New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
Artificially intelligent robot perpetuates racist and sexist prejudice
Virtual robot run by artificial intelligence acts in a way that conforms to toxic stereotypes when asked to pick faces that belong to criminals or homemakers
Categories: Astronomy
Rogue planets with weird atmospheres and no star could host life
Worlds that hold onto their dense primordial atmospheres of hydrogen and helium may stay warm enough to maintain liquid water on their surfaces, even without starlight
Categories: Astronomy
Ten years after the Higgs discovery, what now for particle physics?
After the Higgs, the Large Hadron Collider was expected to find other theorised particles. It didn’t, but particle physicists are optimistic about a new era of experiment-led exploration
Categories: Astronomy
26 US states are likely to ban abortion to the fullest extent possible
After the US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade, abortion bans in states such as Louisiana and Tennessee won't include exceptions for cases of rape or incest
Categories: Astronomy
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be killed by pom-pom molecules
Pom-pom-shaped molecules rip apart MRSA and other drug-resistant bacteria in minutes, are cheap and easy to make, and don’t seem to lead to bacterial resistance
Categories: Astronomy
Glycaemic index is a poor predictor of how foods raise blood sugar
A study of people with prediabetes shows that the same foods affect blood sugar levels very differently. The findings add to a growing body of evidence undermining the idea of a standard glycaemic index
Categories: Astronomy
Chimpanzees hunt for fruit in video game to test navigation skills
Testing how chimpanzees navigate in virtual environments could help researchers understand why they prefer certain routes in the wild over others
Categories: Astronomy
Was warfare responsible for the origin of complex civilisation?
An effort to track global changes in human society over the past 10,000 years concludes that warfare drove an increase in social complexity – but others are unconvinced by the work
Categories: Astronomy
You're more likely to become friends with someone who smells like you
We subconsciously sniff people when we first meet them and are more likely to become friends with those who have similar body odours to our own
Categories: Astronomy
AI-powered robot learned to make letters out of Play-Doh on its own
A robot that learned to manipulate modelling clay to make letters of the alphabet without any human training could one day make dumplings for you
Categories: Astronomy
Antibubbles have been made to last a record-breaking 13 hours
Shaking antibubbles – droplets of liquid encased in a thin layer of air – prevents them from popping for several hours. These could be used in chemical engineering in the future
Categories: Astronomy
Hummingbirds may be the world’s most colourful birds
A study of 116 species of hummingbird suggests the group is collectively more colourful than any other type of bird
Categories: Astronomy
How can the global monkeypox outbreak be controlled?
With the number of confirmed cases exceeding 3500, the World Health Organization's emergency committee may declare it a public health emergency of international concern – its highest alert level – in the coming days
Categories: Astronomy
UK minister says EU is ‘weaponising science’ in Brexit deal row
The UK is making plans to launch its own science funding programme in September, science minister George Freeman tells New Scientist, if the EU refuses access to the Horizon scheme
Categories: Astronomy
Amazon reviews saying candles are scentless may signal covid-19 cases
A loss of smell is a key covid-19 symptom, with researchers finding a link between increasing coronavirus cases in the US and Amazon reviews complaining a scented candle is odourless
Categories: Astronomy
Reddit moderators do $3.4 million worth of unpaid work each year
Volunteers who maintain the standard of content on Reddit’s forums do 466 hours of work every day – labour that would cost 2.8 per cent of the firm’s revenue
Categories: Astronomy
UK's largest carbon capture project will turn CO2 into baking soda
Tata Chemicals Europe plant at Northwich will eventually capture 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year for use in making sodium biocarbonate
Categories: Astronomy
75 per cent of the world's top websites allow bad passwords
An analysis of 120 of the world's top-ranked English-language websites has found that many of them allow weak passwords, including those that can be easily guessed, such as “abc123456” and “P@$$w0rd”
Categories: Astronomy
Largest known bacteria in the world are visible to the naked eye
Most bacteria are just 2 micrometres long, but Thiomargarita magnifica is thousands of times bigger, and is unusually complex
Categories: Astronomy
Some turtles that live longer have a lower chance of dying each year
In zoos and aquariums, some species of turtles and tortoises have a lower rate of ageing as they grow older
Categories: Astronomy