New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
New colour seen for the first time by tricking the eyes
A device has enabled people to see a new a shade of blue-green, which they say is more intense than any experienced before
Categories: Astronomy
Claims of alien life are overhyped – and miss the real accomplishment
Whenever there’s even a slight chance that an exoplanet shows signs of biological activity, people understandably get excited – but it’s never been aliens, and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions, not this time or the next, says Chris Lintott
Categories: Astronomy
Quantum GPS can help planes navigate when regular GPS is jammed
A quantum sensor using Earth's magnetic fields outperformed standard GPS backups in test flights. This technology could help commercial aircraft stay on course amid a rise in GPS jamming and spoofing attacks
Categories: Astronomy
Artificial light pollution could fuel growth of toxic algal blooms
The "skyglow" produced when light from cities bounces off clouds can help cyanobacteria and other aquatic microbes grow at night
Categories: Astronomy
Hot methane seeps could support life beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet
Microbial communities feeding on geothermal methane seeps beneath the Antarctic ice sheet could resemble life-supporting environments on frozen worlds in our solar system and beyond
Categories: Astronomy
Most accurate space clock to launch – and count down to destruction
A network of Earth's best clocks will be synchronised with the most accurate one ever sent into space. But the device has a short shelf life: it will burn up in the atmosphere at the end of the decade as the ISS deorbits
Categories: Astronomy
Slices of wood can filter bacteria and microplastics from water
Water filters made from untreated wood can remove more than 99 per cent of particles, taking out many harmful bacteria and microplastics
Categories: Astronomy
Will we ever have confirmation of life outside our solar system?
The report of possible biosignatures on the exoplanet K2-18b is exciting, but we are a long way from establishing beyond doubt that there is life on such a distant world
Categories: Astronomy
Excavation in Sudan shows Roman Empire wasn’t as mighty as it claimed
When Roman Egypt came under attack from the Kushites in what is now Sudan, the Roman forces responded by destroying a Kushite city – or so we thought
Categories: Astronomy
Does the shipping industry's plan for net zero add up?
New global rules will see a carbon levy applied to emissions from shipping for the first time, but analysts say the package falls short of what is needed
Categories: Astronomy
A classic hacking technique works on some quantum computers
Two independent research teams have developed methods for hacking noisy quantum computers based on a row-hammer attack, a type of interference used to infiltrate traditional computers
Categories: Astronomy
Why claims about 'resurrecting' dire wolves are the tip of the iceberg
Colossal Biosciences’s "de-extinction" news is just the latest in a slew of eyebrow-raising claims by privately funded researchers. Is the bar for belief lower when those making the claims have a lot of money, wonders Jonathan R. Goodman
Categories: Astronomy
Ancient computer's gears may not have been able to turn
The 2000-year-old Antikythera mechanism may have been a kind of astronomical calculator, but researchers are unsure whether it would have worked without jamming
Categories: Astronomy
Should your menstrual phase dictate what you eat and how you exercise?
The idea of varying your lifestyle throughout your menstrual cycle to help relieve PMS or period pain seems intuitive, but the evidence reveals a nuanced picture, finds columnist Alexandra Thompson
Categories: Astronomy
Astronomers claim strongest evidence of alien life yet
On a faraway planet, the James Webb Space Telescope has picked up signs of molecules that, on Earth, are produced only by living organisms – but researchers say we must interpret the results cautiously
Categories: Astronomy
Vegan diets have good levels of key amino acids, but there's a catch
It is harder for our bodies to absorb key nutrients from plant-based foods, so some vegans may be short on essential amino acids for healthy muscles and bones despite eating plenty of protein
Categories: Astronomy
Iron Age site was a purple dye factory for centuries
Beginning around 3000 years ago, Tel Shiqmona in modern-day Israel was a major centre for the production of Tyrian purple, a valuable commodity produced from marine snails
Categories: Astronomy
Ancient humans may have faced radiation risk 41,000 years ago
A weakening of Earth’s magnetic field known as the Laschamps event would have increased the threat of solar radiation, perhaps requiring ancient humans to invent protective measures
Categories: Astronomy
Exoplanet found in odd perpendicular orbit to brown dwarf star pair
It is rare to find brown dwarf stars orbiting in pairs, and this pair has an even more unusual exoplanet companion
Categories: Astronomy
The race to visit the asteroid making the closest pass by Earth
Space agencies from the US, Europe and Japan are all making plans to visit the asteroid Apophis when it makes an extremely close flyby in 2029 to learn how to deflect others like it
Categories: Astronomy
