New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
World's new fastest supercomputer is built to simulate nuclear bombs
The vast computational power of the El Capitan supercomputer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California will be used to support the US nuclear deterrent
Categories: Astronomy
Heart-shaped mollusc has windows that work like fibre optics
Tiny, solid windows in the shells of heart cockles let in light for the photosynthetic algae inside them – and they could show us how to make better fibre-optic cables
Categories: Astronomy
The universe could vanish at any moment – why hasn’t it?
A cataclysmic quantum fluctuation could wipe out everything at any moment. The fact that we’re still here is revealing hidden cosmic realities
Categories: Astronomy
Quantum computers hit a crucial milestone for error-free calculation
The largest number of logical qubits has been linked through quantum entanglement, which is a key step towards quantum computers that can detect and correct errors
Categories: Astronomy
Bluesky is ushering in a pick-your-own algorithm era of social media
More than 20 million people have joined Bluesky, a social network that gives you fine-grained control over what you see and who you interact with. I think it is the future of social media, says Chris Stokel-Walker
Categories: Astronomy
A giant hornet from Asia has appeared in Europe for the first time
Four southern giant hornets have been identified in northern Spain, leading to concerns that the species could harm native insects if it becomes widespread
Categories: Astronomy
Wild cavefish can somehow survive with almost no sleep at all
Several populations of Mexican tetra fish that live in darkness have independently evolved to need hardly any sleep, but the reason why is a mystery
Categories: Astronomy
AI maths assistant could help solve problems that humans are stuck on
Most mathematicians have been reluctant to start working with artificial intelligence, but a new tool developed by researchers at Meta may change that
Categories: Astronomy
We may have solved the mystery of what froze Earth's inner core
A supercomputer simulation of iron and carbon atoms in Earth’s inner core may explain how a molten ball at the centre of our planet froze solid
Categories: Astronomy
Quantum time crystals could be used to store energy
The weird thermodynamics found in time crystals could be harnessed to store energy in a quantum battery-like device
Categories: Astronomy
We're starting to understand why some people regain weight they lost
Changes to the structure of DNA within fat cells may be why it is often so hard to keep weight off after you have lost it
Categories: Astronomy
Countries are cheating their way to net zero by overrelying on forests
Leading researchers warn that relying on "passive" carbon sinks such as forests to absorb ongoing carbon emissions will doom the world to continued warming
Categories: Astronomy
Vital Atlantic Ocean current is already weakening due to melting ice
A study modelling the impact of melting ice suggests scientists have underestimated the risk that an important ocean current will shut down and cause climate chaos
Categories: Astronomy
Evidence is growing that microbes in your mouth contribute to cancer
The oral microbiome is increasingly being linked to head and neck cancer, but we don't yet understand its exact role
Categories: Astronomy
Australia wants to ban social media for under-16s, but it won't work
Attempts to prevent Australian children from accessing social media are likely to fail, and could do more harm than good
Categories: Astronomy
AI models work together faster when they speak their own language
Letting AI models communicate with each other in their internal mathematical language, rather than translating back and forth to English, could accelerate their task-solving abilities
Categories: Astronomy
Satellites spot methane leaks – but ‘super-emitters’ don’t fix them
Governments and companies almost never take action when satellites alert them about large methane leaks coming from oil and gas infrastructure
Categories: Astronomy
COP29 host Azerbaijan faces climate disaster as Caspian Sea dries up
Water levels in the Caspian Sea are set to fall dramatically as the climate gets hotter, posing a major threat to economic activity and ecosystems in the region
Categories: Astronomy
A 200-year-old mystery about newts has finally been solved
A genetic flaw dooms half of all crested newts to die before they hatch – now we know how this baffling evolutionary quirk came about
Categories: Astronomy
A unique pair of galactic lenses may help solve a cosmological riddle
Two massive galaxies are bending light from the same distant quasar, creating a so-called Einstein zigzag lens that could help astronomers pin down how quickly the universe is expanding
Categories: Astronomy