New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Most accurate clock ever can tick for 40 billion years without error
The record for the most accurate clock has been broken in an experiment with strontium atoms almost as cold as absolute zero, and it is twice as accurate as any predecessor
Categories: Astronomy
AI chatbots are improving at an even faster rate than computer chips
The large language models behind AI chatbots are developing so rapidly that after eight months, a model only needs half the computing power to hit the same benchmark score - which is much faster than the rate at which computer chips improve
Categories: Astronomy
Horses used in therapy often avoid people if they are given a choice
Horses show signs of stress if people touch them while they are tethered, but they appear much less anxious if they are able to walk away
Categories: Astronomy
Some bamboo toilet paper contains only tiny amounts of bamboo
Toilet paper made from bamboo is supposed to be more eco-friendly than traditional paper made from virgin wood pulp. But new tests suggest some products contain as little as 3 per cent bamboo
Categories: Astronomy
Not getting enough sleep may make you feel years older
Insufficient sleep seems to result in people feeling older than they are, with a higher "subjective age" previously being linked to depression
Categories: Astronomy
Unexploded bombs from the second world war are getting more dangerous
An explosive found inside many bombs and shells used during the first and second world wars is becoming more likely to explode in response to impacts
Categories: Astronomy
Bird flu detected in US dairy cows – here’s what you need to know
The US Department of Agriculture has detected bird flu in dairy cows from Texas and Kansas – the first time the virus has been found in cattle
Categories: Astronomy
How to make an eclipse viewer
Some basic equipment can help you safely enjoy the eclipse on 8 April – here's how to easily make what you need
Categories: Astronomy
Flavour-predicting AI can tell brewers how to make beer taste better
An AI model trained on chemical and perceptual data on 250 Belgian beers can predict the flavour profile of a brew – and how to make it tastier
Categories: Astronomy
The physicist searching for quantum gravity in gravitational rainbows
Claudia de Rham thinks that gravitons, hypothetical particles thought to carry gravity, have mass. If she’s right, we can expect to see “rainbows” in ripples in space-time
Categories: Astronomy
AI forecaster can predict the future better than humans
An AI forecaster based on the language model GPT-4 can predict the outcome of future events more accurately than single humans. In some cases, it can even outperform the “wisdom of crowds”
Categories: Astronomy
Heat pumps: How to speed up the switch to low-carbon home heating
The rollout of heat pumps and other green heating technologies is going far too slowly in the UK – here’s what’s needed to get it moving
Categories: Astronomy
Paper planes made by a robot fly better than ones made by humans
A robot that can design, build and test objects made from folded paper can make paper planes that fly further than ones made by a human having the same number of attempts
Categories: Astronomy
Ancient people carved mysterious symbols near dinosaur footprints
A unique site in Brazil features rock carvings closely associated with dinosaur tracks, suggesting prehistoric people saw the footprints as meaningful
Categories: Astronomy
Huge crater in India hints at major meteorite impact 4000 years ago
The Luna structure, a 1.8-kilometre-wide depression in north-west India, may have been caused by the largest meteorite to strike Earth in the past 50,000 years
Categories: Astronomy
Your nationality may influence how much you talk with your hands
When recounting an episode of the children's TV show Pingu, people from Italy made an average of 22 gestures per 100 words, compared with 11 for Swedish people
Categories: Astronomy
Wildfire smoke may be deadliest effect of climate change in US
Smoke from wildfires made worse by climate change is set to cause thousands of additional deaths each year in the US
Categories: Astronomy
The unexpected reasons why human childhood is extraordinarily long
Why childhood is so protracted has long been mysterious, now a spate of archaeological discoveries suggest an intriguing explanation
Categories: Astronomy
Martin MacInnes: 'Science fiction can be many different things'
The author of In Ascension, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, on why he wrote his novel, cultivating a sense of wonder and the role of fiction in the world today
Categories: Astronomy
Dust clouds from the Sahara are reaching Europe more frequently
Changes in wind patterns and desertification may be increasing the amount of dust from the Sahara desert blown over western Europe and the frequency of these events
Categories: Astronomy