New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
Sci-fi columnist Emily H. Wilson rounds up her favourite reads of the year to date – and highlights one particular book as her top pick
Categories: Astronomy
Hold the onions – and see if they make you cry
Feedback isn't sure what to make of a ground-breaking piece of research into the understudied topic of "subjective individual variability in onion tearing and its relationship to chemosensory sensitivity"
Categories: Astronomy
The 17 best popular science books of 2026 so far
The first six months of the year have brought us popular science reads on everything from consciousness to cosmology. Liz Else rounds up her favourites
Categories: Astronomy
All known Homo naledi skeletons seem to be female
An analysis of tooth proteins suggests all 23 Homo naledi individuals found in the Rising Star cave in South Africa were female, which strengthens the case that they were placed there deliberately
Categories: Astronomy
The lunar botanist with a plan to farm vegetables on the moon
Jessica Atkin knows more than anyone else about what it would take to supply food for a moon base. She reveals how to build a lunar farm and what astronauts can expect to dine on
Categories: Astronomy
Some of the last Neanderthals were surprisingly genetically diverse
Genetic analysis of Neanderthals in north-western Europe reveals that this population was surprisingly genetically diverse, hinting that inbreeding didn’t lead to the species' demise
Categories: Astronomy
Fluctuating oestrogen levels may alter how drugs enter women's brains
Oestrogen levels fluctuate throughout a woman's menstrual cycle, which may impact how efficiently a drug that targets the brain can reach its destination
Categories: Astronomy
Hidden black hole could explain mystery at the heart of our galaxy
The area surrounding our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole contains three strangely different populations of stars – but one hidden black hole could explain all of them
Categories: Astronomy
Huge crater in Australia may be the oldest impact structure on Earth
A study claims that the North Pole Dome crater in Western Australia was caused by an asteroid strike 3 billion years ago, but other researchers dispute the proposed age
Categories: Astronomy
You should turn off fans when it's too hot – but how hot is too hot?
Fans can make you hotter rather than cooler, but the temperature at which you should turn them off depends on several factors, including your age and the humidity level
Categories: Astronomy
Elite Maya people had teeth placed in a cave far from their tombs
A cave in Belize contains teeth from dozens of important Maya people buried elsewhere, which may attest to a ritual intended to ensure their passage to the underworld
Categories: Astronomy
Parenting may permanently improve brain health for mums and dads
Raising children appears to keep the brain young, potentially acting as a buffer against cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s
Categories: Astronomy
SpaceX's secretive plans to deliver cargo to Earth from space
Not much is known about Starfall, SpaceX's new delivery system, but an assessment published in May revealed its intended purpose
Categories: Astronomy
How some people's brains make an extraordinary recovery from stroke
Around a third of people are able to almost fully rebuild their brains after a stroke and uncovering why is pointing the way to better treatments for everyone
Categories: Astronomy
Unapproved gene therapy for boosting longevity is set to go on sale
A gene therapy that instructs cells to produce more of an anti-ageing protein called klotho is about to be offered by a US company at overseas clinics to bypass FDA rules
Categories: Astronomy
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
A woman with severe Alzheimer's disease who hadn't spoken more than monosyllables in years began initiating conversation after a single dose of psilocybin
Categories: Astronomy
New-to-science spider builds trap that flings ants into the air
A spider living in the rainforests of Queensland, Australia, builds a snare trap reminiscent of a Roman-era ballista weapon that it uses to catapult green tree ants into a web 30 centimetres above
Categories: Astronomy
How menopause radically changes the brain – and what happens after
The brain undergoes a full renovation during menopause. Although these changes are profound, we’re learning that the long-term impact needn’t be all bad
Categories: Astronomy
‘Fusogenic’ neurosurgery let paralysed pigs walk again – are we next?
Researchers say a surgery that let pigs with completely severed spinal cords walk again may lead to human trials, and then perhaps even full head or brain transplants. Columnist Helen Thomson is intrigued but sceptical of whether the technique can be successful in humans
Categories: Astronomy
A promising natural technique to remove CO2 could backfire
Several start-ups have tried to grow seaweed to remove atmospheric CO2, but this could affect the levels of nutrients in the ocean and hamper other CO2-sucking processes
Categories: Astronomy
