Can a single entity be matter and antimatter at the same time? It looks like it, say Michael Brooks and Richard Webb
New Scientist
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Most Topular Stories
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Truth of the matter: The Majorana particle mystery
New Scientist - Physics & Math14 May 2012 | 2:00 am -
Explosions cause brain damage through head movement
New Scientist - Online News16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmBrain trauma from explosions often experienced by soldiers are caused by sudden head movements rather than high-pressure shockwaves -
Judge Mental: Mistaken-identity parades
New Scientist - Current Issue Articles17 May 2012 | 2:00 amEyewitness misidentification accounts for three-quarters of wrongful convictions – but tweaking the line-up system can bring more accurate results -
Pulsar heavyweight champ challenges Einstein
New Scientist - Space16 May 2012 | 9:32 amA pulsar with twice the sun's mass could challenge Einstein's theory of general relativity: but such a dense object is near impossible, according to his work -
Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis
New Scientist - Tech16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA paralysed woman sipping a cup of coffee with a robotic arm becomes the first human to use their brain signals to manipulate a real-world object
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New Scientist - Online News
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Explosions cause brain damage through head movement
16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmBrain trauma from explosions often experienced by soldiers are caused by sudden head movements rather than high-pressure shockwaves -
Biological clock began ticking 2.5 billion years ago
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmAn enzyme found in nearly all forms of life runs on a 24-hour clock and dates back to a pivotal moment in evolution -
Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA paralysed woman sipping a cup of coffee with a robotic arm becomes the first human to use their brain signals to manipulate a real-world object -
Today on New Scientist: 16 May 2012
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmAll today's stories on newscientist.com, including: interactive "wallpaper" screens are the future of TV and pulsar heavyweight champ challenges Einstein -
Win tickets to How The Light Gets In Festival
16 May 2012 | 11:56 amEnter our competition to win a pair of tickets for this hidden gem of a philosophy and music festival called How The Light Gets In
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New Scientist - Current Issue Articles
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Judge Mental: Mistaken-identity parades
17 May 2012 | 2:00 amEyewitness misidentification accounts for three-quarters of wrongful convictions – but tweaking the line-up system can bring more accurate results -
Judge Mental: Blinded by bias
17 May 2012 | 2:00 amDeep-seated social prejudices are hard to dislodge and can affect length of sentencing. But there could be a surprising solution to this problem -
Judge Mental: Forget the consequences
17 May 2012 | 2:00 amJudging a defendant on their conduct, not the consequences of their actions, is harder than you think -
Judge Mental: Suspect interviews
17 May 2012 | 2:00 amAggressive questioning or bluffing with fake evidence provides fertile ground for false confessions and can cloud other evidence presented at trial -
Judge Mental: How bias affects judicial sentences
17 May 2012 | 2:00 amThe foibles of the human mind can easily derail a fair trial. Yet some of the biggest flaws can be fixed – here's how
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New Scientist - Space
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Pulsar heavyweight champ challenges Einstein
16 May 2012 | 9:32 amA pulsar with twice the sun's mass could challenge Einstein's theory of general relativity: but such a dense object is near impossible, according to his work -
Dust rings not 'smoking gun' for planets after all
14 May 2012 | 12:40 pmSharp-edged rings of dust around stars are not necessarily carved by planets, as was thought, but can take shape on their own -
Astrophile: Two craters that launched 1000 meteorites
11 May 2012 | 9:09 amVesta thought its days as the solar system's punching bag were over – then along came two bullies that are solely responsible for a whole class of meteorite -
Ghostly glows mark violent deaths of stars
11 May 2012 | 9:06 amSupernovae leave glowing embers behind – see some of the most beautiful remnants of exploding stars in our gallery -
Death Valley provides rover's-eye view of Mars geology
11 May 2012 | 4:26 amNew Scientist visits Death Valley to find out how human geologists read Earth's past in its present – and how the rover Curiosity will apply those tricks on Mars
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New Scientist - Tech
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Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA paralysed woman sipping a cup of coffee with a robotic arm becomes the first human to use their brain signals to manipulate a real-world object -
Interactive 'wallpaper' screens are the future of TV
16 May 2012 | 10:30 amWall-sized, total-immersion screens will go beyond today's power-hungry flat screens and change how you watch TV -
Wikipedia busts the language barrier
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amEver read about UFOs in Spanish or Hebrew? Omnipedia software lets Wikipedia users browse topics in 25 languages, and get a foreign cultural perspective -
The power of cool: Whatever became of Starlite?
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amTwo decades ago, Maurice Ward invented a fireproof substance that outperformed all known materials. Why wouldn't he reveal its secret, asks Richard Fisher -
Teleportation record heralds secure global network
15 May 2012 | 11:14 amA quantum property called entanglement has been used to teleport a quantum state 97 kilometres, smashing the previous record
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New Scientist - Environment
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Chikungunya virus loves warm New York winters
16 May 2012 | 6:34 amA mosquito-borne virus that causes debilitating joint pain could become endemic in New York City within years as winters get warmer -
'Nobody is exempt from climate responsibility'
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amCould Christiana Figueres have the world's toughest job: getting all nations to agree how to tackle climate change? We talk to the UN's climate chief -
1.3 billion people rely on forests to survive
15 May 2012 | 11:30 amOne-seventh of the world's people depend on forests to survive – now the UN has adopted voluntary guidelines to protect their land rights -
Do we know enough to ensure safe Arctic drilling?
