New Scientist Space - Space Headlines

In this dramatic opening to Martha Wells' All Systems Red, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to her character Murderbot, a sentient machine intelligence

The aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C is based on long-term average temperatures, but analysis shows that if three years cross the threshold, it is almost certain that the target has been missed

This year could bring up to 25 named tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean due to a shift to La Niña conditions, says the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Male mice injected with a molecule that affects sperm movement were temporarily unable to impregnate a female, showing promise for a new type of birth control drug for people

A dose of caffeine helped ants locate a sweet reward 30 per cent faster, suggesting the drug boosts learning in the insects

A nearby planet named Gliese 12 b has an estimated surface temperature of 42°C (108°F), making it a promising candidate for liquid water and maybe life

The warm El Niño pattern in the Pacific Ocean combined with global warming and other factors to create the hottest year on record – and this year may not be any cooler

The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has taken images of galaxies, galaxy clusters and newborn stars in unprecedented detail

Male proboscis monkeys use their enormous noses to make loud trumpeting sounds, and the organ’s size advertises their health and status to prospective mates and rivals

New survey data estimates that 7.1 million children in the US have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point, about 1 million more kids than had been diagnosed as of 2016

An experiment inspired by Homer’s description of combat in The Iliad tested the capabilities of the Dendra armour suit from Greece’s Bronze Age

Long summer nights are the perfect time to see the electric blue wisps of these "night shining" clouds, which create patterns like the aurora, says Abigail Beall

When a spider falls to Earth in an ice storm and is taken in as a pet, what could go right? Think Alien and M3gan – and effortless entertainment

Fancy developing sommelier skills? Or making some coffee-infused rum? Try Arielle Johnson's delicious new book Flavorama

This week our new Future Chronicles column, which explores an imagined history of inventions of the future, visits carbon negative cities: forest homes grown from giant sequoia, genetically engineered for rapid growth. Rowan Hooper is our guide

Feedback is delighted to learn that there is a better approach to distinguishing different types of fanged frogs than just looking at them

From infections to brain injuries, the female body is more resilient than the male. It is time to reassess the "weaker" sex, says Cat Bohannon

In a social world, being alone (by choice or not) is complex. Solitude: The science and power of being alone by Netta Weinstein, Heather Hansen and Thuy-vy T. Nguyen brings us up to date

New proposals for addictions seem to keep cropping up, but the reality is we don't truly understand the mechanisms behind our cravings in the first place

From the vastness of the universe to the infinitesimal particles that comprise it, extremes of scale defy comprehension – and present a problem for physicists seeking a unified theory of everything