It is clear to everyone that astronomy at all events compels the soul to look upwards, and draws it from the things of this world to the other.

— Plato

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines

Syndicate content New Scientist - Home
New Scientist - Home
Updated: 2 hours 22 min ago

Rethinking space and time could let us do away with dark matter

Wed, 03/13/2024 - 7:19am
Most physicists believe that only a quantum theory of gravity can fully explain mysteries of the universe like dark matter, but now an idea called "post-quantum gravity" is demonstrating an alternative approach
Categories: Astronomy

Plant-killing genetic technology could wipe out superweeds

Wed, 03/13/2024 - 6:00am
A ‘gene drive’ that spreads through plant populations could be used to wipe out pests such as superweeds, or to help save species by making them resistant to heat or disease
Categories: Astronomy

Sleeping black hole is way more massive than it should be

Wed, 03/13/2024 - 4:00am
The James Webb Space Telescope has found an unusual galaxy in the early universe with a black hole almost half the mass of the galaxy itself, raising questions about how it formed
Categories: Astronomy

City moths may have evolved smaller wings due to light pollution

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 8:01pm
Populations of moths living in urban places may have evolved smaller wings to limit how much bright city lights disrupt their lives
Categories: Astronomy

Giant sequoia trees are growing surprisingly quickly in the UK

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 8:01pm
Since their introduction in the 1800s, giant sequoia trees in the UK have grown up to 55 metres tall and capture 85 kilograms of carbon a year on average
Categories: Astronomy

Why does the US want to ban TikTok?

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 5:15pm
The US House of Representatives is voting on a bill that would require TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or risk a nationwide ban
Categories: Astronomy

US government wants to tax bitcoin to reduce its environmental impact

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:15pm
The computers that secure cryptocurrencies like bitcoin consume large amounts of power, pushing up electricity prices and potentially contributing to climate change. Now, the US government wants to tackle the problem
Categories: Astronomy

Storm-proofing 1% of power lines protects entire grid from blackouts

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:00pm
Researchers simulated the wind damage from seven historical hurricanes to identify just a few key electrical lines that were crucial to protect the whole grid from cascading power failures
Categories: Astronomy

How neuroscience can help you make tough decisions - with no regrets

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:00pm
Most people are too risk-averse when it comes to life's biggest choices. Learning how to overcome the cognitive biases at play can help you make better decisions - with no looking back
Categories: Astronomy

Stick or twist: How to improve the outcomes of your big life decisions

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:00pm
Most people are too risk-averse when it comes to life's biggest choices. Learning how to overcome the cognitive biases at play can help you make better decisions with fewer regrets
Categories: Astronomy

Plants send out 'distress calls' – but can other plants hear them?

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 10:00am
Some studies have claimed that plants emit sounds when stressed and might perceive the distress calls of other plants, but a review finds the evidence is lacking
Categories: Astronomy

How to see the incredible comet 12P/Pons-Brooks tonight

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 9:51am
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks orbits the sun every 71 years and is currently making its closest approach. Here's when and how you can see it - perhaps even during a solar eclipse
Categories: Astronomy

The surprising ways animals react to a total solar eclipse

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 7:00am
When the moon hides the sun in a total solar eclipse, some animals seem to think that it is briefly nighttime, while others pace anxiously or even gaze up at the sky
Categories: Astronomy

Mars's gravitational pull may be strong enough to stir Earth's oceans

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 6:06am
An analysis of deep-sea drill cores suggests that Mars may have enough gravitational influence to shift sediment within Earth's oceans on a 2.4-million-year cycle
Categories: Astronomy

Could an AI replace all music ever recorded with Taylor Swift covers?

Tue, 03/12/2024 - 4:00am
A thought experiment in which all music is replaced with AI-generated "Taylor's Versions" should prompt us to find ways to protect data from AI corruption, warn researchers
Categories: Astronomy

The moons of Mars may have been formed in an icy planetary collision

Mon, 03/11/2024 - 4:15pm
The origins of Mars’s moons Phobos and Deimos have long been an enigma, but they may have been formed when a icy, comet-like object slammed into the Red Planet
Categories: Astronomy

There are growing fears of an alarming shift in Antarctic sea ice

Mon, 03/11/2024 - 3:00pm
Antarctic sea ice cover remains far below average levels for the third year in a row, but researchers are uncertain whether this is a permanent shift driven by climate change or part of natural fluctuations
Categories: Astronomy

The war in Gaza is creating a health crisis that will span decades

Mon, 03/11/2024 - 2:49pm
Physical injuries, mental health issues and malnutrition are widespread in Gaza – and major health groups have no firm plans to address the impending crisis
Categories: Astronomy

Babies with bilingual mothers have distinct brainwaves at 1 day old

Mon, 03/11/2024 - 2:00pm
Newborns whose mothers speak two languages appear to have distinct brain responses to speech compared with those born to monolingual mothers, supporting the idea that language acquisition begins in the uterus
Categories: Astronomy

Indigenous Australians have managed land with fire for 11,000 years

Mon, 03/11/2024 - 12:00pm
Lake sediments reveal the ancient history of Aboriginal people’s use of fire to manage the landscape, a tradition that has benefits for biodiversity
Categories: Astronomy