15 May 2012 | 4:00 amIf we must open the Arctic Ocean to oil and gas development we should at least do it in a way that doesn't harm wildlife, but the signs don't look good, says Henry Huntington -
Americans would pay more for green energy
13 May 2012 | 12:00 pmThe American public would pay extra to get green electricity, but partisan politics means their elected representatives still won't adopt it
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New Scientist - Health
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Explosions cause brain damage through head movement
16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmBrain trauma from explosions often experienced by soldiers are caused by sudden head movements rather than high-pressure shockwaves -
Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA paralysed woman sipping a cup of coffee with a robotic arm becomes the first human to use their brain signals to manipulate a real-world object -
Chikungunya virus loves warm New York winters
16 May 2012 | 6:34 amA mosquito-borne virus that causes debilitating joint pain could become endemic in New York City within years as winters get warmer -
Say what? Even everyday sounds can damage hearing
15 May 2012 | 10:00 amSounds as seemingly innocuous as the whir of a desk fan were enough to damage rats' hearing -
Imaging HIV in infected cells reveals viral tactics
14 May 2012 | 2:00 pmHIV's method of infecting cells has been visualised in greater detail than ever before, and could lead to ways to target the virus
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New Scientist - Life
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Biological clock began ticking 2.5 billion years ago
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmAn enzyme found in nearly all forms of life runs on a 24-hour clock and dates back to a pivotal moment in evolution -
The ancient American bones at centre of two lawsuits
16 May 2012 | 7:09 amThe future remains uncertain for the 9000-year-old remains of two Americans found beneath the University of California in San Diego in 2006 -
Making perfumes past and present
16 May 2012 | 5:47 amPerfumery is an ancient industry, its techniques refined over centuries and ingredients found in unlikely places – find out more in our gallery -
Making perfumes past and present
16 May 2012 | 5:44 amPerfumery is an ancient industry, its techniques refined over centuries and ingredients found in unlikely places – find out more in our gallery -
Eau de BO: The allure of sweat
15 May 2012 | 2:00 amIs the perfume industry looking for fragrances in the wrong place? The most seductive scents might come from ourselves
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New Scientist - Physics & Math
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The power of cool: Whatever became of Starlite?
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amTwo decades ago, Maurice Ward invented a fireproof substance that outperformed all known materials. Why wouldn't he reveal its secret, asks Richard Fisher -
Teleportation record heralds secure global network
15 May 2012 | 11:14 amA quantum property called entanglement has been used to teleport a quantum state 97 kilometres, smashing the previous record -
Truth of the matter: The Majorana particle mystery
14 May 2012 | 2:00 amCan a single entity be matter and antimatter at the same time? It looks like it, say Michael Brooks and Richard Webb -
Font for digits lets numbers punch their weight
12 May 2012 | 8:00 amWith FatFonts, the area of each digit is exactly proportional to its value, a system that could transform the art of data visualisation -
Acoustic graphene could act as a sonic cloak
12 May 2012 | 4:00 amThe amazing electrical properties of graphene have inspired the creation of a perspex material with remarkable sound-channelling characteristics
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New Scientist - Science in Society
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'Nobody is exempt from climate responsibility'
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amCould Christiana Figueres have the world's toughest job: getting all nations to agree how to tackle climate change? We talk to the UN's climate chief -
1.3 billion people rely on forests to survive
15 May 2012 | 11:30 amOne-seventh of the world's people depend on forests to survive – now the UN has adopted voluntary guidelines to protect their land rights -
Eau de BO: The allure of sweat
15 May 2012 | 2:00 amIs the perfume industry looking for fragrances in the wrong place? The most seductive scents might come from ourselves -
Americans would pay more for green energy
13 May 2012 | 12:00 pmThe American public would pay extra to get green electricity, but partisan politics means their elected representatives still won't adopt it -
With no paper trail, can science determine age?
