New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Antarctic teams drill oldest ice cores yet in search of climate clues
Ice cores that record 1.2 million years of Earth’s atmosphere are on their way to Europe to be analysed, and an Australian drilling team is hoping to go even further back in time
Categories: Astronomy
Puppy intelligence tests can predict how dogs will turn out as adults
Puppies’ performance in cognitive tests at 3 to 7 months old can give a strong indication of their personalities and trainability as adults
Categories: Astronomy
Digital devices may help ward off cognitive decline in older people
Using smartphones, computers and the internet seems to slow cognitive decline in people aged over 50
Categories: Astronomy
Inside the mouth-watering race to master lab-grown chocolate
We’ve now figured out how to culture chocolate in the lab. The breakthrough could help with spiralling cocoa costs, and may even lead to tastier treats with more nutritional value
Categories: Astronomy
Drug-resistant gonorrhoea could be treated with a UTI antibiotic
An antibiotic that is commonly used for urinary tract infections effectively treated gonorrhoea, and may even work against drug-resistant cases
Categories: Astronomy
Electrical synapses genetically engineered in mammals for first time
Scientists have used gene editing to produce artificial electrical synapses in mice, where they can be targeted to make the animals more sociable or reduce their risk of OCD-like symptoms
Categories: Astronomy
US military launches initiative to find the best quantum computer
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants to know which of the quantum computers now in development have the best chance of being game-changing technologies
Categories: Astronomy
Trump budget cuts would eliminate much of NOAA’s climate research
Proposed cuts would wipe out NOAA’s Ocean and Atmospheric Research office among a raft of other reductions to one of the main scientific agencies of the US
Categories: Astronomy
Bronze naval ram from Roman battle recreated using ancient techniques
Roman ships equipped with bronze rams sank dozens of Carthaginian ships during a major naval battle in 241 BCE – now we know how the rams were made
Categories: Astronomy
Methane-eating bacteria are ready to capture landfill emissions
Bioreactors housing methane-eating bacteria could offer a portable, off-grid solution for soaking up methane leaks from sites like landfills and coal mines
Categories: Astronomy
Dolphins are dying from toxic chemicals banned since the 1980s
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are commonly found in the bodies of short-beaked common dolphins that get stranded on UK beaches, and are linked to the animals’ risk of infectious diseases
Categories: Astronomy
Book Club: Readers admit they weren’t impressed with our latest novel
Culture editor Alison Flood rounds up the book club’s thoughts on our latest read, the weird and wild Dengue Boy by Michel Nieva. Warning: spoilers ahead
Categories: Astronomy
Larry Niven on creating Ringworld, a 'great gaudy intellectual toy'
The author of the award-winning classic science fiction novel, the latest read for the New Scientist Book Club, on the science behind his creation
Categories: Astronomy
Ringworld extract: Read a section from Larry Niven’s timeless classic
In this extract from the classic science fiction novel, the latest read for the New Scientist Book Club, we meet Ringworld’s protagonist Louis Wu, as he travels a future Earth
Categories: Astronomy
Inside the hunt for unknown minerals in super-deep diamonds
Diamonds formed in Earth’s lower mantle contain tiny flecks of minerals that are helping us understand the inner workings of our planet
Categories: Astronomy
The evolution of easier births means slower walking and pelvis issues
Wider hips may make childbirth easier, but increase the risk of other health issues
Categories: Astronomy
Denisovan fossil from Taiwan gives clue to mysterious ancient humans
A fossil jawbone found by fishers in the Taiwan Strait has extended the known range of ancient Denisovan people thousands of kilometres to the east
Categories: Astronomy
Where Schrödinger’s cat came from – and why it’s getting fatter
Schrödinger called his metaphorical cat “quite ridiculous” but the quantum weirdness it represents has become a useful benchmark for the quantum computing industry, finds our quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
Categories: Astronomy
Should we give up on recycling plastic?
Globally, only 14 per cent of the plastic we use is recycled – but some countries achieve higher rates and new technologies could change the picture drastically
Categories: Astronomy
AI-powered chilli spray could deter bears without injuring them
A machine controlled by AI that sprays bears with the chilli pepper chemical capsaicin could reduce dangerous confrontations with people
Categories: Astronomy