New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Toxic algae blighting South Australia could pose a global threat
Researchers warn that the alga Karenia cristata, which has killed around a million animals in Australian waters in one of the biggest algal blooms ever seen, could harm marine life elsewhere
Categories: Astronomy
Ancient DNA may rewrite the story of Iceland's earliest settlers
Biochemical evidence suggests Norse people settled in Iceland almost 70 years before the accepted arrival date of the 870s, and didn't chop down the island's forests
Categories: Astronomy
COP30: What’s on the agenda at the Belém climate summit
Initiatives on the table at COP30 aim to evaluate which countries are most vulnerable, support efforts to clean up industries and pay for the protection of tropical forests
Categories: Astronomy
Covid raises risk of heart issues in children more than vaccination
Getting covid-19 for the first time slightly increased the risk of heart inflammation, blood clots and bleeding disorders among children, whereas being vaccinated against the virus was much safer and sometimes protective
Categories: Astronomy
The fascinating story of the ultimate cosmic law
How do we know the speed of light – and why does it have a speed limit at all? Leah Crane explores the history of one of the most important numbers in the universe
Categories: Astronomy
We're closing in on how genetics may influence your PCOS risk
In the largest genetic analysis of polycystic ovary syndrome to date, scientists have identified new variants linked to the condition, which could help us treat it more effectively
Categories: Astronomy
How preppers plan to save us if the whole internet collapses
Recent outages have revealed how vulnerable the internet is, but there seems to be no official plan in the event of a catastrophic failure. Meet the team of hackers who are ready to jump into action
Categories: Astronomy
COP30: Can Brazil summit get climate negotiations back on track?
Expectations are low for the UN climate conference in Belém, Brazil, but the host’s pragmatic approach could help make progress on implementation
Categories: Astronomy
Advanced quantum network could be a prototype for the quantum internet
Building a working quantum internet would require overcoming a host of technical challenges, but researchers who have built one of the most advanced quantum networks to date say they think it is possible
Categories: Astronomy
Brightest black hole flare ever caused by huge star being ripped apart
A distant black hole has been caught releasing the brightest flare ever, which is the result of it ripping apart and devouring an enormous star
Categories: Astronomy
Cavities could be prevented by a gel that restores tooth enamel
Enamel does not naturally regenerate, which can lead to painful cavities, but a gel that harnesses some of the properties of saliva could restore the hard, shiny layer to teeth
Categories: Astronomy
Walking 3000 steps a day seems to slow Alzheimer's-related decline
Alzheimer's-related cognitive decline could be slowed by taking as few as 3000 steps a day, possibly due to the effects of regular exercise on brain health
Categories: Astronomy
Antarctic glacier's alarming retreat is the fastest ever seen
Hektoria glacier on the Antarctic Peninsula retreated 25 kilometres in just 15 months. Its rapid melt could have implications for other glaciers and the rate of sea level rise
Categories: Astronomy
Does the family tree of ancient humans need a drastic rewrite?
Anthropologist Christopher Bae has recently suggested we add two new species of ancient human to our family tree. The plans break the conventions for how species should be named – but Bae argues the rules themselves are flawed
Categories: Astronomy
SpaceX's Starlink and other satellites face growing threat from sun
There are now over 10,000 satellites in orbit, more than at any point in history, and this growing number is starting to reveal how solar storms could disrupt internet mega constellations like SpaceX's Starlink
Categories: Astronomy
Our bodies are ageing faster than ever. Can we hit the brakes?
All over the world people are ageing more rapidly and succumbing to diseases that typically affected the elderly. But there are ways to turn back the clock on your biological age
Categories: Astronomy
We may have found a surprisingly nearby cluster of primordial stars
The very first generation of stars, called Population III stars, are mostly expected to be too distant to see directly – but astronomers may have found some for the very first time
Categories: Astronomy
Orcas are ganging up on great white sharks to eat their livers
For the first time, video footage has captured orcas in the Gulf of California hunting young great white sharks, using a trick to flip them over, paralise them and get at their energy-rich livers
Categories: Astronomy
Quantum computers reveal that the wave function is a real thing
The uncertainty inherent to quantum mechanics has long left physicists wondering whether the observations we make on the quantum level reflect reality - a new test suggests they do
Categories: Astronomy
Denisovans may have interbred with mysterious group of ancient humans
We now have only the second high-quality genome from an ancient Denisovan human, which reveals there were more populations of this species than we thought
Categories: Astronomy

