How one theory ties together everything we know about the universe

All known natural phenomena fit into just a few categories and unifying them all is quantum field theory, says physicist Matt Strassler | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 20 days ago

Clownfish avoid the sting of their anemone hosts with sugary slime

As a clownfish spends time with an anemone, its mucus coating begins to change. Chemical tweaks to sugars in the slime may calm stinging cells in anemone tentacles | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 20 days ago

6 things to look out for during the total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse is a unique experience. From shadow bands to the sun’s majestic corona and pinkish prominences, here’s what you can expect to see | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 20 days ago

Worm-like amphibian produces a kind of milk for its hatchlings

After hatching from eggs, young ringed caecilians feed on their mother’s skin, but also on a milk-like substance secreted from her rear end | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

Experimental weight loss pill seems to be more potent than Ozempic

The results, of 13 per cent weight loss after three months, need to be confirmed by larger and longer studies, but are seen as promising | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

D-Wave says its quantum computers can solve otherwise impossible tasks

Quantum computing firm D-Wave says its machines are the first to achieve "computational supremacy" by solving a practically useful problem that would otherwise take millions of years on an ordinary supercomputer | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

Salmon farms are increasingly being hit by mass die-offs

Mass mortality events at salmon farms have been getting more frequent since 2011, sometimes killing millions of fish at once, with causes including heatwaves and poor living conditions | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

Jupiter’s stormy surface replicated in lab

By rotating a tank of water at 75 revolutions per minute, it’s possible to replicate some of the stunning, swirling patterns on Jupiter’s surface | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

Light and sound therapy for Alzheimer’s may also prevent 'chemo brain'

An experimental Alzheimer's treatment involving sounds and flickering lights also prevented a decline in mental sharpness among mice having chemotherapy | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

AI chatbots use racist stereotypes even after anti-racism training

Large language models still demonstrate racial prejudice against speakers of African American English, despite the safety guard rails implemented by tech companies such as OpenAI | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

The world just experienced the hottest February on record

February was the ninth month in a row to set a global heat record, with global average temperatures 1.77°C above the pre-industrial average for the month | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

Microplastics linked to a greater risk of heart attack and stroke

People with artery plaques containing microplastics were about four times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those with plastic-free plaques | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 21 days ago

Hunger-inducing mutation makes some Labradors more likely to get fat

Dogs with a mutation in the POMC gene, common in Labradors and flat-coated retrievers, have a stronger appetite for snacks between meals and a lower metabolic rate | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

How manners can be a weapon to divide and disempower

Living in close proximity to strangers requires shared social norms – but manners can also be used to divide us, says Kirsty Sedgman | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Could two genetically modified mice come in handy on Valentine's Day?

Feedback is delighted to learn about a company's Valentine's Day promotion offering "a complimentary breeding pair of genetically modified mice" to potential customers in the mood for romance | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

A tale of two mysteries: ghostly neutrinos and the proton decay puzzle

Searching for the true nature of neutrino particles also provides the perfect experimental conditions to seek evidence of another slippery customer – proton decay, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Stark, haunting images show Kazakhstan's former nuclear testing ground

These stunning photographs are all shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

We should be open about organoid research to avoid a backlash

Research that involves creating "mini-organs" from human cells, including those from fetuses, may leave people uncomfortable – so the best approach is to explain the reasoning behind the work and its potential benefits | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

The Story of Earth's Climate review: 25 discoveries tell tangled tale

Palaeontologist Donald R. Prothero squares up to the tough task of explaining how life and climate have shaped each other over the 4.5 billion years of Earth's history. Amazingly, his book mostly succeeds | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

The Tomb of the Mili Mongga review: Hunting for giants in Indonesia

Samuel Turvey set off for Indonesia in search of fossils and found all sorts of wonders – including the strange story of mythical wild men who just might be lurking on the island of Sumba | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

The scientific secrets to baking a perfectly moist chocolate cake

Keeping your chocolate cake moist and delicious when you make it party-sized is tricky, but not impossible, says Catherine de Lange | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

The hunt is on to learn why bowel cancer in young people is rising

Something in the environment seems to be causing a rise in early-onset cases of bowel cancer. Now the hunt is on to find out what it is | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

US coastal cities face higher 2050 flood risk because they are sinking

The subsidence of land caused by the extraction of water and fossil fuels is exacerbating the threat of sea level rise in many US cities, including New Orleans | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Ukraine may have been first part of Europe colonised by early humans

Korolevo, a site in Ukraine where early humans made stone tools, has been dated to 1.4 million years ago, suggesting early humans moved from Ukraine into the rest of Europe | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Weird floating crystals can stop stars ageing for billions of years

