I can calculate the motions of the heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people

— Sir Isaac Newton

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Updated: 3 hours 57 min ago

New Scientist’s guide to the 21 best ideas of the 21st century

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
A quarter of a century in, this is our definitive pick of the ideas in science and technology that are already transforming the world
Categories: Astronomy

The 5 worst ideas of the 21st century – and how they went wrong

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 11:00am
They offered so much promise, but ultimately turned sour. These are the most disappointing ideas since the turn of the millennium
Categories: Astronomy

Barnacle gloop could improve inflammatory bowel disease treatments

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 10:32am
A "living glue" used by barnacles to attach to underwater surfaces could also seal gut wounds caused by inflammatory bowel disease
Categories: Astronomy

Should Europe boycott US tech over Greenland, and is it even possible?

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 9:05am
As tensions over Greenland rise, some Europeans are asking whether it is time to disentangle themselves from US tech dominance – but from smartphones to cloud services, rejecting US tech is easier said than done
Categories: Astronomy

Star appears to have vanished in a failed supernova

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 9:00am
It is theoretically possible for a particularly massive star to collapse in on itself to form a black hole rather than exploding in a supernova, and we might now have seen the process in action
Categories: Astronomy

The most important second in the entire history of the universe

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 8:00am
In the 13.8 billion years that our universe has been around, some moments stand out over others – for the most exciting and impactful one, we have to go back to the very beginning, says cosmology columnist Leah Crane
Categories: Astronomy

Giving astronauts tardigrade toughness will be harder than we hoped

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 7:00am
The protein that protects tardigrade DNA from radiation and mutagenic chemicals was thought to be harmless, but can in fact have major downsides
Categories: Astronomy

Volcanoes had lower greenhouse gas emissions in Earth's past

Mon, 01/19/2026 - 5:00am
Eruptions from volcanic arcs, found where tectonic plates converge, are one of the major drivers of natural carbon emissions, but a model of Earth’s ancient carbon cycle suggests this is a relatively recent phenomenon
Categories: Astronomy

First treaty to protect the high seas comes into force

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 7:01pm
A United Nations agreement to protect the open oceans from unsustainable fishing practices has now taken effect, in a huge win for marine conservation
Categories: Astronomy

Meat may play an unexpected role in helping people reach 100

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 11:00am
Longevity diets often focus on going plant-based, but a study in China has linked eating meat to a long lifespan, particularly among older people who are underweight
Categories: Astronomy

Amateur mathematicians solve long-standing maths problems with AI

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 10:24am
Professional mathematicians have been stunned by the progress amateurs have made in solving long-standing problems with the assistance of AI tools, and say it could lead to a new way of doing mathematics
Categories: Astronomy

How to finally get a grasp on quantum computing

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 10:00am
If your New Year’s resolution is to understand quantum computing this year, take a cue from a 9-year-old podcaster talking to some of the biggest minds in the field, says quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
Categories: Astronomy

Cancelling plans may be more socially acceptable than you think

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 9:00am
Volunteers consider it relatively unacceptable to cancel social plans – but they are more forgiving if it's someone else cancelling the plans
Categories: Astronomy

Earliest ever supernova sheds light on the first stars

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 7:00am
The James Webb Space Telescope has picked up the light from a massive star that exploded about a billion years after the birth of the universe
Categories: Astronomy

A leading use for quantum computers might not need them after all

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 7:00am
Understanding a molecule that plays a key role in nitrogen fixing – a chemical process that enables life on Earth – has long been thought of as problem for quantum computers, but now a classical computer may have solved it
Categories: Astronomy

Cheating just three times massively ups the chance of winning at chess

Fri, 01/16/2026 - 3:00am
Using a chess computer to advise you on just three moves during a game dramatically increases your chances of winning in a way that is difficult for others to spot
Categories: Astronomy

Lithium-ion batteries could last longer with chemical tweak

Thu, 01/15/2026 - 3:00pm
It's difficult to form a protective coating that prolongs battery life at the battery's cathode, but there may be a low-cost chemical solution
Categories: Astronomy

Body fat supports your health in surprisingly complex ways

Thu, 01/15/2026 - 2:00pm
Evidence is mounting that our body fat supports everything from our bone health to our mood, and now, research suggests it also regulates blood pressure and immunity
Categories: Astronomy

Distant 'little red dot' galaxies may contain baby black holes

Thu, 01/15/2026 - 1:00pm
Since launching in 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has found hundreds of distant and apparently bright galaxies dubbed "little red dots", and now it seems they may each carry a baby black hole
Categories: Astronomy

Fossil may solve mystery of what one of the weirdest-ever animals ate

Thu, 01/15/2026 - 10:00am
Hallucigenia was such an odd animal that palaeontologists reconstructed it upside-down when they first analysed its fossils - and now we may know what it ate
Categories: Astronomy