11 May 2012 | 5:00 amWhen faced with immigrants who claim to be children but have no proof, officials resort to X-ray scans – but such tests cannot be trusted
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Short Sharp Science
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Today on New Scientist: 16 May 2012
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmFull text RSS - You can now subscribe to the full text of Today on New Scientist.Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis A paralysed woman sipping a cup of coffee with a robotic arm becomes the first human to use their brain signals to manipulate a real-world object Biological clock began ticking 2.5 billion years ago An enzyme found in nearly all forms of life runs on a 24-hour clock and dates back to a pivotal moment in evolution Win tickets to How The Light Gets In Festival Enter our competition to win a pair of tickets for this hidden gem of a philosophy and music festival called How… -
Amber reveals earliest example of pollinating insects
16 May 2012 | 10:50 amCaroline Morley, online picture researcher(Image: Enrique Peñalver, IGME)Insects and plants have a long, entwined history through pollination. Plants attract insects through their flowers' colour and scent, often providing their visitors with food. For their part, the insects unwittingly carry the pollen from one plant to another thus playing a key role in the plant's sexual reproduction. This photo gives a glimpse to how the relationship began. It shows the earliest known record of pollen grains trapped in the hairs of an insect preserved in prehistoric sap that hardened to form amber. The… -
Today on New Scientist: 15 May 2012
15 May 2012 | 12:00 pmFull text RSS - You can now subscribe to the full text of Today on New Scientist.1.3 billion people rely on forests to survive One-seventh of the world's people depend on forests to survive - now the UN has adopted voluntary guidelines to protect their land rights Teleportation record heralds secure global network A quantum property called entanglement has been used to teleport a quantum state 97 kilometres, smashing the previous record Say what? Even everyday sounds can damage hearing Sounds as seemingly innocuous as the whir of a desk fan were enough to damage rats' hearing Best illusion of… -
Best illusion of 2012: Floating star drifts into final
15 May 2012 | 9:40 amCaroline Morley, online picture researcher (Image: Kaia Nao) On the edge of your vision as you read this, the water swirls but the starfish turns in the other direction, floating above the background. The image itself is, of course, still: the movement is created in your head. It uses the phenomenon of periphery drift to make us see movement where there is none. The different contrasts between the colours are the key to making us see the star and the background move in opposite directions. This image was created by Kaia Nao, an alternative identity for wildlife painter Joe Hautman. It is a… -
Today on New Scientist: 14 May 2012
14 May 2012 | 12:00 pmFull text RSS - You can now subscribe to the full text of Today on New Scientist.KERS comes under the microscope after F1 blaze Did a fire that engulfed a Formula 1 garage start with a spark from the Kinetic Energy Recovery System? Bioluminescent bloom makes beach a magical minefield A bloom of bioluminescent plankton on a Maldive beach: it doesn't get much better than this Evening Star's rare path across the sun With the last transit of F1 Venus of the 21st century weeks away, authors trace how this rare event sparked international scientific collaboration in 1761 Gadgets work under your…
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New Scientist - Astrobiology
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How Saturn's moon Titan could spark chemistry of life
2 May 2012 | 12:00 pmSimulation of conditions on Saturn's moon Titan has generated amino acids that may make the existence of Earth-like life possible -
No aliens on Mars? No problem, we will look elsewhere
2 May 2012 | 12:00 pmIf the Mars Science Lab doesn't find life when it lands in August, we will keep looking -
Tides turn some habitable planets hellish
6 Apr 2012 | 8:00 amPlanets in the Goldilocks zone around many small stars would be heated up so much by the stars' gravitational tugs that their water would evaporate -
Galactic laser light show might lead us to aliens
6 Apr 2012 | 2:00 amGeoff Marcy is a prolific planet hunter, but now he's turning his gaze to alien civilisations. He hopes they may be criss-crossing space with laser beams -
Earthshine holds clues to exoplanet aliens
29 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmA new analysis of the sunlight reflected off Earth, then bounced back by the moon, suggests that we might be able to spot alien planets purely by their glow
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New Scientist - Aviation
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How was airline bomb made to be 'undetectable'?
8 May 2012 | 11:35 amIntelligence officials say they have foiled a plan to bring down a plane using an explosive device that would not be detected by airline security -
Command robot planes with a wave of your arms
15 Mar 2012 | 11:14 amDrones could soon be controlled by gestures, according to new research and a Boeing patent -
Into thin air: Gliding to 90,000 feet
11 Jan 2012 | 5:01 amA record-breaking pilot with lofty ambitions aims to fly higher than ever before – and, as Catherine Brahic discovers, he won't be needing an engine -
Trade war looms over Europe's aircraft carbon tax
7 Nov 2011 | 6:37 amThe world could be on the brink of a trade war over European Union efforts to impose carbon charges on the emissions of all planes landing or taking off within the EU -
Report questions long-term safety of composite planes
3 Nov 2011 | 5:29 amBoeing's 787 is a technological marvel – but do ground engineers know how to check and maintain these part-plastic planes?
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New Scientist - Bird Flu
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Researcher death highlights dangers of pathogen work
9 May 2012 | 8:40 amRichard Din's death from meningitis shows how pathogens can escape the lab – the worry is that experimental H5N1 flu could do the same -
Controversial flu paper finally published
2 May 2012 | 12:00 pmOne of two studies showing it is possible for H5N1 to evolve the ability to spread among mammals has been published -
US biosecurity board calls for global research guidelines
18 Apr 2012 | 10:40 amThe top US biosecurity committee has called for global guidelines for research on dangerous flu strains -
Censoring flu data could raise bioterror threat
5 Apr 2012 | 7:18 amEfforts to keep secret crucial details of a dangerous strain of flu might cause the very problems it is supposed to prevent, says a leading security specialist -
Controversial flu studies cleared for publication
2 Apr 2012 | 11:53 amThe US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity revises its recommendations on two H5N1 flu studies after revisions to the manuscripts
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New Scientist - Books and Art
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Mixing art and science in Moscow
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmAs science funding becomes a higher priority in Russia, there may be more room for artists in the lab too -
How does a bee know where it is heading?
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmIn Nature's Compass, James L. Gould and Carol Grant Gould get a little lost explaining the wonder of navigation in the animal kingdom -
A history of the insatiably curious
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmIn Curiosity, Philip Ball argues that the root of modern science lies not in deduction but in the experimental curiosity of "natural magicians" -
Will technology kill humanity?
