New Scientist Space - Cosmology
A promising natural technique to remove CO2 could backfire
Several start-ups have tried to grow seaweed to remove atmospheric CO2, but this could affect the levels of nutrients in the ocean and hamper other CO2-sucking processes
Categories: Astronomy
The surprising ways your brain changes from your 20s to your 40s
When does your brain reach adulthood? We're now understanding the many ways the organ continues to mature decades after society first deems you an adult
Categories: Astronomy
People training new AI models admit they just get chatbots to do it
The next generation of AI models are meant to be trained by people paid to have conversations with them, but several of these workers have admitted to New Scientist that they simply get chatbots to do it instead. This "AI inbreeding" may reduce the power and usefulness of future models, warn experts
Categories: Astronomy
Faecal transplant makes the brains of old mice act young again
Older mice that received a faecal microbiome transplant from younger animals went on to have improved brain plasticity, which suggests their brains could overcome a neurological condition that is typically successfully treated only in childhood
Categories: Astronomy
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
Something is absorbing light on the surfaces of Pluto and Saturn’s moon Titan, and figuring out what it is could be crucial to understanding Titan’s complex chemistry
Categories: Astronomy
Most portable air conditioners suck – but there's an easy fix
Efficiency ratings on portable air conditioners don’t give consumers the full picture, and one type of aircon unit is so inefficient that it should be banned, says Michael Le Page
Categories: Astronomy
Gas from Uranus reveals it has an icy centre
Carbon monoxide in Uranus's deep atmosphere indicates that the planet contains more ice than rock, suggesting it formed more like Neptune than we thought
Categories: Astronomy
Can prebiotics, probiotics or postbiotics help your ageing microbiome?
The disruption of your gut microbiome is a major consequence, and possible cause, of ageing. Columnist Graham Lawton looks into recent trials examining whether it can be replenished through diet and prebiotics, probiotics or postbiotics
Categories: Astronomy
Remarkable fossils rewrite the story of how animals conquered the land
Palaeontologists have found new evidence that the early ancestors of amphibians, reptiles and mammals did not have a larval stage with external gills like modern frogs or salamanders
Categories: Astronomy
Almost the whole of Japan moved eastward after 2011 earthquake
An extremely unusual tectonic movement took place 15 minutes after the Tohoku earthquake in 2011, causing almost the whole of Japan to move 5 millimetres to the east
Categories: Astronomy
Waves reflecting off Earth's core shifted Japan after 2011 earthquake
An extremely unusual tectonic movement took place 15 minutes after the Tohoku earthquake in 2011, causing almost the whole of Japan to move 5 millimetres to the east
Categories: Astronomy
Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World is still supremely relevant today
Beautifully written, this guide to distinguishing between truth, misinformation and lies, first published in 1995, remains an essential read for anyone who considers themselves a critical thinker, says Leah Crane
Categories: Astronomy
Complex life on Earth may last 500 million years longer than expected
As the sun expands over the coming billions of years, Earth will become inhospitable to any life more complex than a microbe – but that might take longer than we thought
Categories: Astronomy
Ancient monument marked summer solstice centuries before Stonehenge
Archaeologists have discovered traces of a wooden structure built 5000 years ago, 5 kilometres from Stonehenge, which appears to have been an even older monument for marking the summer solstice
Categories: Astronomy
Cervical cancer deaths have plummeted thanks to HPV vaccine
We already know the vaccine against human papillomavirus, or HPV, greatly reduces infections and cases of cervical cancer, and now we have the first evidence it prevents deaths too
Categories: Astronomy
Chilling the body with drugs could limit brain damage from stroke
Putting brain cells into a hibernation-like state via drugs that cool down core body temperature may help to preserve them following a stroke
Categories: Astronomy
New Scientist recommends an excellent look at the future of work
Sarah O'Connor's We Are Not Machines explores how we are contorting ourselves to fit AI into our working lives – and what to do about it, finds Tom Knowles
Categories: Astronomy
Oldest known plague outbreak killed hunter-gatherer children
DNA evidence shows that plague bacteria devastated a community in Siberia more than 5000 years ago, challenging the idea that there were no major disease outbreaks before the advent of farming and large settlements
Categories: Astronomy
Pigeons lock their eyes in place when they are flying
Bird-mounted headsets and backpacks have revealed the surprising things pigeons do with their eyes when on the wing
Categories: Astronomy
Our brains have their first thoughts unexpectedly early in life
By the time we’re born, our brains have all the hardware in place to form thoughts, and possibly even some conscious awareness
Categories: Astronomy

