New Scientist Space - Cosmology
The weight-loss drugs on trial in 2026 may trump Ozempic and Zepbound
Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound have transformed how we treat obesity, but more effective treatments could be down the road
Categories: Astronomy
Russia-US nuclear pact is about to end and we won't see another
After the New START treaty expires in February, there will be no cap on the number of US and Russian nuclear weapons - but some are sceptical about whether the deal actually made the world safer
Categories: Astronomy
Russia-US nuclear pact set to end in 2026 and we won't see another
After the New START treaty expires in February, there will be no cap on the number of US and Russian nuclear weapons - but some are sceptical about whether the deal actually made the world safer
Categories: Astronomy
BepiColombo mission will start to unpick Mercury's secrets in 2026
The BepiColombo mission has been on its way to Mercury since 2018 and will finally start orbiting the planet and taking X-ray images in the second half of 2026
Categories: Astronomy
World's first subsea desalination facility will start running in 2026
Flocean, a Norwegian company, is set to open the world’s first commercial-scale subsea desalination plant, an approach that could cut the cost and energy used to make seawater drinkable
Categories: Astronomy
The cost of weight-loss drugs should fall in 2026
The price of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy put them out of reach for most people with obesity, but new arrivals and expiring patents should change that this year
Categories: Astronomy
2026 Mars mission will set out to solve the mystery of its moons
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will be launching the Martian Moons eXploration mission next year, which should finally tell us how Mars acquired the moons Phobos and Deimos
Categories: Astronomy
US to fire up small reactors in 2026 as part of 'nuclear renaissance'
Eleven companies are working towards an ambitious goal as part of the US Department of Energy's plan to fast-track the development of advanced nuclear reactor technologies
Categories: Astronomy
2026 is set to be an even bigger year for weight-loss drugs
GLP-1 agonists have already had an outsized influence on society, and with pill versions and more advanced formulations on the horizon, that looks set to continue
Categories: Astronomy
See how fire has changed the world's largest wetland, the Pantanal
Stunning and shocking images from upcoming exhibition Water Pantanal Fire show how this tropical wetland has been hit by wildfires
Categories: Astronomy
Why stroking seedlings can help them grow big and strong
The science behind why stroking your seedlings actually works. If you’re worried about your seedlings getting long and leggy, try a bit of home thigmomorphogenesis, advises James Wong
Categories: Astronomy
Why I'm going to reap the mental health benefits of stargazing in 2026
Navigating the night sky can have a positive effect on our well-being. This will be the year I learn the constellations, resolves Michael Brooks
Categories: Astronomy
The best new science fiction books of 2026
On the horizon for this year are Ann Leckie's latest, Neil Jordan's debut and more from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Exciting times, says our sci-fi columnist Emily H. Wilson
Categories: Astronomy
The best new popular science books of 2026
Clear out your shelves for a bumper new crop of books by authors including Naomi Klein, Rebecca Solnit and Xand Van Tulleken, says culture editor Alison Flood
Categories: Astronomy
Could James and the Giant Peach inspire the future of food?
In the latest in our imagined history of inventions yet to come, Future Chronicles columnist Rowan Hooper reveals how by the 2030s, botanists had worked out how to grow hybridised superplants to help feed the world
Categories: Astronomy
Physicists stirred up controversy with scientific cooking tips in 2025
Cacio e pepe pasta and boiled eggs were the subjects of meticulous studies aiming to help cooks achieve perfection, but the reimagined recipes weren't always well-received
Categories: Astronomy
The emotion you never knew you had, and how to feel more of it
The warm and fuzzy emotion of kama muta underlies vital feel-good experiences like social connection and feeling part of something bigger. But are you getting enough of it?
Categories: Astronomy
The century-long hunt for the gigantic meteorite that vanished
A soldier returned from the Sahara desert in 1916 with a wild story about a meteorite that dwarfed all others. Over 100 years of hunting yielded nothing – but now twin brothers think they have solved the puzzle
Categories: Astronomy
The cassette tape made a comeback in 2025 thanks to a DNA upgrade
With a storage capacity of 36 petabytes, a DNA-based cassette tape can hold every song every recorded, and it could be on the market within five years
Categories: Astronomy
EU carbon border tax will force others to cut emissions from 2026
In 2026, the European Union will start charging a carbon-emissions-based tax on imported goods such as steel, cement and fertilisers – and countries including the UK are likely to follow
Categories: Astronomy

