon on a clear night and you are staring at a face that has been punched, gouged, and battered for 4 billion years. Those dark patches are vast basins blasted open by impacts so colossal they reshaped a world. The lighter highlands are pocked and pitted,
Revived Nubian royal robes shed light on prestige and authority in a lost Christian kingdom
A recent archaeological project has physically reconstructed the ceremonial dress of medieval Nubian royalty and clergy, offering a rare glimpse into how clothing shaped and communicated authority in Christian Nubia. The research is published in the journal Antiquity.
Always on, always stressed: Digital work tools may blur boundaries and harm well-being
Information and communication technology (ICT) has reshaped our lives, how we live, how we work, how we entertain ourselves. That much is true, at least for the developed and developing world. ICT refers to everything from smartphones and laptops to software and cloud-based
Between eternal night and day, the faces of two cousins of Earth
An international team including the University of Bern (UNIBE) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), members of the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS, has succeeded in mapping the climate of rocky exoplanets with masses similar to Earth for the first time. This
Happy 69th birthday to Fatou, the world's oldest gorilla living in captivity
Fatou, the world's oldest gorilla living in captivity, celebrated her 69th birthday with a feast Monday, munching on cherry tomatoes, beets, leeks and lettuce at the Berlin Zoo.
Space worms! A microscopic crew goes into orbit to support future moon missions
British scientists have launched a crew of microscopic worms to the International Space Station in a pioneering experiment that could help unlock the secrets of long-duration space travel—and support ambitions to reach the moon and beyond.
Africa’s forests have flipped from carbon sink to carbon source
Africa’s forests have undergone a shocking reversal, switching from carbon absorbers to carbon emitters after 2010. Researchers found that heavy deforestation in tropical regions has led to massive biomass losses, far outweighing any gains from regrowth elsewhere. This change
As Artemis II is celebrated, the world faces hard questions about US leadership in space
The successful Artemis II trip around the moon was a historic achievement—the first crewed lunar fly-by in more than 50 years, and the greatest distance yet traveled by humans from our "pale blue dot."
Dream Chaser space plane faces uncertain future in NASA’s push for the moon
After all these years, Dream Chaser—a commercial U.S. space plane—is still chasing the dream of spacecraft that can fly from orbit to airports
'Ghost tunnels' guide sound waves in one direction while staying invisible to others
Acoustic metamaterials are a fast-evolving family of materials which manipulate sound waves in ever more advanced ways. Now, a team led by Changqing Xu at Nanjing Normal University in China has engineered an acoustic metamaterial, a "ghost tunnel": a structure which acts as a
Can weight loss help short-muzzled dogs breathe easier?
Felicia Beswick's two English bulldogs, 6-year-old Jax and 5-year-old Tun, couldn't be more different. "If you look at 'bulldog' in the dictionary, it's Jax; he's just very, very stereotypical of the breed. He prefers to sit in judgment of everybody, and he's allergic to
New toothpaste stops gum disease without killing good bacteria
Scientists have developed a new way to fight gum disease without wiping out the mouth’s helpful bacteria—a major shift from traditional treatments. Instead of killing everything, this targeted approach blocks only the harmful microbes that drive periodontitis, allowing
Collapse of key ocean current may release billions of tonnes of carbon
If the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation shut down, the knock-on effects could release hundreds of billions of tonnes of CO2, raising global temperatures even further
Chernobyl at 40: The man with the most dangerous job on Earth
Ever since the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in 1986, scientists have needed to monitor radioactive conditions inside. That job currently falls to Anatoly Doroshenko, who explains the dangers and importance of his work to New Scientist
Nanodiscs capture HIV and Ebola surface proteins in lifelike membranes for vaccine design
Viruses are masters at invading cells thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces. When scientists design vaccines, they often create versions of these viral surface proteins to study how the immune system might respond. But those lab-made proteins typically lack
Deportations and street arrests have risen exponentially, researchers find
The number of deportations within the United States increased by a factor of five in the first year under the current presidential administration, according to a new report by the Deportation Data Project.
Chernobyl at 40: The past, present and future of a nuclear disaster
Forty years ago, the catastrophic explosion at Chernobyl sent plumes of radioactive waste into the atmosphere. Now, New Scientist has gained exclusive access to learn how vital work to decontaminate the site has been derailed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Gold nanorod makes spinning light when struck off-center by an electron beam
Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This property is what makes light useful for
Men and women with obesity face very different hidden health risks
New research reveals that obesity affects men and women in surprisingly different ways. Men are more likely to develop harmful abdominal fat and signs of liver stress, while women show higher inflammation and cholesterol levels. These differences could help explain why health
Painkillers prevent pain responses in Norway lobsters, intensifying the case against boiling them alive
Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to be developed.
