The Best of New Scientist
20+ most popular New Scientist articles, as voted by our community.
The best place to find out what’s new in science – and why it matters.
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Do animals know that sex leads to babies?
The time delay between sex and offspring makes identifying the cause and effect a little complicated. Humans have language to explain how reproduction works, but for other animals it may be far less…
New Scientist on Biology
Recordings reveal that plants make ultrasonic squeals when stressed
For the first time plants have been recorded making sounds when stressed. The sounds differed when they were injured or thirsty, a finding that could help farmers
Rescue plan for nature: How to fix the biodiversity crisis
We’ve been ravaging the planet’s ecosystems for too long, but crucial decisions this year could be the turning point that help us restore our relationship with nature
New Scientist on Brain
How your brain stays focused on conversations in a noisy room
The brain processes voices differently depending on the volume of the speaker and if the listener is focused on them
Newly found brain pathway could be key to reducing opioid addiction
Researchers have identified a brain pathway in mice that governs the development of opioid tolerance. If the same exists in humans, treatments that inhibit it could prevent opioid addiction
New Scientist on Health
Why everything you know about nutrition is wrong
Are carbs good for you? Or eggs? Every week seems to bring contradictory new diet advice. New Scientist unpicks the surprising flaws in nutritional science
Superbugs will struggle to evolve resistance to unusual new antibiotic
A much-needed new kind of antibiotic can kill bacteria such as MRSA and works in a way that makes it extremely difficult for resistance to evolve
New Scientist on Longevity
115 might be as old as we can get thanks to our bodies' limits
Maximum lifespan is not rising in step with average lifespan. It could be that the human body has innate limits that prevent most getting any older than 115
New Scientist on Physics
Why the laws of physics don't actually exist
What we call laws of physics are often just mathematical descriptions of some part of nature. Ultimate physical laws probably don't exist and physics is all the better for it, says theoretical…
Watch 44 million atoms simulated using AI and a supercomputer
This simulation models a huge number of atoms in detail with the help of artificial intelligence
New Scientist on Quantum Computing
Microsoft says its weird new particle could improve quantum computers
Researchers at Microsoft say they have created elusive quasiparticles called Majorana zero modes – but scientists outside the company are sceptical
'Fluxonium’ is the longest lasting superconducting qubit ever
A fluxonium qubit can keep its most useful quantum properties for about 1.48 milliseconds, drastically longer than similar qubits currently favoured by the quantum computing industry
New Scientist on Science
How long can humans live? We may not have hit the limit yet
[tbc] The record for the maximum human lifespan has stayed unbroken since the 1990s but that might change, according to a new way of analysing mortality records
Time appears to run five times slower in the early universe
A phenomenon called cosmological time dilation means that events taking place in the early universe seem to evolve slower than those today
New Scientist on Self Discovery
Your true self: How your personality changes throughout life
You are not the person you were as a child, or even last year. The discovery that our characters change is unnerving, but embrace it and it can be empowering
New Scientist on Weight Loss
Weight loss advice isn't based on good evidence
The orthodoxy in most high income countries is that anyone with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more is overweight, but evidence suggests the cut-off point should be a fair bit higher, writes Clare…
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Can a tech billionaire squash Australia’s coal industry by buying it?
Frustrated with the Australian government’s inaction on climate change, software king Mike Cannon-Brookes is trying to buy several big coal plants so he can shut them down in favour of renewables
Heatwave in China is the most severe ever recorded in the world
A long spell of extreme hot and dry weather is affecting energy, water supplies and food production across China
Why rethinking time in quantum mechanics could help us unite physics
Inspired by experiments showing entanglement over time, not just space, physicist Vlatko Vedral is reconsidering the way we think of time in quantum mechanics. The new approach treats space and time…
James Lovelock at 100: The creator of Gaia theory on humanity's future
The influential scientist talks about his Earth-as-superorganism hypothesis and predicts a new era for humanity, unfettered by the constraints of our bodies
Chip can transmit all of the internet's traffic every second
Splitting data into a spectrum of colour packets has enabled a single computer chip to transmit a record 1.84 petabits of data per second via a fibre-optic cable
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