It is clear to everyone that astronomy at all events compels the soul to look upwards, and draws it from the things of this world to the other.

— Plato

New Scientist Space - Cosmology

Syndicate content New Scientist - Home
New Scientist - Home
Updated: 13 hours 59 min ago

Filming the universe’s biggest dramas: Best ideas of the century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
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

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
They offered so much promise, but ultimately turned sour. These are the most disappointing ideas since the turn of the millennium
Categories: Astronomy