Some white dwarfs seem to stop ageing for billions of years, and this may be due to the behaviour of unusual ice crystals that heat up the stars | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Bumblebees show each other how to solve complex puzzles

Puzzles that bumblebees cannot solve on their own can be cracked with help from another bee, adding to research on the transmission of culture among insects | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Bizarre galaxy in the early universe died extremely young

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that a distant galaxy stopped forming stars extraordinarily fast, making it the furthest dead galaxy ever spotted | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

The surprising promise and profound perils of AIs that fake empathy

Millions of us are turning to chatbots for emotional support. But there are good reasons to think AIs will never be capable of genuine empathy, raising profound questions about their role in society | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Genomes of modern Indian people include wide range of Neanderthal DNA

A genetic study of nearly 2700 individuals has revealed the ancestry of Indian people, and gets scientists closer to reconstructing the genomes of ancient Neanderthals | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Is the wooly mammoth really on the brink of being resurrected?

A company called Colossal claims it has taken a "momentous step" towards bringing back the woolly mammoth. Here's all you need to know about whether such a feat is possible | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Is the woolly mammoth really on the brink of being resurrected?

A company called Colossal claims it has taken a "momentous step" towards bringing back the woolly mammoth. Here's all you need to know about whether such a feat is possible | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Australia could launch its first private orbital rocket within weeks

Gilmour Space Technologies is awaiting approval from the Australian Space Agency for the first launch of its Eris Block 1 orbital rocket, with plans to deploy a satellite as soon as April | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Wearing make-up during exercise may harm your skin health

Our skin's pores normally enlarge when we exercise, but this appears to be hindered if we are wearing make-up, which may prevent the release of healthy oils | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Walking 10,000 steps a day really does seem to make us healthier

The much-touted advice to take 10,000 steps a day for our health has been accused of lacking evidence, but new research suggests that hitting this target has serious benefits | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

Surprise decision not to define the Anthropocene shocks scientists

A proposal to define the Anthropocene, a geologic epoch defined by human activity, has been rejected – surprising even scientists who consulted the voting group | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 22 days ago

How to view an eclipse safely and what to look for in eclipse glasses

Follow these tips to have a safe viewing experience during the upcoming North American total solar eclipse | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

US Army tests AI chatbots as battle planners in a war game simulation

Researchers in the US Army are experimenting with commercial AI chatbots as battlefield advisers in war game simulations – but experts caution that such AI should not be used in high-stakes situations | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

How concussion can lead to brain damage - and what to do to prevent it

A new understanding of what happens to the brain after a knock to the head is finally waking us up to the risk of contact sports, and ways to stop long term damage | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

JWST will officially begin searching for exomoons around other planets

Five exomoon programmes have been picked for the James Webb Space Telescope, raising the hopes of finding moons around exoplanets for the first time | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

Asian elephants seen burying their dead for the first time

Five elephant calves have been found buried in drainage ditches on tea-growing estates in India in a rare example of burial behaviour in non-human animals | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

Blue cheese could get an upgrade thanks to new mould hybrids

Five new varieties of Penicillium roqueforti, the fungus used to make blue cheese, might rescue the fungus from a genetic dead end and produce pharmaceutical compounds | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

Satellite launched to track down leaks of potent greenhouse gas

MethaneSAT will orbit the planet 15 times a day to capture unprecedented amounts of data on methane emissions from human and natural sources | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

Eerie green sunsets after 1883 Krakatoa eruption finally explained

Mysterious green sunsets were reported after the massive eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 – now simulations show how they were created and just how rare they are | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

Storks refine their migration routes as they learn from experience

Tracking data shows that young white storks spend more time exploring new places, while older ones take a more direct route on their annual migrations | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 23 days ago

Europa may have less oxygen to fuel life in its seas than we thought

The ocean on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is one of the best places we have found to search for alien life, but it might have less oxygen than researchers had thought | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 24 days ago

Organoids made from uterus fluid may help treat fetuses before birth

Fetal cells retrieved from fluid in the uterus can now be turned into balls of cells called organoids, which could help diagnose and treat fetuses with a serious lung condition | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 24 days ago

How our golden age of asteroid exploration could reveal life's origins

What did NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to sample Bennu discover? Mission leader Dante Lauretta says the asteroid could hold clues about how life began | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 24 days ago

Google launches $5m prize to find actual uses for quantum computers

Existing quantum computers can solve some problems faster than any ordinary computer, but none of those problems has any practical use. Google and XPRIZE hope to change that | Continue reading


@newscientist.com | 24 days ago