New Scientist Space - Space Headlines

Using the quantum states of particles of light as currency could make for unforgeable transactions, and a new experiment has added a way to save some of that quantum money for future use, too

The rate that our heart or liver ages may differ from that of our immune or hormonal systems, and now it seems that a single blood test could break that down

Ice core records of atmospheric hydrogen reveal a huge rise in concentration since the Industrial Revolution which has contributed to global warming – and could sway the debate over hydrogen as a fuel

Data from more than 18,000 people suggests that where excess fat is stored in the body influences its effects on brain structure, activity and health

For the first time, researchers have mathematically proven that a quantum computer can solve a particular task faster than an ordinary computer, in a way that can never be beaten

Hormone replacement therapy used within five years of the onset of menopause is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, while starting it later in life is associated with an increased risk

A sand quarry in Ecuador has yielded South America’s first amber with bio-inclusions, including a spider's web and a collection of mosquitoes, beetles, flies, wasps and biting midges that lived 112 million years ago

Mutations can result in viruses that infect cells, but can't copy themselves without help from other viruses - now it seems these cheats may outnumber normal viruses in a third of influenza cases, reducing the severity of infections

Two experiments with different quantum computers showcase their growing ability to simulate materials and quantum matter that have so far proven elusive in the lab

Rejigging the meal choices on offer in a canteen can prompt people to make healthier, climate-friendlier decisions

Taking vitamin D2 supplements seems to reduce levels of vitamin D3 in our body

Chimpanzees are consuming significant levels of alcohol from their diet of ripe fruit and the finding may help explain the origins of humans’ taste for alcohol

Ian McEwan’s excellent What We Can Know is set in a UK largely swallowed up by rising seas. Emily H. Wilson explores the story of a scholar hunting a great lost poem – which may have something to with climate change

We are still waiting for the retro-futuristic tech and social revolutions envisioned in science fiction’s old gold, writes Annalee Newitz – not to mention advances in reproduction

Feedback was amazed to hear that dog ownership could cause a hurricane across the other side of the world. Or are we barking up the wrong tree?

Making all shampoo or detergent bottles look the same isn't anti-capitalist, and it's the only way to make a truly circular economy for plastics, says Saabira Chaudhuri

Steven Pinker’s new book When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows makes a compelling case for common knowledge. Shame the politics muddies the waters

There are more centenarians now than ever before. But more must be done to address inequalities that prevent people from having a realistic chance of hitting this milestone.

A fossil from about 108 million years ago reveals an early member of the pachycephalosaurs, a group of dinosaurs with bizarre protrusions on their skulls that may have been used in combat

Using a suction device to stretch the skin seems to increase its permeability and stimulate immune cells, which could allow vaccines to be administered topically