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmFred Guterl tries to kill off humankind in a series of apocalyptic thought experiments in The Fate of the Species, but falls short of annihilation -
Evening Star's rare path across the sun
8 May 2012 | 6:00 pmWith the last transit of Venus of the 21st century weeks away, authors trace how this rare event sparked international scientific collaboration in 1761
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New Scientist - Cancer
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Thank grandmothers for lower incidence of cancer
9 May 2012 | 5:02 amIf it weren't for caring grandmothers, almost every woman would have a gene that gives them up to an 80 per cent chance of getting breast cancer -
Clues to aspirin's anti-cancer effects revealed
19 Apr 2012 | 11:27 amExactly why aspirin shows such potential as an anti-cancer treatment remains unclear – a new study in mice suggests an enzyme link -
Other primates share human taste for plant oestrogens
15 Apr 2012 | 8:00 amColobus monkeys and gorillas both have a diet rich in oestrogen-like compounds, which have been shown to protect against some cancers -
Shining infrared light on cancer speeds diagnosis
14 Apr 2012 | 10:00 amInfrared imaging makes it possible to highlight potentially cancerous tissue in seconds -
Arsenic double whammy for cancer
14 Apr 2012 | 4:00 amNot only does arsenic turn cells cancerous, those cells in turn make stem cells become malignant too
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New Scientist - Careers
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The unkindest cut of all
1 May 2012 | 9:00 amWith women's pay still lagging behind that of male colleagues, senior women scientists give us their tips on how you can get the pay you deserve -
Return of the star techies
24 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pmScience and engineering doesn't only require scientists and engineers, but also people who know how to keep the cogs turning. And, unlike university, this route to serious skills often starts with a real job, finds Jessica Griggs -
The publication imperative
24 Apr 2012 | 5:13 amFor postdocs, it's a publish or perish world. But which bits of your research should you submit, and where? And what if you can hardly string a sentence together? -
When many heads are better than one
5 Apr 2012 | 9:11 amTranslational cancer research brings together scientists from a range of disciplines to tackle this most pervasive of diseases. -
Leading lights of the low countries
13 Mar 2012 | 7:00 pmBelgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg all punch above their weight when it comes to scientific innovation - and career opportunities
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New Scientist - Climate Change
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'Nobody is exempt from climate responsibility'
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amCould Christiana Figueres have the world's toughest job: getting all nations to agree how to tackle climate change? We talk to the UN's climate chief -
Americans would pay more for green energy
13 May 2012 | 12:00 pmThe American public would pay extra to get green electricity, but partisan politics means their elected representatives still won't adopt it -
Sauropod farts warmed the planet
7 May 2012 | 11:00 amModern cows are a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas. Just think what must have come out of the biggest plant eating dinosaurs… -
Global warming heats up tornado debate
7 May 2012 | 7:00 amSpeculation is rife that a recent glut of killer tornadoes is a sign of rising temperatures. Harold Brooks unpicks the evidence -
Australia's decade-long drought ends
1 May 2012 | 10:41 amThe Big Dry has ended, but such droughts might be a sign of things to come for Australia as climate change influences natural cycles
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New Scientist - Comets and Asteroids
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California meteorite is rare rock laden with organics
1 May 2012 | 10:29 amFragments of the meteorite have revealed that it is much more exciting than scientists thought -
Early asteroids blinged up by meteorite impacts
5 Apr 2012 | 1:00 pmPlanets and moons weren't the only cosmic objects to get splattered with gold early on in the solar system's history -
Hayabusa's asteroid-sampling mission, take two
31 Jan 2012 | 5:11 pmJapan's Hayabusa 2 probe will use brute force to collect samples from an asteroid in an attempt to avoid the pitfalls of its problem-plagued predecessor -
Skyscraper-sized asteroid set to buzz Earth
8 Nov 2011 | 3:34 pmA space rock about the size of the Empire State Building is set to come closer to Earth than any other asteroid of its size in 35 years -
Most pristine known asteroid is denser than granite
27 Oct 2011 | 1:00 pmThe lumpy asteroid Lutetia may be a whole, unbroken building block left nearly untouched since the solar system's birth
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New Scientist - Comment and Analysis
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'Label jars, not people': Lobbying against the shrinks
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmJames Davies meets protesters who claim the American Psychiatric Association is over-diagnosing and turning the pain of everyday life into mental illness -
Do we know enough to ensure safe Arctic drilling?
15 May 2012 | 4:00 amIf we must open the Arctic Ocean to oil and gas development we should at least do it in a way that doesn't harm wildlife, but the signs don't look good, says Henry Huntington -
Global warming heats up tornado debate
7 May 2012 | 7:00 amSpeculation is rife that a recent glut of killer tornadoes is a sign of rising temperatures. Harold Brooks unpicks the evidence -
Guerilla enlightenment: Defending science online
1 May 2012 | 5:34 amPro-reason bloggers are doing a better job than scientists at challenging alternative medicine. Long may it continue, says Nicoli Nattrass -
Economic markets need 'warning system' to avert crashes
18 Apr 2012 | 12:10 pmClassical economics is based on wrong assumptions. If we are to understand markets properly and avoid another disaster, we must take a more physics-like approach, says Edward Tsang
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New Scientist - Computer crime
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'Bullet time' to stop cyber attacks on power grids
30 Apr 2012 | 10:45 amSlowing down internet traffic using hyper-speed signals could give networks time to deal with cyber attacks on crucial infrastructure -
‘Bullet time' signals to stop cyber attacks on grid
30 Apr 2012 | 7:12 amSlowing down internet traffic using hyper-speed signals could give networks time to deal with cyber attacks on crucial infrastructure -
New hacktivist sect emerges from Anonymous
20 Apr 2012 | 8:33 amMalSec has announced its intentions to fight internet censorship, but promises to keep innocent people safe this time -
Face recognition could catch bad avatars
11 Apr 2012 | 6:27 amThe rise in crime in virtual worlds means biometrics could become a vital tool to link players trying to exploit the anonymity of their online avatars -
Censoring flu data could raise bioterror threat
5 Apr 2012 | 7:18 amEfforts to keep secret crucial details of a dangerous strain of flu might cause the very problems it is supposed to prevent, says a leading security specialist
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New Scientist - Cosmology
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Pulsar heavyweight champ challenges Einstein
16 May 2012 | 9:32 amA pulsar with twice the sun's mass could challenge Einstein's theory of general relativity: but such a dense object is near impossible, according to his work -
Dust rings not 'smoking gun' for planets after all
14 May 2012 | 12:40 pmSharp-edged rings of dust around stars are not necessarily carved by planets, as was thought, but can take shape on their own -
Astrophile: Two craters that launched 1000 meteorites
11 May 2012 | 9:09 amVesta thought its days as the solar system's punching bag were over – then along came two bullies that are solely responsible for a whole class of meteorite -
Sun too sluggish to act as a cosmic Concorde
10 May 2012 | 1:00 pmOur star is moving through a cloud of interstellar gas too slowly to create a "sonic boom" that would shield the solar system from some galactic cosmic rays -
Maya astronomical tables found daubed on wall
10 May 2012 | 1:00 pmFor the first time archaeologists have found astronomical writings dating from the height of the Maya civilisation in the 9th century
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New Scientist - Crime and Forensics
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With no paper trail, can science determine age?
