Squid-like plant that lives mostly underground is new to science

For the first time in nearly a century, a new genus of plant has been discovered in Japan, but it looks more like a squid or an alien than a plant | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 8 months ago

Keto diet helps people maintain weight loss after stopping Ozempic

In a small study, people with type 2 diabetes maintained their weight loss on the low-carbohydrate ketogenic for a year after they stopped using Ozempic or similar medications | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 8 months ago

How do you recycle a nuclear fusion reactor? We're about to find out

The UK's JET nuclear fusion reactor has been shut down after 40 years, and now researchers hope to repurpose many of its components in a world-first attempt at recycling a tokamak reactor | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 8 months ago

Miso paste made in space opens a new frontier for fermented foods

A fermentation experiment on the International Space Station produced miso paste with a flavour distinct from two samples that were fermented on Earth | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 8 months ago

A simple trick can make a dog treat a stranger as their friend

If an unfamiliar person spends 15 minutes following a dog, it tends to follow them back in a possible sign of friendship | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 8 months ago

AIs get better at maths if you tell them to pretend to be in Star Trek

Chatbots vary their answers depending on the exact wording used to prompt them, and now it seems that asking an AI to answer as if it were a Star Trek captain boosts its mathematical ability | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 8 months ago

Habitable ocean world K2-18b may actually be inhospitable gas planet

An exoplanet called K2-18b has been suggested as a good place to look for alien life, but a new analysis shows it is probably made from gas | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Benefits of hyaluronic acid in skincare products have been oversold

Hyaluronic acid's skincare benefits are often attributed to its supposed ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water, which new research has discredited | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Does getting even mild covid-19 affect our cognitive skills?

A large UK study suggests people who had been infected with covid-19 experienced some cognitive decline, but the findings are far from definitive | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

We now know what makes oranges taste of oranges

Researchers have identified 26 chemical compounds responsible for the flavour of oranges, which could help efforts to develop disease-resistant hybrids | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

What causes a total solar eclipse and how often do they occur?

Ahead of the total solar eclipse in North America, here is everything you need to know about solar and lunar eclipses | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

If gene-edited meat eases the climate crisis, then we must embrace it

Livestock farming is a major source of carbon emissions and damage to biodiversity, so the advent of gene-edited animals reared for meat that can help address these issues is good news | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Could the 'spirituality of science' provide the perks of religion?

New research suggests that a greater appreciation of science could bring the same health benefits that religion can provide for believers. David Robson goes looking for awe | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

The Arc of Oblivion review: Offbeat film about preserving our world

Film-maker Ian Cheney built an ark on his parents' land in Maine as a visual metaphor to help him explore the hubris of keeping anything from our modern world – and why we would think even our fragile digital world could last | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

NASA workers paint iconic logo onto Artemis II rocket boosters

These photographs show the scale of the work that goes into painting the NASA logo on spacecraft as they are readied for an epic new moon mission | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Bad therapy review: Is mental health industry fuelling youth crisis?

The dramatic increase in mental health issues among children in the US may be down to the way therapy culture has invaded family and school life, argues Abigail Shrier in her new book | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

How will AIs like ChatGPT affect elections this year?

We are beginning to see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to threats from chatbots. In a huge election year, how will AI affect upcoming votes, asks Alex Wilkins | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Analysis of cats during a cat show reveals they mostly lazed around

Feedback is entranced by researchers' detailed study of cat behaviour during a "feline exposition", which shows the cats were mainly sleeping, resting and looking around | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

The art of olfaction should take its place alongside other art forms

Smell has unrivalled emotional power. As such, the art of olfaction is rightfully being included in a new multisensory performance, says perfumer Mathilde Laurent | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Crypt review: Alice Roberts on murder and mayhem in the Middle Ages

The archaeologist's latest book on what bones teach us about Britain's history not only provides the grisly facts, but helps us feel them | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Light and sound may slow Alzheimer’s by making the brain remove toxins

An experimental treatment for Alzheimer's disease involving sounds and flickering lights has shown promise in mice and people. Now, research suggests the novel approach ramps up our brain’s waste disposal networks | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Battery breakthrough lets electric cars run longer in extreme cold

A new formula for lithium-ion batteries could help electric vehicles drive farther and charge faster even at extreme sub-zero temperatures | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

The unexpected ways your skin impacts your health and longevity

Looking after your skin isn't just a vanity project, with growing evidence that damage to the skin can drive ageing, inflammation and even cognitive decline | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Magnetic particles turn water droplets into tightrope-walking acrobats

