New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
Robotic pigeon reveals how birds fly without a vertical tail fin
A flying robot uses its bird-like tail to maintain stability in flight – a technique that could enable more aerodynamic aircraft designs that use less fuel
Categories: Astronomy
Mayors are the leaders we need to help fight climate change
By 2050, 70 per cent of the world's population will live in urban centres - that's just one reason why mayors will be essential to addressing the climate crisis, making vital adaptations to cities to make them more bearable in a warming world
Categories: Astronomy
AI simulations of 1000 people accurately replicate their behaviour
Using GPT-4o, the model behind ChatGPT, researchers have replicated the personality and behaviour of more than 1000 people, in an effort to create an alternative to focus groups and polling
Categories: Astronomy
Planet 10 times the size of Earth is one of the youngest ever found
A large planet has been spotted orbiting a dwarf star that is just 3 million years old, offering possible clues to how the worlds in our solar system came into being
Categories: Astronomy
IBM entangled two quantum chips to work together for the first time
IBM has bet big on a modular approach to building quantum computers, and now it has successfully linked two quantum chips together to operate as a single device, a key step towards that goal
Categories: Astronomy
Google DeepMind AI can expertly fix errors in quantum computers
Quantum computers could get a boost from artificial intelligence, thanks to a model created by Google DeepMind that cleans up quantum errors
Categories: Astronomy
Extreme heat is now making cities unlivable. How can we survive it?
Unbearable heat in China’s megacities reveals the future many of us face, but also suggests ways we can adapt
Categories: Astronomy
Are calories on menus doing more harm than good?
Many restaurants in countries such as England and the US now print calories on their menus, but some researchers question whether this is really tackling their obesity problem
Categories: Astronomy
See the sun revealed in stunning glory by Solar Orbiter pictures
The best pictures we have of the sun yet have been delivered thanks to the Solar Orbiter spacecraft
Categories: Astronomy
Being in space makes it harder for astronauts to think quickly
The effects of being in space can worsen an astronaut's working memory, processing speed and attention - which could be a problem for future missions
Categories: Astronomy
Einstein’s theories tested on the largest scale ever – he was right
Analysis of millions of galaxies upholds Albert Einstein’s ideas about gravity and also offers tantalising new hints of how dark energy may have evolved
Categories: Astronomy
Starship live: Watch Musk launch sixth Starship test as Trump attends
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for the sixth test flight of Starship, the world's most powerful rocket. It aims to conduct the launch at 4pm Central Time (10pm UK). Here’s everything we know so far
Categories: Astronomy
World's new fastest supercomputer is built to simulate nuclear bombs
The vast computational power of the El Capitan supercomputer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California will be used to support the US nuclear deterrent
Categories: Astronomy
Heart-shaped mollusc has windows that work like fibre optics
Tiny, solid windows in the shells of heart cockles let in light for the photosynthetic algae inside them – and they could show us how to make better fibre-optic cables
Categories: Astronomy
The universe could vanish at any moment – why hasn’t it?
A cataclysmic quantum fluctuation could wipe out everything at any moment. The fact that we’re still here is revealing hidden cosmic realities
Categories: Astronomy
Quantum computers hit a crucial milestone for error-free calculation
The largest number of logical qubits has been linked through quantum entanglement, which is a key step towards quantum computers that can detect and correct errors
Categories: Astronomy
Bluesky is ushering in a pick-your-own algorithm era of social media
More than 20 million people have joined Bluesky, a social network that gives you fine-grained control over what you see and who you interact with. I think it is the future of social media, says Chris Stokel-Walker
Categories: Astronomy
A giant hornet from Asia has appeared in Europe for the first time
Four southern giant hornets have been identified in northern Spain, leading to concerns that the species could harm native insects if it becomes widespread
Categories: Astronomy
Wild cavefish can somehow survive with almost no sleep at all
Several populations of Mexican tetra fish that live in darkness have independently evolved to need hardly any sleep, but the reason why is a mystery
Categories: Astronomy
AI maths assistant could help solve problems that humans are stuck on
Most mathematicians have been reluctant to start working with artificial intelligence, but a new tool developed by researchers at Meta may change that
Categories: Astronomy