New Scientist Space - Cosmology

The discovery that brain ageing may be driven by jammed-up protein factories could lead to better ways to help us stay sharp as we get older

The recoded bacterium uses only 57 of the 64 possible genetic codes, freeing up seven to be used for different purposes

The Trump administration is attempting to argue that greenhouses gases don’t endanger people to reverse regulations limiting these harmful emissions – climate scientists are pushing back

Around 8 million years ago, an ancestor of modern tomatoes in South America hydridised with a plant called Etuberosum, and this reshuffling of genes gave rise to the potato

People who consume some artificial sweeteners are less likely to respond to certain cancer therapies, potentially because of the impact on their gut microbiome

A stroke of lighting that lasted more than 7 seconds and flashed across 829 kilometres is officially the longest ever recorded

Several researchers who have been critical of Colossal Biosciences’ plans to revive extinct animals say they have been targeted by online articles trying to discredit them

From a fresh take on Stephen King’s The Stand to a new novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky set on a poisoned world, August has a bumper crop of new science fiction novels

Tattoos may have been widespread in prehistory, with scientists discovering a plethora of body art on a pastoralist who died in the 3rd or 4th century BC

The prebiotic properties of human milk could be harnessed to treat a bacterial strain known to cause problems for immunocompromised people – and trigger premature birth

We may be a step closer to a highly effective mRNA vaccine against HIV, but tests so far reveal that the approach can cause unpleasant skin reactions

Inspired by the work of Victorian mathematician Mary Everest Boole, try making a symmetric curve using string and some hole-punched card, says Peter Rowlett

Alex Garland's tech company mystery is smart and compelling, though it can also be chilly and self-indulgent. Bethan Ackerley missed it in 2020, but after five strange years, she has decided to check it out

Marine biologist Helen Scales's latest book, Ocean Art: From the shore to the deep, celebrates humans' enduring obsession with creatures that live beneath the waves

Saving the planet means factoring nature into our economics, argues Partha Dasgupta, in a book with fascinating ideas. But does it take passion to make people listen?

In this latest instalment of Future Chronicles, an imagined history of future inventions, Rowan Hooper reveals how invisibility cloaks could become mainstream

Feedback foresees a dystopian future in which "smart jewellery" tracks the emotions and motions of its users

The unpredictability of our times isn't all bad, as it may help us think up some genuine new ideas, says Daniel Yon, author of A Trick of the Mind

A fantastic alien adventure can be found on our very own planet by studying the microbial life in Earth's crust, according to Karen G. Lloyd's new book Intraterrestrials

New tests to gauge an individual's circadian rhythms could be put to good use helping night workers fend off the ill effects of their unsocial hours