Science News

A new virus-fighting plastic film could transform everyday surfaces into invisible defenders against disease. Instead of relying on chemicals, this flexible material is covered in microscopic pillars that physically stre...

Researchers discovered that a signaling pathway used in brain development is repurposed in adulthood to balance behavioral persistence and flexibility.

A new study reveals that AI models with over 2 billion parameters develop mathematical "brain states" that distinguish between possible and impossible events.

A longitudinal study of 1,400 children links early pretend play to improved mental health outcomes, suggesting play builds brain resilience.

Scientists at UC Irvine have found a way to potentially reverse age-related vision loss by targeting the ELOVL2 aging gene and restoring vital fatty acids in the retina. Their experiments in mice show that supplementing ...

Researchers tracking 24,500 adults found that midlife fitness delays the onset of chronic illness by at least 1.5 years, prioritizing quality of life over just longevity.

Researchers developed PhysMAP, an AI tool that identifies specific neuron types in electrical brain recordings to help treat psychiatric "circuitopathies."

Engineers provide the first direct evidence that seeds "hear" rain, using sound vibrations to dislodge statoliths and accelerate germination.

Photographer Yuri Segalerba explores how dengue has spread to Nepal's Himalayan districts, and how locals are fighting back

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

A seaside town is devastated when a small fishing boat, the Rose of Nevada, disappears at sea. Thirty years later, the boat reappears in the harbour and sets off a moving story, says Bethan Ackerley

The idea that EV batteries age poorly is a misconception - and a new report has found they often outlive the cars themselves

Feedback, always on the hunt for absurd units of measurement, is delighted by recent attempts to convey the 406,771 kilometres that the Artemis II crew travelled from Earth

Neuroscientists have discovered a secret second network in the brain. AI-mapped astrocyte webs connect distant brain regions, challenging 100 years of neuron-centric theory.

Scientists have discovered a brain "bridge" between the motor and insular cortex that controls the intensity of Tourette's tics and emotional symptoms.

Researchers found that localized white matter damage causes remote grey matter loss, but regenerating myelin can reverse the damage.

The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That's why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste

A robot built by Sony AI is rapidly learning how to beat the world's very best table tennis players

It was a head-spinning discovery. In 2018, researchers in Japan claimed to find concrete evidence of an elusive particle, a Majorana fermion, in a quantum spin liquid called ruthenium trichloride. Majoranas are highly so...

Delays in next-generation spacesuits could push back Artemis moon landings to 2031, an audit by the NASA Office of Inspector General claims.

A new gene therapy tested in China has improved the hearing of 38 people who were born deaf due to mutations in a gene called OTOF.

A new method developed at LMU overcomes fundamental resolution limits and may provide insights into high-temperature superconductivity. Physicist Dr. Sebastian Paeckel has developed a method that can be used to calculate...