New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Two-in-one inhalers slash asthma attacks among young children
Inhalers that combine relieving breathlessness with preventing it seem to be the most effective option for reducing asthma attacks in young children
Categories: Astronomy
Lung inflammation may make traumatic events harder to forget
Severe lung inflammation has been linked to symptoms resembling post-traumatic stress disorder in mice, which could help us better treat and prevent the mental health condition
Categories: Astronomy
Novels with a certain structure are more likely to be classics
Novels need a gripping story to stay popular as the decades pass, but it seems that other less-obvious factors may also contribute to their lasting success
Categories: Astronomy
Did a star blow up and hit Earth 10 million years ago?
There are signs deep beneath the Pacific Ocean that an exploding star once sent cosmic rays blasting out towards Earth, and now we have an idea of which stars may be to blame
Categories: Astronomy
Babies' brains 'tick' more slowly than ours, which may help them learn
The rhythm of an infant's brain activity seems to put them in constant learning mode, whereas that of an adult may allow them to retrieve conceptual knowledge
Categories: Astronomy
Atmospheric chaos has sent temperatures soaring in Antarctica
Stratospheric temperatures in Antarctica are spiking, which could see strange weather unfold across the southern hemisphere in the coming months
Categories: Astronomy
How fast you age may be controlled by a DNA repair boss in your cells
When a key protein regulator dials down DNA repair mechanisms, our cells accumulate more mutations, which may cause us to age faster
Categories: Astronomy
Reconstructed skull gives surprising clues to our enigmatic Ancestor X
The shared ancestor of our species, the Neanderthals and the Denisovans may be far older than we thought – which could completely change our understanding of humanity's evolution
Categories: Astronomy
Nanoparticles may be the secret ingredient in making ultimate plastics
Mixing nanoparticles into some common plastics made them harder to break and possibly easier to process, pointing towards a way to make better materials or packaging
Categories: Astronomy
Cheetahs naturally turned into mummies in caves in Saudi Arabia
The constant temperature and low humidity of a cave network in Saudi Arabia turned cheetahs, some of which died thousands of years ago, into mummies
Categories: Astronomy
Climate change is making trees grow larger in the Amazon rainforest
Rising carbon dioxide levels have boosted the growth of trees in the Amazon rainforest over the past few decades, but it is unclear if this trend will continue
Categories: Astronomy
Could we have cracked one of the world's toughest climate problems?
It is almost impossible to make cement without emissions, but carbon-capture-and-storage technology is finally being deployed to decarbonise the sector
Categories: Astronomy
Huntington’s disease breakthrough: what to know about the gene therapy
Huntington’s disease has been successfully treated for the first time using a gene therapy, which may be available in the US as soon as next year
Categories: Astronomy
We finally found the hot wind coming out of our black hole
Since the 1970s, astronomers have predicted that Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, should be sending out hot wind – they have just caught the first glimpse of it
Categories: Astronomy
If you feel you don't really belong, here is some science-based advice
Thinking you don’t fit in is agonising, whether you are starting at university or changing jobs. Our advice columnist, David Robson, shares some tips to change how you feel
Categories: Astronomy
Amazing images expose inner world of mind-blowing plants and fungi
Surreal images from a new book, Microcosms, show how confocal microscopy that uses laser scanning creates a super-sharp new journey around mind-altering plants and fungi
Categories: Astronomy
A compelling book about the end of the Neanderthals is a rare treat
Forget the tropes about how violence or maybe volcanic eruptions killed off our ancient cousins, The Last Neanderthal by Ludovic Slimak offers a very different take on how they died out
Categories: Astronomy
What made solar power the most desirable energy source on the planet?
In this latest instalment of Future Chronicles, an imagined history of future inventions, Rowan Hooper explains how the creation of living solar panels transformed their impact on the world
Categories: Astronomy
How Taylor Swift is helping botany gain celebrity status
Feedback is delighted to learn that researchers have discovered what Taylor Swift is accidentally doing to rescue the science of plants from mid-ness. Just take a look at her videos – sorry, botany teaching aids
Categories: Astronomy
Are you an introvert or extrovert? Surprisingly, the answer is neither
We are quick to place ourselves on the extremes of the social spectrum, but the truth is that personality is more malleable than you think, says Claudia Canavan
Categories: Astronomy