New Scientist Space - Cosmology

Nearly imperceptible quantum flickers used to limit how precisely we could detect the way space-time ripples, but squeezing the laser light used in detectors overcomes this and doubles the number of gravitational waves we can see

The average surface temperature varied more widely and was even hotter than previously thought during much of the past 500 million years, according to the most rigorous study so far

Genetic testing on samples collected during the earliest days of the covid-19 outbreak suggests it is likely that the virus spread from animals to humans at the Huanan seafood market

A meta-analysis of 137 clinical trials finds triptan drugs are among the most effective for treating migraines, while newer ditan and gepant drugs were rated less highly

African giant pouched rats proved adept at detecting four commonly trafficked products derived from endangered species including rhino horn and elephant ivory

We are finally untangling the ancient history of the cactus family, revealing some surprising forces that shaped these plants – ­­­­­­and prompting concern for their future

Exoplanets in binary star systems usually orbit both stars, but astronomers have now spotted three planets orbiting one or the other star in a pair

Genetic analysis of a bird flu virus detected in a person in Missouri who didn’t previously have contact with animals offers more details on the case, but experts say there isn’t substantial evidence to suggest human-to-human transmission is happening

Particles of light can spend "negative time" passing through a cloud of extremely cold atoms – without breaking the laws of physics

Geographer Alastair Bonnett on his pick of the most diverse maps, from a collection of 100,000 galaxies to a 12th-century Chinese depiction of rivers on a grid

Our gardening columnist James Wong isn’t convinced, and does the maths to get some answers

Modern life disrupts the circadian rhythms controlling our biology – increasing our risk of developing conditions ranging from diabetes to dementia. Lynne Peeples's new book The Inner Clock explores and offers solutions

We're trying to avert Judgment Day yet again – this time in an anime series for Netflix. But striking visuals can't make up for shortcomings in narrative and character development

A recent atomic physics workshop was outside my dark matter comfort zone, but learning about science beyond my usual boundaries was invigorating, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

From drunk worms to mammals that breath through their anuses, founder Marc Abrahams on the winners of this year's Ig Nobel prizes, for science that "makes people laugh, then think"

Committing countries to safeguarding the needs and interests of the citizens of tomorrow, a new Declaration on Future Generations could be as transformational as 1948's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, says Thomas Hale, author of Long Problems

David Spiegelhalter has spent his career crunching numbers to assess what may happen in the future. His thought-provoking new book gives readers a window into how they can apply this in their own lives

As the space industry evolves, we need a new set of international regulations to decide who is responsible for safety, the number of satellites in space, and more

A new design for a nuclear battery that generates electricity from the radioactive decay of americium is unprecedentedly efficient

Spanning 23 million light years, or 220 Milky Way galaxies, a set of giant, newly discovered black hole jets known as Porphyrion may change our understanding of black holes and the structure of the universe