11 May 2012 | 5:00 amWhen faced with immigrants who claim to be children but have no proof, officials resort to X-ray scans – but such tests cannot be trusted -
Face recognition could catch bad avatars
11 Apr 2012 | 6:27 amThe rise in crime in virtual worlds means biometrics could become a vital tool to link players trying to exploit the anonymity of their online avatars -
Social media web snares 'criminals'
4 Apr 2012 | 8:00 amMIT researchers used an Android app to catch "thieves" in a challenge that aims to help US federal agencies track real criminals -
Out-of-breath cops fail to recognise the perpetrator
19 Mar 2012 | 12:07 pmA chase or combat could impair police officers' ability to later recall details about an event or people involved -
Should police and coastguards use laser dazzlers?
13 Feb 2012 | 9:09 amRestricted to the battlefield until now, devices that temporarily blind people can now be used by US police
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New Scientist - Dinosaurs
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Sauropod farts warmed the planet
7 May 2012 | 11:00 amModern cows are a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas. Just think what must have come out of the biggest plant eating dinosaurs… -
Is it a bird? Is it a dinosaur?
27 Apr 2012 | 6:23 amRemarkable fossil finds in China seemed to have settled a long-running argument once and for all – birds really do represent the last living dinosaur. But do they? -
Dino-bird had oldest known case of osteoarthritis
22 Apr 2012 | 9:00 amFossilised ankle bones of Caudipteryx, a dino-bird that lived 130 million years ago, show signs of the painful bone condition -
Reptile grew feather-like structures before dinosaurs
23 Mar 2012 | 7:13 amSome 80 million years before the first feathered dinosaurs, Longisquama grew impressive structures using the same genes -
Giant fleas plagued feathered dinosaurs
29 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmThe oldest and largest flea ever discovered has turned up in Jurassic rocks in China. Warm-blooded animals have been itching to get rid of the pests ever since
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New Scientist - Editorials
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Brain rewiring offers slim hope for obesity epidemic
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmWeight-loss surgery helps people to think thin, which could open the door to new and gentler drug treatments for obesity -
Augmented reality offers a new layer of intrigue
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmAugmented reality – overlaying the real world with digital information – creates challenges but will enrich our lives visually and culturally -
We are the improbable ape
10 May 2012 | 5:46 amIf evolution is all about "climbing mount improbable", humans have climbed higher than any -
Silicon Valley reaches for the sky
9 May 2012 | 12:00 pmAn experimental, entrepreneurial spirit may be just what space exploration needs -
The cyborg future is almost upon us
8 May 2012 | 6:00 pmThe merging of human tissue and computers may become reality sooner than you think
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New Scientist - Endangered Species
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Solar power hits a tortoise roadblock
3 May 2012 | 7:06 amA threatened tortoise species is obstructing plans to build huge power plants in the deserts of the US Southwest -
Awesome animals need protection too
2 May 2012 | 10:00 amSometimes our instincts are right: charismatic predators deserve our attention as much as humble prey -
When humans attack: The fallout of the shark slaughter
1 May 2012 | 6:55 amWe are killing so many of the ocean's top predators that their numbers are plummeting. Does it matter? -
Leeches help track down endangered species
23 Apr 2012 | 11:00 amThe bloodsucking worms store blood from a meal for months, betraying the identity of their prey – which could help find and count endangered species -
Climate change will make conservation even pricier
20 Apr 2012 | 10:05 amIf you think saving endangered species is expensive now, just wait a few decades. Climate change may double the cost of protected areas by 2100
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New Scientist - Energy and Fuels
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Do we know enough to ensure safe Arctic drilling?