Placing magnetic particles inside water droplets lets the liquid climb steps, hop over small objects and jump-start chemical reactions | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Boiling tap water can remove 80 per cent of the microplastics in it

Tap water contains tiny particles of plastic and we don’t know how they affect our health – now it seems that boiling the water for 5 minutes can remove most of them | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Strange animals called pyrosomes are thriving as the Pacific heats up

Sausage-shaped pyrosomes are blooming in great numbers during marine heatwaves, but their success comes at the cost of other animals, including fish | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Pythagoras was wrong about the maths behind pleasant music

It is said that the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras came up with the idea that musical note combinations sound best in certain mathematical ratios, but that doesn't seem to be true | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Melting of Greenland ice could cause European heat extremes this year

When lots of freshwater from Greenland pours into the North Atlantic Ocean, it triggers feedback loops that lead to hotter and drier weather in Europe, according to a study of the past 40 years | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Thousands of humpback whales starved to death after marine heatwave

A study estimating humpback whale numbers in the North Pacific Ocean from crowdsourced photos reveals a sharp decline from 2012 to 2021 after decades of slow population growth | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Eclipse 2024: When is it and where can I see it?

North America will have a total solar eclipse on 8 April – here is where, when and how to view it safely | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

YouTube has managed to stop its algorithm serving up extreme videos

YouTube's recommendation algorithm previously pushed users towards viewing ever more extreme videos, but now it steers people away from such content | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

AI designs bespoke 3D-printed prosthetic eyes

Using an artificial intelligence model and 3D printer to create prosthetic eyes reduces the time required to make such implants, which could make them available to more people | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Greener way to dye denim could cut the environmental impact of jeans

The jeans industry uses harmful chemicals to dye denim with indigo, but an alternative process can achieve the same thing with 92 per cent less environmental impact | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Dishabituation: How to trick your brain to find more joy in life

Learning a psychological trick to overcome your brain's tendency to stop noticing things could help you love your old clothes, notice the effects of climate change and fix gender biases, says neuroscientist Tali Sharot | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Is battery swapping a better way to recharge electric cars?

With queues at public charging points getting longer, some companies are opening power swap stations where you can simply exchange your battery for a fully charged one | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Covid-19 vaccines seem to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes

Many covid-19 vaccines occasionally cause side effects such as blood clots or heart inflammation, but, overall, they appear to be beneficial in preventing heart and circulatory conditions | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Jackals may urinate on their favourite fruit to deter thieves

Although they are carnivores, black-backed jackals are partial to the melon-like fruits of the !nara plant and help to disperse its seeds across the desert | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Earthquakes hastened sea rise in Pacific islands by sinking the ground

Projections of flood risk due to sea-level rise on the Samoan islands underestimate the rate at which the islands are sinking after two earthquakes hit in 2009 | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Bizarre fish can extend its mouth to make a kind of trunk

The hingemouth, an African freshwater fish, can stick out a proboscis for feeding or breathing thanks to the unique arrangement of its jaw anatomy | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Two lunar landers have fallen over – but they’re still doing okay

The SLIM lander and the Odysseus lander both set down on the lunar surface on their sides, but they have each been able to send data back to Earth | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

We finally know why live music makes us so emotional

Hearing live music tugs at our heartstrings more than a recording, probably because it increases activity in an emotion-processing region in our brain | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

How one of the smallest fish makes a sound as loud as a firecracker

The drumming sound of the 12-millimetre-long fish Danionella cerebrum can hit 140 decibels – now scientists have figured out how they do it | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Wasabi could help preserve ancient Egyptian papyrus artefacts

Ancient and fragile papyrus samples are at risk of being damaged by fungi, but a wasabi-based treatment can disinfect them without damage | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Weird white dwarf star has a metal scar after eating a planet

Astronomers have spotted a white dwarf star with a patch of metal near one of its magnetic poles, which probably formed when the star devoured a small planet | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Hard-to-digest starch supplements may help people lose weight

A small trial has strengthened the idea that foods containing the special form of starch could lead to weight loss and improve blood glucose control | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Where are all the exomoons? The hunt for worlds orbiting alien planets

Moons circling exoplanets would be some of the most promising places to look for life outside our solar system. Now, we might finally be about to find these elusive objects | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Why we're finally on the cusp of finding exomoons around other planets

Moons circling exoplanets would be some of the most promising places to look for life outside our solar system. Now, we might finally be about to find these elusive objects | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago

Mathematicians discover 'soft cell' shapes behind the natural world

The mathematical study of how repeating tiles fit together usually involves pointed shapes like triangles or squares, but these aren't normally found in the natural world | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 9 months ago