New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Mathematicians have discovered a mind-blowing new kind of infinity
It may sound strange, but mathematicians have created an entire ladder of infinities, each larger than the next. Now a new kind of infinity threatens to upset that order, and perhaps redefine the structure of the mathematical universe
Categories: Astronomy
Conservationists are collecting semen from endangered wild sharks
Scuba divers will attempt to collect semen from at least nine wild male leopard sharks for the first time, for use in captive breeding programmes aiming to boost wild populations
Categories: Astronomy
Why scientists scanned giant hailstones in a dentist's office
A high-resolution view of hailstones the size of tennis balls can reveal how they form – and help researchers better forecast which storms will generate these destructive pieces of ice
Categories: Astronomy
H5N1 bird flu is closer to gaining pandemic potential than we thought
The flu virus currently circulating in birds and dairy cows is already better at infecting people than earlier variants, and a single mutation would allow it to bind to key human receptors
Categories: Astronomy
We finally have an explanation for 2023’s record-breaking temperatures
A decline in low-lying cloud cover means Earth is absorbing more solar radiation, which could explain 0.2°C of missing heat scientists have been struggling to account for
Categories: Astronomy
Plants laced with a variety of fungi are more popular with bees
Bees visited flowers on plants inoculated with diverse fungi more than plants without this treatment – but not every combination of fungus had the same effect
Categories: Astronomy
Tencent seems unaffected by US AI chip export ban, research shows
A US ban on exporting high-end chips used for AI development to China doesn't seem to have affected Tencent, as US researchers suggest they may have found signs of the tech giant still using the chips
Categories: Astronomy
China's Tencent seems to have AI chips banned by US export controls
A US ban on exporting high-end chips used for AI development to China doesn't seem to have affected Tencent, as researchers have found signs of the tech giant using the chips well after the ban was put in place
Categories: Astronomy
Robotic rat uses AI to befriend real rodents
A robotic wheeled rat that was trained with AI learned how to play and fight with real rodents – and could one day offer companionship to lab rats
Categories: Astronomy
'Killer' cells explain differences in immunity between the sexes
Women are more susceptible to autoimmune conditions than men, but also more protected against infections - and we are starting to understand why
Categories: Astronomy
Implant made with living neurons connects to mouse brains
In a unique demonstration of brain implants that incorporate living cells, the devices were able to connect with the brains of live mice
Categories: Astronomy
Toddler bones show mammoths were the main food of the first Americans
The bones of a child who died nearly 13,000 years ago suggest that the people who moved from Asia into North America at this time ate a lot of mammoth
Categories: Astronomy
Intricate 18th-century illustrations of stunning flora and fauna
Mark Catesby's work documents the plants and animals he saw while journeying in North America and the Caribbean
Categories: Astronomy
The best science fiction TV shows of 2024
From an Earth that has become a nuclear wasteland to one threatened by extraterrestrials, there was some standout sci-fi TV in 2024. Our columnist Bethan Ackerley reveals her top five shows
Categories: Astronomy
How a space elevator could make trips to the moon affordable for all
Our Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions and developments yet to come. We journey to 2055, when a space elevator from the moon’s surface to near-Earth orbit was completed, opening space travel to all
Categories: Astronomy
Unpacking the new Jordan Peterson book – with much exhaustion
Feedback takes one for the team and dips into the psychologist-turned-Youtuber's new tome, We Who Wrestle With God – only to quibble with the human biology it contains
Categories: Astronomy
Five years after the first covid-19 cases, there are lessons to learn
Hindsight makes it clear that the fight against covid-19 was also a struggle against the quiet epidemic of suppressed science, says Dali L. Yang
Categories: Astronomy
The best science fiction films of 2024
Forget Megalopolis and Madame Web. The best science fiction films of the year were all horror-inflected, says our film columnist Simon Ings
Categories: Astronomy
The theory of evolution can evolve without rejecting Darwinism
Alternative thinking on the evolution of species is a welcome way to highlight some neglected aspects of life on Earth, but it doesn't mean Darwin was wrong
Categories: Astronomy
Mesopotamians felt happiness in their liver and anger in their thighs
An analysis of ancient cuneiform texts suggests people thought of emotions in a different way almost 3000 years ago, showing how culture influences our most intimate experiences
Categories: Astronomy