New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
Flu viruses have evolved proteins that let them break through mucus
Computer simulations of how influenza A moves through human mucus found it is ideally configured to slide through the sticky stuff on its way to infecting cells
Categories: Astronomy
The world is falling far short of its goal to halt biodiversity loss
In 2022, countries pledged to halt biodiversity loss by protecting 30 per cent of the planet by 2030, but progress has been too slow thus far
Categories: Astronomy
How psychedelics and VR could reveal how we become immersed in reality
An outlandish experiment searching for a brain network that tunes up and down the feeling of immersion is hoping to unlock the therapeutic effects of psychedelics
Categories: Astronomy
Meditation seems to improve our empathy for strangers
In a small study, women experienced more empathy for strangers who were experiencing pain after an eight-week meditation training programme
Categories: Astronomy
Meditation seems to improve empathy for strangers
In a small study, women experienced more empathy for strangers who were experiencing pain after an eight-week meditation training programme
Categories: Astronomy
Weird microbes could help rewrite the origin of multicellular life
Single-celled organisms called archaea can become multicellular when compressed, highlighting the role of physical forces in evolution
Categories: Astronomy
Stone Age network reveals ancient Paris was an artisanal trading hub
Ancient stone goods found across France may have been made by skilled craftspeople in what is now Paris, who traded along vast networks
Categories: Astronomy
AI models fall for the same scams that we do
Large language models can be used to scam humans, but AI is also susceptible to being scammed – and some models are more gullible than others
Categories: Astronomy
NASA is developing a Mars helicopter that could land itself from orbit
The largest and most ambitious Martian drone yet could carry kilograms of scientific equipment over great distances and set itself down on the Red Planet unassisted
Categories: Astronomy
DNA helps match 'Well Man' skeleton to 800-year-old Norwegian saga
The Sverris saga describes how castle invaders “took a dead man and cast him unto the well, and then filled it up with stones”, in what may have been an early act of biological warfare - and now researchers believe they have found the skeleton of the man in question
Categories: Astronomy
This surprisingly creative trick helps children eat more fruit and veg
Weaving tales of magical fruit and vegetables into your children's stories may encourage them to eat healthy snacks
Categories: Astronomy
Earth is now gaining less heat than it has for several years
The recent surge in warming led to fears that climate change may be accelerating beyond model projections, but a fall in how much heat Earth is gaining makes this less likely
Categories: Astronomy
Tiny battery made from silk hydrogel can run a mouse pacemaker
A lithium-ion battery made from three droplets of hydrogel is the smallest soft battery of its kind – and it could be used in biocompatible and biodegradable implants
Categories: Astronomy
Complex form of carbon spotted outside solar system for first time
Complex carbon-based molecules crucial to life on Earth originated somewhere in space, but we didn't know where. Now, huge amounts of them have been spotted in a huge, cold cloud of gas
Categories: Astronomy
Your gut bacteria are at war - and force their enemies to switch sides
Rival tribes of bacteria armed with poison darts are fighting it out in your gut, with armies of traitors often winning the day
Categories: Astronomy
Some wildfires are growing twice as fast as they did two decades ago
In the western US, the average maximum growth rate of fires has more than doubled over the past two decades
Categories: Astronomy
Battery-like device made from water and clay could be used on Mars
A new supercapacitor design that uses only water, clay and graphene could source material on Mars and be more sustainable and accessible than traditional batteries
Categories: Astronomy
Battery made from water and clay could be used on Mars
A new battery design that uses only water, clay and graphene could source material on Mars and be more sustainable and accessible than traditional batteries
Categories: Astronomy
Electric skin patch could keep wounds free of infection
Zapping the skin with electricity could stop bacteria that live there harmlessly from entering the body and causing blood poisoning
Categories: Astronomy
Carbon emissions are now growing faster than before the pandemic
Despite talk of a green recovery, global greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise as the world emerged from coronavirus lockdowns
Categories: Astronomy
