New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Governments bans on quantum computer exports have no basis in science
Several nations around the world have placed arbitrary limits on the export of quantum computers, despite today's devices having little practical use. The restrictions are counterproductive and at odds with the scientific method
Categories: Astronomy
How a simple physics experiment could reveal the “dark dimension”
Could the universe's missing matter be hiding in a "dark" extra dimension? We now have simple ways to test this outlandish idea - and the existence of extra dimensions more generally
Categories: Astronomy
A long-standing mystery about breastfeeding may have been solved
Researchers have discovered a hormone in mice that prevents bone loss during lactation and could one day be used to treat osteoporosis
Categories: Astronomy
The plague may have wiped out most northern Europeans 5000 years ago
DNA evidence from tombs in Sweden and Denmark suggests major plague outbreaks were responsible for the Neolithic decline in northern Europe
Categories: Astronomy
Floating whale carcasses are a problem – can we predict their drift?
A dead whale was tagged with satellite tracking equipment and monitored for more than a week as part of an effort to help authorities better deal with giant carcasses that get washed ashore
Categories: Astronomy
Mobile weather labs map toll of extreme heat in scorching US cities
Trucks outfitted with weather sensors, lasers and balloons are mapping urban microclimates in the extreme heat of the US Southwest
Categories: Astronomy
Crushed rocks and fertiliser switches can cut nitrous oxide from farms
Adding crushed basalt rocks and special fertilisers to soils could cut nitrous oxide emissions without harming the ozone layer, but these strategies will cost billions
Categories: Astronomy
Giant dome filled with CO2 could store excess power from renewables
Italian firm Energy Dome is building a "CO2 battery" in Sardinia that will store excess power from renewables and release it back to the grid when needed
Categories: Astronomy
When did human ancestors start walking on two legs?
Anthropologists have been arguing for 20 years about whether Sahelanthropus, a hominin that lived about 7 million years ago, was one of the first bipedal apes
Categories: Astronomy
Artificial flavours released by cooking aim to improve lab-grown meat
Lab-grown meat can be shaped into steaks and meatballs, but it can be lacking in the flavour department. Aromatic chemicals that are released when heated could offer a solution
Categories: Astronomy
The vital viruses that shape your microbiome and your health
Your body is home to trillions of beneficial viruses crucial for a healthy microbiome. We may one day be able to tweak this "virome" to treat obesity and anxiety
Categories: Astronomy
The secret ingredient shaping your microbiome and your health
Your body is home to trillions of beneficial viruses crucial for a healthy microbiome. We may one day be able to tweak this "virome" to treat obesity and anxiety
Categories: Astronomy
How tiny black holes would behave inside the sun, Earth – and us
In this episode of Dead Planets Society, our hosts place primordial black holes in a variety of objects with surprising results
Categories: Astronomy
Google creates self-replicating life from digital 'primordial soup'
A digital "primordial soup" with no rules or direction can lead to the emergence of self-replicating artificial life forms, in an experiment that may hint at how biological life began on Earth
Categories: Astronomy
'Butter' made from CO2 could pave the way for food without farming
US start-up Savor says its synthetic vegan fat, made without livestock or the crops needed for margarine, could cut carbon emissions and save rainforests
Categories: Astronomy
Stunning blue-skinned frog is a rare genetic mutant
The magnificent tree frog (Litoria splendida) is normally a vibrant green, but conservationists in Australia have spotted a blue-skinned individual
Categories: Astronomy
Self-cooling artificial grass could help cities handle extreme weather
An artificial sports pitch that stores water below the surface cools itself down on hot days by letting water evaporate, just like natural grass
Categories: Astronomy
Cosmic rays can help synchronise the global financial system
Particles generated by cosmic rays can penetrate indoor and underground environments with ease, and could provide a more secure alternative to GPS for synchronising financial transactions worldwide
Categories: Astronomy
Evolutionary story of Australia's dingoes revealed by ancient DNA
Dingoes, the native wild dogs of Australia, arrived on the continent more than 3000 years ago and their gene pool has had little input from domestic dogs
Categories: Astronomy
Is ultra-processed food unhealthy? Here's why no one can agree
While ultra-processed food is the latest buzzword in nutrition, the scientific evidence for how it affects our health continues to point in different directions. Why can't researchers just tell us the perfect diet?
Categories: Astronomy