New Scientist Space - Space Headlines

Several nations around the world have placed arbitrary limits on the export of quantum computers, despite today's devices having little practical use. The restrictions are counterproductive and at odds with the scientific method

Could the universe's missing matter be hiding in a "dark" extra dimension? We now have simple ways to test this outlandish idea - and the existence of extra dimensions more generally

Researchers have discovered a hormone in mice that prevents bone loss during lactation and could one day be used to treat osteoporosis

DNA evidence from tombs in Sweden and Denmark suggests major plague outbreaks were responsible for the Neolithic decline in northern Europe

A dead whale was tagged with satellite tracking equipment and monitored for more than a week as part of an effort to help authorities better deal with giant carcasses that get washed ashore

Trucks outfitted with weather sensors, lasers and balloons are mapping urban microclimates in the extreme heat of the US Southwest

Adding crushed basalt rocks and special fertilisers to soils could cut nitrous oxide emissions without harming the ozone layer, but these strategies will cost billions

Italian firm Energy Dome is building a "CO2 battery" in Sardinia that will store excess power from renewables and release it back to the grid when needed

Anthropologists have been arguing for 20 years about whether Sahelanthropus, a hominin that lived about 7 million years ago, was one of the first bipedal apes

Lab-grown meat can be shaped into steaks and meatballs, but it can be lacking in the flavour department. Aromatic chemicals that are released when heated could offer a solution

Your body is home to trillions of beneficial viruses crucial for a healthy microbiome. We may one day be able to tweak this "virome" to treat obesity and anxiety

Your body is home to trillions of beneficial viruses crucial for a healthy microbiome. We may one day be able to tweak this "virome" to treat obesity and anxiety

In this episode of Dead Planets Society, our hosts place primordial black holes in a variety of objects with surprising results

A digital "primordial soup" with no rules or direction can lead to the emergence of self-replicating artificial life forms, in an experiment that may hint at how biological life began on Earth

US start-up Savor says its synthetic vegan fat, made without livestock or the crops needed for margarine, could cut carbon emissions and save rainforests

The magnificent tree frog (Litoria splendida) is normally a vibrant green, but conservationists in Australia have spotted a blue-skinned individual

An artificial sports pitch that stores water below the surface cools itself down on hot days by letting water evaporate, just like natural grass

Particles generated by cosmic rays can penetrate indoor and underground environments with ease, and could provide a more secure alternative to GPS for synchronising financial transactions worldwide

Dingoes, the native wild dogs of Australia, arrived on the continent more than 3000 years ago and their gene pool has had little input from domestic dogs

While ultra-processed food is the latest buzzword in nutrition, the scientific evidence for how it affects our health continues to point in different directions. Why can't researchers just tell us the perfect diet?