New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
Ceres may have been habitable at just half a billion years old
A billion or so years into its evolution, the icy dwarf planet Ceres may have had the right conditions to sustain life, which indicates the solar system may be more habitable than we thought
Categories: Astronomy
Super-cool cement could stop buildings trapping heat inside
A new formulation of cement reflects and emits heat more effectively than normal Portland cement, so it stays much cooler on a hot day
Categories: Astronomy
A new angle on brain health could bring much-needed new treatments
Psychiatric medicine hasn't changed much since the 1960s. Could blocking the effects of chronic inflammation on the brain be the step change we need?
Categories: Astronomy
Physicist Frank Wilczek’s unique insights on the nature of reality
Frank Wilczek has one of the most brilliant and original minds in theoretical physics, having come up with the idea of time crystals among much else. Where is his curiosity taking him now?
Categories: Astronomy
Nuclear fusion gets a boost from a controversial debunked experiment
A 1989 experiment offered the promise of nuclear fusion without the need for high temperatures, but this "cold fusion" was quickly debunked. Now, some of the techniques involved have been resurrected in a new experiment that could actually improve efforts to achieve practical fusion power
Categories: Astronomy
Artificial superfood for bees boosts colony reproduction
A dietary supplement made from engineered yeast could help honeybees thrive despite the declining availability of high-quality pollen in their environment
Categories: Astronomy
NASA and IBM built an AI to predict solar flares before they hit Earth
An AI model trained on years of data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory can predict the sun’s future appearance and potentially flag dangerous solar flares
Categories: Astronomy
Lesser-known food allergens are actually behind many serious reactions
Foods like goat or sheep milk and buckwheat are behind many cases of severe allergic reactions, but may not be listed as such on a product's label
Categories: Astronomy
Flower-like origami patterns could inspire folding spacecraft
Engineers have developed a class of origami structures that unfold in one smooth motion to create flower-like shapes, which could have applications in space
Categories: Astronomy
New moon discovered orbiting Uranus is its smallest one
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a new moon that is small and dim in orbit around Uranus. The discovery brings the planet's total to 29, and scientists say there are probably more to be found
Categories: Astronomy
Brain implant lets man 'experience joy' for the first time in decades
A device that has been likened to a pacemaker for the brain has given a man with severe depression great relief
Categories: Astronomy
Mining for renewable tech inflicts huge damage. Is there a solution?
Collecting the materials needed for renewable technologies is causing enormous environmental damage and could soon extend to the deep sea and even asteroids. Innovative solutions are poised to turn the crisis around
Categories: Astronomy
Having radio waves beamed into our head ramps up our sense of smell
Directing radio waves at the olfactory system deep within our head seems to boost our ability to detect different smells
Categories: Astronomy
Earth's carbon sinks are being eroded by climate change feedback loops
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen an extra 15 parts per million since 1960 due to the declining ability of the land and sea to soak up excess CO2
Categories: Astronomy
AI-generated responses are undermining crowdsourced research studies
Many answers to online research questions show signs of being generated by AI chatbots, raising doubts about the validity of behavioural data collected this way
Categories: Astronomy
Unprecedented Arctic heatwave melted 1 per cent of Svalbard's ice
A six-week period of extraordinary heat in 2024 melted 62 gigatonnes of ice on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, obliterating all previous melt records
Categories: Astronomy
Chronic inflammation messes with your mind. Here's how to calm it
From depression to dementia, we are now realising the profound impacts of long-term inflammation on the brain. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is unlocking new treatments to protect our cognitive function and mental health
Categories: Astronomy
How cocoa beans' microbiomes are key to the finest chocolate flavours
Nine species of fungi and bacteria have been found in cocoa beans that produce fine chocolate, and this knowledge could help producers develop better flavours
Categories: Astronomy
Quantum device detects all units of electricity at once
Defining the fundamental units of electricity used to require two finicky quantum devices – but now scientists have found an easier way to standardise our electrical measurements
Categories: Astronomy
Rare 'triple-dip' La Niña may explain why 2023 was so hot
The record-breaking global temperatures seen in late 2023 may have emerged partly because of unusual conditions in the Pacific Ocean in the preceding years
Categories: Astronomy