Gray whales are entering San Francisco Bay and many aren’t surviving
Gray whales are beginning to break their long-established migration patterns, venturing into risky new territory like San Francisco Bay as climate change disrupts their Arctic food supply. But this unexpected detour is proving deadly: nearly one in five whales that enter the
Cacti fungal endophytes may help cacao tolerate drought
Beans of the cacao plant, Theobroma cacao, are used in chocolates, pharmaceuticals and other products, but they're under threat. Increased drought associated with climate change has already begun to stress cacao-growing regions of Colombia and other countries, and models
Small talk surprises: Nine experiments show 'boring' topics feel more enjoyable
The small talk you try to avoid because you think it will be boring may actually be more enjoyable than you think, and good for you as well, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Light makes plants stronger but also holds them back
Light doesn’t just help plants grow—it may also quietly hold them back. Researchers have uncovered a surprising mechanism where light strengthens the “glue” between a plant’s outer skin and its inner tissues. This tighter bond, driven by a compound called p-coumaric acid,
From river stain to your cup of tea: The secret world of tannins
While stopped in heavy Melbourne traffic recently, I noticed that what looked like a shadow under a row of spotted gums (Corymbia maculata) along a major road was actually a stain on the concrete curb.
Global warming is changing the hatching of bees and wasps
A large-scale experiment shows that warmth brings bees and wasps out of hibernation earlier—leaving some of them with poorer starting conditions. This is particularly true for species in cooler regions that emerge during spring.
“Giant superatoms” could finally solve quantum computing’s biggest problem
In the pursuit of powerful and stable quantum computers, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed the theory for an entirely new quantum system – based on the novel concept of ‘giant superatoms’. This breakthrough enables quantum information to
The peatland 'nurseries' of Peru give new insights for conservation
New research from the University of St Andrews has shown that an important group of peatlands in the western Amazonia region of Peru developed more recently than many other peatlands in the tropics. Published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, the
Guaranteed income improved artists' finances, innovation
A guaranteed income program for artists led to improvement in financial stability and reduced debt, but also improved their motivation and artistic output, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
Tiny particles in Arctic ponds may play role in cloud formation and climate change
Tiny particles bubbling up from the tops of melting sea ice into the Arctic sky may be a key, understudied element of cloud formation in that climate-sensitive region.
Bizarre ‘compleximers’ break the rules of both glass and plastic
Scientists thought glassy substances had to be either moldable or impact-resistant—but compleximers are both
This method to reverse cellular aging is about to be tested in humans
A burgeoning field is launching its first clinical trial to find out whether dialing back cell development can safely refresh aged tissues and organs
The Artemis II mission worked—but should we really keep returning to the moon?
Artemis II ’s safe return from lunar orbit sparks a debate over the costs, climate effects and long‑term value of going back to the moon
Deep learning turns weather satellite thermal imagery into hourly ocean current maps
Scientists have developed a new method to measure ocean surface currents over large areas in greater detail than ever before. Called GOFLOW (Geostationary Ocean Flow), the approach applies deep learning to thermal images from weather satellites already in orbit, requiring no
Record-breaking photonics approach traps light on a chip for millions of cycles
For years, scientists have dreamed of using atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials to build faster, more efficient photonic chips. These materials can be stacked and tuned with extraordinary precision, opening possibilities far beyond those of conventional technologies.
Greece's ancient sites get climate-change checkup
Worsening wildfires, soaring heat waves and rising water levels have prompted Greek officials to take a closer look at protecting priceless archaeological sites that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
NASA already has next Artemis flight in its sights following astronauts' triumphant moon flyby
Never-before-glimpsed views of the moon's far side. Check. Total solar eclipse gracing the lunar scene. Check. New distance record for humanity. Check.
Scientists were wrong about lifespan. Your genes matter way more than we thought
For years, scientists believed our lifespan was mostly shaped by environment and chance, with genetics playing only a minor role. But a new study from the Weizmann Institute flips that idea on its head, revealing that genes may actually account for about half of the differences
Black hole wakes after 100 million years and erupts like a cosmic volcano
A colossal “cosmic volcano” has erupted in deep space, as a supermassive black hole in galaxy J1007+3540 roars back to life after nearly 100 million years of silence. Astronomers captured stunning radio images showing fresh jets blasting outward while crashing into the intense
Forget daily pills. This shot works when blood pressure meds fail
A twice-yearly injection may soon change how high blood pressure is treated. In a global trial, patients receiving the experimental drug zilebesiran alongside standard therapy saw greater blood pressure reductions than those on standard treatment alone. The drug works by
Of gray whales that enter San Francisco Bay, nearly 18% die there, scientists find
Gray whales migrate from Arctic waters full of food to the lagoons of Baja Mexico—but as the climate crisis gathers pace, they have been sighted foraging in unexpected places. Recently, some have begun to explore the dangerously busy waters of San Francisco Bay. Scientists at