15 May 2012 | 4:00 amIf we must open the Arctic Ocean to oil and gas development we should at least do it in a way that doesn't harm wildlife, but the signs don't look good, says Henry Huntington -
Americans would pay more for green energy
13 May 2012 | 12:00 pmThe American public would pay extra to get green electricity, but partisan politics means their elected representatives still won't adopt it -
Fracking drives pronghorn herds out of Wyoming habitat
4 May 2012 | 12:35 pmDisturbances from the drilling of gas wells is causing the fleet-footed ungulates to vacate their prime wintering grounds -
Solar power hits a tortoise roadblock
3 May 2012 | 7:06 amA threatened tortoise species is obstructing plans to build huge power plants in the deserts of the US Southwest -
Japan's last operational nuclear reactor to go offline
28 Apr 2012 | 5:00 amJapan will take its last operational nuclear reactor offline next weekend – but the country may not remain nuclear-free for long
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New Scientist - Enigma
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Enigma Number 1697
8 May 2012 | 6:00 pmnull -
Enigma Number 1696
1 May 2012 | 6:00 pmnull -
Enigma Number 1695
24 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pmnull -
Enigma Number 1694
17 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pmnull -
Enigma Number 1693
10 Apr 2012 | 6:00 pmnull
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New Scientist - Epidemics and Pandemics
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Don't let up in war against antibiotic resistance
30 Apr 2012 | 9:47 amThere is fresh hope in the global battle to tackle the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Let's press home the advantage, says Shelley Hearne -
Censoring flu data could raise bioterror threat
5 Apr 2012 | 7:18 amEfforts to keep secret crucial details of a dangerous strain of flu might cause the very problems it is supposed to prevent, says a leading security specialist -
Controversial flu studies cleared for publication
2 Apr 2012 | 11:53 amThe US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity revises its recommendations on two H5N1 flu studies after revisions to the manuscripts -
Mutant protein may allow flu to kill
26 Mar 2012 | 5:31 amWhy is flu a mild infection in certain people but deadly in others? A single protein could explain the mystery in some cases -
Bioterror is not the biggest threat from bird flu
22 Feb 2012 | 10:34 amWe are in more danger from a flu pandemic than flu-related bioterrorism
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New Scientist - Evolution
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Biological clock began ticking 2.5 billion years ago
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmAn enzyme found in nearly all forms of life runs on a 24-hour clock and dates back to a pivotal moment in evolution -
Zoologger: Bug evolved a self-propelling corkscrew
11 May 2012 | 9:47 amThe marine bacterium Synechococcus has no flagellum to propel itself, but it still gets around thanks to a twisted rod inside its body -
Thank grandmothers for lower incidence of cancer
9 May 2012 | 5:02 amIf it weren't for caring grandmothers, almost every woman would have a gene that gives them up to an 80 per cent chance of getting breast cancer -
Why milk doesn't turn breasts to bone
8 May 2012 | 9:41 amMilk contains enough calcium to turn nipples into bone – why do they remain soft? -
Sauropod farts warmed the planet
7 May 2012 | 11:00 amModern cows are a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas. Just think what must have come out of the biggest plant eating dinosaurs…
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New Scientist - Exploring Mars
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Death Valley provides rover's eye-view of Mars geology
11 May 2012 | 4:26 amNew Scientist visits Death Valley to find out how human geologists read Earth's past in its present – and how the rover Curiosity will apply those tricks on Mars -
How Saturn's moon Titan could spark chemistry of life
2 May 2012 | 12:00 pmSimulation of conditions on Saturn's moon Titan has generated amino acids that may make the existence of Earth-like life possible -
No aliens on Mars? No problem, we will look elsewhere
2 May 2012 | 12:00 pmIf the Mars Science Lab doesn't find life when it lands in August, we will keep looking -
Astrophile: Mars coils hold with those who favour fire
26 Apr 2012 | 1:00 pmSpirals newly glimpsed on the floor of a Martian valley settle a poetic debate over whether the valley was carved by fiery lava, or ice -
Mysteriously dark Mars regions are made of glass
15 Apr 2012 | 4:00 amThe dark areas are probably covered in grains of volcanic glass – and may once have harboured life
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New Scientist - Feedback
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Feedback: Chemistry without the chemicals
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmChemistry without chemicals, a phone for talking commercial rubbish on, why we should be wary of the chef's surprise, and more -
Feedback: The oxygen of terror
11 May 2012 | 6:33 amPurveyors of the finest oxygen, BBC enters temporal loop, where you can shove a sculpture, and more -
Feedback: Bag that has no size
8 May 2012 | 6:00 pmDimensionless luggage, Apple encounters a chronosynclastic infundibulum, Dr Charlotte's almost magic wand therapy, and more -
Feedback: What's that in Brooklyn bridges?
4 May 2012 | 4:37 amQuantifying the pressure in the Mariana trench, the arithmetic prowess of the LEO computer, butterflies, and more -
Feedback: Do hairpieces reduce vitamin D?
