New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Filming the universe’s biggest dramas: Best ideas of the century
Astronomers used to rely on chance to catch a glimpse of fleeting explosions in space. A fresh approach to watching these flashes has completely transformed astronomy
Categories: Astronomy
The invention of net zero: Best ideas of the century
Net zero wasn’t always the target – the consensus used to be that we could continue releasing greenhouse gases and maintain global temperatures. How did that change?
Categories: Astronomy
A revolution in how we do chemistry: Best ideas of the century
From finding new antibiotic candidates to studying the insides of cells, snapping molecules together "like Lego" has completely overhauled chemistry, and biology too
Categories: Astronomy
Why a tool-using cow could change how we see farm animals
A pet cow has learned to scratch herself with a broom, showing creative problem-solving skills that make it harder to ignore the fact that these animals have minds, says Marta Halina
Categories: Astronomy
There’s no such thing as a normal brain: Best ideas of the century
Neurodiversity research has reshaped how we think about autism and ADHD, revealing that a “normal” brain doesn’t exist – and that unusual brains also come with unique strengths
Categories: Astronomy
The one innovation that supercharged AI: Best ideas of the century
The most powerful artificial intelligence tools all have one thing in common. Whether they are writing poetry or predicting protein structures, they rely on the "transformer" architecture
Categories: Astronomy
The one diet that’s good for everything: Best ideas of the century
Time and time again, scientists have found that one diet beats all others when it comes to our health. Fortunately, it's delicious – and also good for the planet
Categories: Astronomy
The immense interconnectivity of the brain: Best ideas of the century
How discovering that different parts of the brain work together as networks has transformed our understanding of everything from daydreaming and emotions to planning and memory
Categories: Astronomy
The hidden power of epigenetics: Best ideas of the century
Following the surprising discovery that our genetic blueprint is much simpler than expected, we’ve rapidly learned that we have epigenetics to thank for our extraordinary complexity
Categories: Astronomy
End-to-end encryption: Best ideas of the century
How end-to-end encryption is the wall that keeps our digital secrets safe – and why modern life would be unimaginable without it
Categories: Astronomy
Revealing the epic story of ancient humans: Best ideas of the century
Since the turn of the millennium, our understanding of our ancestors and extended cousins has shifted dramatically, thanks to a swathe of surprising archaeological discoveries
Categories: Astronomy
The totemic 1.5°C climate target: Best ideas of the century
Although we’re on course to cross 1.5°C of warming, the alliance of small island nations that revised our goal down from the 2°C threshold transformed global climate policy
Categories: Astronomy
How fear drastically shapes ecosystems: Best ideas of the century
Understanding the “landscape of fear” that predators create in their environments has helped us uncover just how drastically humans have upended the natural world
Categories: Astronomy
We can block the spread of HIV: Best ideas of the century
The “enormous revelation” that drugs can be used to prevent catching HIV has benefitted millions and helped slash transmission rates
Categories: Astronomy
The electrification of everything: Best ideas of the century
Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable power is crucial. The opening of Tesla's first "gigafactory", which used economies of scale to electrify our transport and energy systems, marked a turning point in this endeavour
Categories: Astronomy
Our solar system is extremely weird: Best ideas of the century
Realising that our solar system isn’t like most others out there has helped astronomers rewrite the story of how it formed
Categories: Astronomy
Crowdsourcing Wikipedia’s encyclopedia: Best ideas of the century
The internet is typically defined by conflict. Yet a crowdsourced encyclopedia, open for anyone to edit, has transformed into one of the world's most essential knowledge hubs
Categories: Astronomy
New Scientist’s guide to the 21 best ideas of the 21st century
A quarter of a century in, this is our definitive pick of the ideas in science and technology that are already transforming the world
Categories: Astronomy
Smartphones (yes, really): Best ideas of the century
Some might say smartphones have caused more harm than good. Here’s why putting a powerful computer into every pocket was a good idea
Categories: Astronomy
The 5 worst ideas of the 21st century – and how they went wrong
They offered so much promise, but ultimately turned sour. These are the most disappointing ideas since the turn of the millennium
Categories: Astronomy

