New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Planets that look alike might be a sign of spacefaring aliens
We don’t know what alien life might look like, but if other civilisations can colonise multiple worlds, we might see planets that look unusually similar
Categories: Astronomy
Watch mini humanoid robots showing off their football skills
These soccer-playing robots can respond faster than ones trained in a standard way because they improved their skills via an artificial intelligence-based technique called deep reinforcement learning
Categories: Astronomy
Some of our favourite songs make us sad, which may be why we like them
Our favourite sad songs seem to become less enjoyable when we try to take the emotion out of them
Categories: Astronomy
Post-surgery infections may mainly be caused by skin bacteria
The skin microbiome may be a bigger cause of post-operative wound infections than bacteria contaminating hospital equipment
Categories: Astronomy
Why AIs that tackle complex maths could be the next big breakthrough
Research-level mathematics might seem an unlikely proving ground for artificial intelligence, but recent developments suggest it offers a route to automated human-like reasoning
Categories: Astronomy
How science can inspire 'peak experiences' that improve well-being
My column about the spiritual side of science has seen many of you sharing your own awe-inspiring experiences, says David Robson
Categories: Astronomy
Two brilliant new novels from Adrian Tchaikovsky show his range
The prolific Adrian Tchaikovsky has two terrific sci-fi offerings out this year, one the story of a scientist turned prisoner shipped to a faraway planet, the other a light-hearted tale of robotic murder, says Emily H. Wilson
Categories: Astronomy
The photographer who captured shots of nature daily for over a decade
Since 2012, Mary Jo Hoffman has taken one snap a day of the natural objects around her. She explains what lies behind two of them - and what the "art of noticing" has brought to her life
Categories: Astronomy
Everything Must Go review: A fascinating guide to the apocalypse
From the Book of Revelation to extinction fiction, we just love end times. A new guide by Dorian Lynskey is full of gems
Categories: Astronomy
We can't get to net zero without tackling inequality
Inequality is a major obstacle to sustainability. The super-rich are an environmental horror story that we can't ignore, says Graham Lawton
Categories: Astronomy
Dedicated experiments needed to understand why dogs wag their tails
Feedback finds that despite close investigation, more research is needed to "better quantify tail wagging in general"
Categories: Astronomy
Why nutrition needs to be on the educational agenda
Nutrition must be as essential as maths or science at our educational institutions to solve the US obesity crisis, says Aman Majmudar
Categories: Astronomy
The Immune Mind review: How mental and physical health combine
It's tough turning neuroimmunology into a gripping read, but Monty Lyman's excellent book provides a delightful overview of the connection between the brain, immune system and gut microbiome
Categories: Astronomy
Bizarre crystal made only of electrons revealed in astonishing detail
To capture the clearest and most direct images of a “Wigner crystal”, a structure made entirely of electrons, researchers used a special kind of microscope and two pieces of graphene unusually free of imperfections
Categories: Astronomy
Fractal pattern identified at molecular scale in nature for first time
An enzyme in a cyanobacterium can take the unusual form a triangle containing ever-smaller triangular gaps, making a fractal pattern
Categories: Astronomy
How AI mathematicians might finally deliver human-level reasoning
Artificial intelligence is taking on some of the hardest problems in pure maths, arguably demonstrating sophisticated reasoning and creativity – and a big step forward for AI
Categories: Astronomy
Treating gum disease may ward off an irregular heartbeat
Inflamed gum tissue may allow bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream, which could affect the heart
Categories: Astronomy
Mathematician wins Turing award for harnessing randomness
Avi Wigderson has won the 2023 Turing award for his work on understanding how randomness can shape and improve computer algorithms
Categories: Astronomy
Phone batteries could last 50% longer if more 5G towers are built
Adding more masts could reduce the overall energy use of phone networks by two-thirds and boost handset battery life by 50 per cent
Categories: Astronomy
Peter Higgs, physicist who theorised the Higgs boson, has died aged 94
Nobel prizewinning theoretical physicist Peter Higgs has died aged 94. He proposed the particle that gives other particles mass – now named the Higgs boson and discovered by the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in 2012
Categories: Astronomy