27 Apr 2012 | 6:42 amWhy comb-overs could damage your health, how many 5-minute walks would cross the English Channel, hydrogen-rich water, and more
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New Scientist - Finance and Economics
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Facebook shares are overvalued, say financial analysts
4 May 2012 | 12:22 pmSome analysts say shares of the social networking behemoth are vastly overvalued and investors may fall victim to another stock price bubble -
Secrets of App Store revealed by artificial life forms
11 Apr 2012 | 12:00 pmModelling Apple's App Store marketplace as an ecosystem reveals what makes it thrive and which apps are likely to sell -
Online searches for future linked to economic success
5 Apr 2012 | 11:50 amPeople in countries with a higher GDP are more likely to search for information about the year ahead rather than the previous year -
Crowdfunding successes show value of small donations
4 Apr 2012 | 2:00 amA proposed change in US legislation would allow everyone to invest in start-ups -
Damage to oceans will cost $2 trillion
21 Mar 2012 | 7:12 amA global temperature rise of 4˚C by 2100 will have a huge impact on fisheries, tourism and atmospheric carbon dioxide
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New Scientist - Galleries
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Making perfumes past and present
16 May 2012 | 5:47 amPerfumery is an ancient industry, its techniques refined over centuries and ingredients found in unlikely places – find out more in our gallery -
Ghostly glows mark violent deaths of stars
11 May 2012 | 9:09 amSupernovae leave glowing embers behind – see some of the most beautiful remnants of exploding stars in our gallery -
Written from the heart: Da Vinci's anatomy
9 May 2012 | 8:29 amLeonardo da Vinci's secretive musings on the human body are now decipherable in a new iPad app to accompany the exhibition at Buckingham Palace -
Shark on the menu: Species hunted for their fins
2 May 2012 | 6:38 amThe rising popularity of shark's fin soup in China is increasing fishing for sharks across the globe. Let's see which species are on the menu -
Roughnecks in space: Moon mining in science fiction
27 Apr 2012 | 9:39 amWhat's a science fiction writer to do in a solar system full of inhospitable planets? Find out in our round-up of off-world mining colonies
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New Scientist - Genetics
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The ancient American bones at centre of two lawsuits
16 May 2012 | 7:09 amThe future remains uncertain for the 9000-year-old remains of two Americans found beneath the University of California in San Diego in 2006 -
Touch sensitivity is genetically linked to hearing
13 May 2012 | 4:00 amImpaired touch among deaf students indicates that some of the genes causing deafness may also dull finger sensitivity -
The humanity switch: How one gene made us brainier
9 May 2012 | 10:43 amA single gene may have helped the evolution of our complex brains 2. 5 million years ago, as we were splitting from australopithecines -
Thank grandmothers for lower incidence of cancer
9 May 2012 | 5:02 amIf it weren't for caring grandmothers, almost every woman would have a gene that gives them up to an 80 per cent chance of getting breast cancer -
Blonde hair evolved independently in Pacific islands
3 May 2012 | 1:00 pmA study of fair-haired Solomon Islanders shows that blonde hair evolved separately at least twice in humans
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New Scientist - HIV and AIDS
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Imaging HIV in infected cells reveals viral tactics
14 May 2012 | 2:00 pmHIV's method of infecting cells has been visualised in greater detail than ever before, and could lead to ways to target the virus -
Antiviral drug backed for use in HIV prevention
11 May 2012 | 11:22 amThe drug Truvada could soon be available to prevent people from catching HIV, following recommended approval by US health experts -
Give treatment earlier to slow spread of HIV
29 Apr 2012 | 5:00 amTreatment should be given to HIV carriers with an uninfected partner to reduce transmission and slow the epidemic, says the World Health Organization -
Condoms are slowing HIV spread in South Africa
18 Jan 2012 | 6:07 amComputer models suggest that condoms are to be thanked for the falling HIV infection rates in South Africa since 2000 -
Airbursts trigger dust avalanches on Mars
2 Dec 2011 | 6:28 amShock waves from falling meteorites set off huge landslides, scouring the Martian surface
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New Scientist - Histories
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The ancient American bones at centre of two lawsuits
16 May 2012 | 7:09 amThe future remains uncertain for the 9000-year-old remains of two Americans found beneath the University of California in San Diego in 2006 -
Maya astronomical tables found daubed on wall
10 May 2012 | 1:00 pmFor the first time archaeologists have found astronomical writings dating from the height of the Maya civilisation in the 9th century -
Scott, Amundsen… and Nobu Shirase
29 Dec 2011 | 4:00 amJapan also had a heroic explorer dashing to the South Pole 100 years ago – and he did it on a shoestring, says Stephanie Pain -
Second world war bombers changed the weather
7 Jul 2011 | 6:01 pmAllied bombing raids inadvertently experimented on the weather by producing huge contrails that affected local temperatures -
Europe 1783: Apocalypse then
1 Jun 2011 | 9:10 amIn 1783 a volcanic eruption decimated Iceland's population and created a choking fog that fell on England – it may have caused 30,000 further deaths
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New Scientist - Human Evolution
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Eau de BO: The allure of sweat
15 May 2012 | 2:00 amIs the perfume industry looking for fragrances in the wrong place? The most seductive scents might come from ourselves -
We are the improbable ape
10 May 2012 | 5:46 amIf evolution is all about "climbing mount improbable", humans have climbed higher than any -
The humanity switch: How one gene made us brainier
9 May 2012 | 10:43 amA single gene may have helped the evolution of our complex brains 2. 5 million years ago, as we were splitting from australopithecines -
Why milk doesn't turn breasts to bone
8 May 2012 | 9:41 amMilk contains enough calcium to turn nipples into bone – why do they remain soft? -
Blonde hair evolved independently in Pacific islands
3 May 2012 | 1:00 pmA study of fair-haired Solomon Islanders shows that blonde hair evolved separately at least twice in humans
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New Scientist - Innovation
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The power of cool: Whatever became of Starlite?
