Personally, I don't think there's intelligent life on other planets. Why should other planets be any different from this one?

— Bob Monkhouse

New Scientist Space - Cosmology

Syndicate content New Scientist - Home
New Scientist - Home
Updated: 8 hours 13 min ago

'Bone collector' caterpillar wears dead insect body parts as disguise

Thu, 04/24/2025 - 3:00pm
A carnivorous caterpillar species camouflages itself with dead insects so it can live safely alongside spiders, stalking their webs and stealing their prey
Categories: Astronomy

Signs of alien life on exoplanet K2-18b may just be statistical noise

Thu, 04/24/2025 - 12:49pm
Last week astronomers reported hints of biological activity on a distant planet, but a re-analysis of their data suggests the claimed molecules may not be there at all
Categories: Astronomy

Oldest ant fossil ever found shows how ants took over the world

Thu, 04/24/2025 - 12:00pm
A fossilised 113-million-year-old hell ant from Brazil adds to the evidence that the first ants evolved in the southern hemisphere before moving north – and beyond
Categories: Astronomy

Reading for pleasure has plummeted over the past 20 years

Thu, 04/24/2025 - 10:00am
People in the US are reading for pleasure less and less, despite it being linked to better sleep, improved mental health and even a longer life
Categories: Astronomy

Colossal ancient icebergs left grooves on the bottom of the North Sea

Thu, 04/24/2025 - 6:00am
Scientists have found scour marks on the seabed made by giant icebergs about 18,000 years ago, and they could offer clues to the fate of Antarctica’s ice
Categories: Astronomy

The supplement that really can improve your brain health

Thu, 04/24/2025 - 3:00am
Most supplements that claim to help your brain have never been thoroughly tested, but one has convinced even the most discerning scientists of its worth, finds columnist Helen Thomson
Categories: Astronomy

Daily doses of peanuts could desensitise adults with the allergy

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 8:01pm
Exposing children with peanut allergy to proteins from the legume is an approved treatment to reduce the risk of allergic reactions, and now we have evidence it also works in adults
Categories: Astronomy

First evidence of gladiator fight with lion seen in Roman-era skeleton

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 3:00pm
A man who lived in Roman-occupied Britain was bitten by a big cat, probably in a gladiator arena, an analysis of his remains has revealed
Categories: Astronomy

Can climate science attribute economic damage to major polluters?

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 3:00pm
Climate researchers argue their science has advanced enough to directly link emissions from particular companies to damages from specific extreme weather events
Categories: Astronomy

Lyme disease treated with antibiotic that doesn't harm gut microbiome

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 3:00pm
Mice overcame a Lyme disease infection after being given an antibiotic that is often used for pneumonia, and its effect on their gut microbiomes was negligible
Categories: Astronomy

Are ordinary people fighting a losing battle to go green?

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 2:00pm
Corporations and governments are playing fast and loose with environmental protections. Are there still ways we can make a difference as individuals, and live a climate-friendly life, asks Graham Lawton
Categories: Astronomy

Is there such a thing as a 'vegetative electron microscope'? Doubtful

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 2:00pm
Feedback notes the flurry of new papers mentioning the mysterious "vegetative electron microscope", and ponders the emergence of this tortured phrase
Categories: Astronomy

Where is the TV drama to move the dial on climate change?

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 2:00pm
UK show Adolescence is sparking debate about the harm of social media. We need a series to do the same for the most pressing crisis of our times, says Bethan Ackerley
Categories: Astronomy

An elegant account of how one ancient language went global

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 2:00pm
Hunting the origin of 40 per cent of the languages spoken today is a huge feat, but Laura Spinney's new book makes an excellent job of it
Categories: Astronomy

Mining the Arctic's precious resources is a fool's errand

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 2:00pm
With ice and permafrost thawing fast, nations are racing to exploit the Arctic's newly accessible treasures. Yet there are plenty of reasons why this may not be a great idea – and why we should treat the region as a scientific wonder instead
Categories: Astronomy

Dire wolf 'de-extinction' criticised by conservation group

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:51pm
The attempted creation of dire wolves could undermine conservation efforts by making people think extinct species can be revived, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Categories: Astronomy

Ultra-secure quantum data sent over existing internet cables

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:00pm
Two commercial telecommunications facilities have been connected by a secure quantum network that used existing fibre optic cables at room temperature – a key step towards a feasible quantum internet
Categories: Astronomy

How astonishing observatories could do big physics from the moon

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:00pm
As humanity prepares to return to the moon, scientists also have ideas for huge lunar experiments that could revolutionise astrophysics
Categories: Astronomy

Bats that walk backwards have developed unusual navigation strategy

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 8:00am
Greater mouse-tailed bats crawl backwards over cave walls, and it seems they use their long tails to help feel their way
Categories: Astronomy

Powerful blasts of X-rays could reveal a black hole waking from sleep

Wed, 04/23/2025 - 6:00am
Unusual signals called quasi periodic eruptions appear to come from black holes, but we don't know what creates them. Now astronomers have seen the most powerful one of these signals ever, and have a new idea about their cause
Categories: Astronomy