New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
An amazing great bustard gets ready for a new nature exhibition
Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre, now on view at London’s Natural History Museum, showcases the extraordinary qualities of Earth’s “ultimate survivors”
Categories: Astronomy
Sci-fi author Martha Wells on what a machine intelligence might want
The author of All Systems Red, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, on why her novella takes on the thorny topic of what a machine intelligence might do, if it could make its own choices
Categories: Astronomy
Don't forget birds and bats when renovating or building new homes
As newer homes are built or older homes are renovated, empty attic spaces are disappearing – this eliminates a vital refuge for birds and bats during a biodiversity crisis
Categories: Astronomy
Read an extract from All Systems Red by Martha Wells
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
Categories: Astronomy
Three years of high temperatures will mean we have breached 1.5°C
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
Categories: Astronomy
Hot Atlantic sets the stage for extreme hurricane season
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
Categories: Astronomy
Male birth control injection causes reversible infertility in mice
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
Categories: Astronomy
Ants learn faster on caffeine
A dose of caffeine helped ants locate a sweet reward 30 per cent faster, suggesting the drug boosts learning in the insects
Categories: Astronomy
Earth-like exoplanet found just 40 light years away – the closest yet
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
Categories: Astronomy
El Niño is ending after a year of driving extreme weather
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
Categories: Astronomy
Amazing new images of galaxies and nebulae caught by Euclid telescope
The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has taken images of galaxies, galaxy clusters and newborn stars in unprecedented detail
Categories: Astronomy
Huge nose of male proboscis monkeys is key to mating success
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
Categories: Astronomy
About 1 in 9 children in the US have been diagnosed with ADHD
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
Categories: Astronomy
Modern soldiers test ancient Greek armour to show it worked for war
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
Categories: Astronomy
How to spot rare and beautiful noctilucent clouds
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
Categories: Astronomy
Darkly comic sci-fi chiller sees a pet spider turn fast-growing hunter
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
Categories: Astronomy
Arielle Johnson digs into the science of flavour in her tasty new book
Fancy developing sommelier skills? Or making some coffee-infused rum? Try Arielle Johnson's delicious new book Flavorama
Categories: Astronomy
Could we live in tree cities grown from giant sequoia in the future?
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
Categories: Astronomy
How do you tell apart seemingly identical fanged frogs from Thailand?
Feedback is delighted to learn that there is a better approach to distinguishing different types of fanged frogs than just looking at them
Categories: Astronomy
To stay alive, try being more female
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
Categories: Astronomy