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amTwo decades ago, Maurice Ward invented a fireproof substance that outperformed all known materials. Why wouldn't he reveal its secret, asks Richard Fisher -
Sweat-sensing bracelet could detect fatal seizures
9 May 2012 | 11:26 amA device that measures skin conductance could monitor and perhaps even predict when life-threatening seizures are about to strike -
Let commerce, not just inspiration, drive innovation
30 Apr 2012 | 10:10 amWe're often blinded by the brilliance of fundamental breakthroughs, with little regard to what follows. We must change to prosper, says John Fisher -
Super-accurate atomic clock sets time travel record
27 Apr 2012 | 5:35 amThe clock's tick traversed an optical fibre 900 km long, paving the way for a network of synched clocks that could test Einstein's theory of gravity -
Innovation: Better hands may help robots grasp meaning
29 Oct 2010 | 4:25 amSome fresh thinking is changing the way roboticists think about robot hands – and what they could mean for robot learning
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New Scientist - Interviews
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'Nobody is exempt from climate responsibilty'
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amCould Christiana Figueres have the world's toughest job: getting all nations to agree how to tackle climate change? We talk to the UN's climate chief -
Eco-warrior probing Papua New Guinea's forests
11 May 2012 | 2:00 amBiologist Vojtech Novotny has to cope with warring tribes as he works in one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth -
Belle de Jour casts her forensic eye on sex
9 May 2012 | 4:20 amThe scientist and former call-girl blogger Brooke Magnanti has written a new book that challenges our notions about sexuality -
Countering the drug industry's marketing machine
30 Apr 2012 | 10:02 amCampaigning psychiatrist David Healy says patients, not drug companies, should give feedback on medicines for a true picture of their effectiveness -
Hold the painkillers, says 'Darwinian' paediatrician
17 Apr 2012 | 6:00 amIt's time for evolution to take centre stage in the practice of medicine, says Paul Turke
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New Scientist - Letters
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Social media
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmJim Giles describes the finding that conscientious people use more colons in their tweets as an "odd surprise" (28 April, p 40). But is it... -
Dark difficulty
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmIt was intriguing to read that experiments suggest dark matter may not be present in our part of the galaxy (28 April, p 6), whereas... -
Space mining
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmThe issue of who can own asteroids and their associated mining rights needs settling (21 April, p 48). Returns for mining companies need to be... -
Quick slime
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmWhen I read about the experiment in which slime mould spread patterns were shown to mimic road networks in the US (24 March, p 23... -
Look at me
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmPsychologist Jeffrey Arnett's observation that young people are volunteering in greater numbers does not necessarily contradict the theory that today's youth are more...
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New Scientist - Love and Sex
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Eau de BO: The allure of sweat
15 May 2012 | 2:00 amIs the perfume industry looking for fragrances in the wrong place? The most seductive scents might come from ourselves -
Love machine: Engineering lifelong romance
14 May 2012 | 4:00 amDivorce makes it look like we're outliving our capacity to love. But chemical tweaks might help keep love alive, say Julian Savulescu and Anders Sandberg -
Belle de Jour casts her forensic eye on sex
9 May 2012 | 4:20 amThe scientist and former call-girl blogger Brooke Magnanti has written a new book that challenges our notions about sexuality -
Yes… yes… no? G spot finding fails to convince
24 Apr 2012 | 11:00 pmClaims that the elusive G spot has been located and anatomically described are met with scepticism -
When the biological clock never ticks
19 Apr 2012 | 8:12 amHow will society change when there is no time limit on motherhood?
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New Scientist - Mental Health
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Explosions cause brain damage through head movement
16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmBrain trauma from explosions often experienced by soldiers are caused by sudden head movements rather than high-pressure shockwaves -
'Label jars, not people': Lobbying against the shrinks
15 May 2012 | 6:00 pmJames Davies meets protesters who claim the American Psychiatric Association is over-diagnosing and turning the pain of everyday life into mental illness -
Rebooted neurons halt brain degeneration in mice
6 May 2012 | 12:00 pmTackling the root cause of brain cell death could open up common treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's – but some researchers are sceptical -
Blood test could diagnose teen depression
17 Apr 2012 | 9:00 amAbnormal levels of gene expression associated with depression and anxiety can be identified with a simple blood test -
Immune retune: Don't stress out
10 Apr 2012 | 4:16 amClose your eyes. Count to 10. Whatever you do, stay calm. Stress can weaken the immune system transiently but significantly
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New Scientist - Micro-organisms
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Zoologger: Bug evolved a self-propelling corkscrew
11 May 2012 | 9:47 amThe marine bacterium Synechococcus has no flagellum to propel itself, but it still gets around thanks to a twisted rod inside its body -
Magnetic bacteria create a biological hard drive
9 May 2012 | 7:05 amBacteria that produce their own magnetic particles are being harnessed to store data -
Move over DNA: Six new molecules can carry genes
19 Apr 2012 | 11:57 amArtificial nucleic acids have proved capable of storing genetic information and passing it on, and some can evolve in the lab -
Too-blue oceans: The invisible famine
12 Apr 2012 | 6:59 amTiny marine plants produce half the planet's food – and there are signs that their numbers are plummeting as the seas warm. Bob Holmes investigates -
Babies are born dirty, with a gutful of bacteria
11 Apr 2012 | 12:00 pmFar from being sterile, babies come complete with an army of bacteria. The finding could have implications for gut disorders and our health in general
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New Scientist - Mysteries of the Deep Sea
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Water striders thrive on Pacific Garbage Patch
8 May 2012 | 6:01 pmFor many marine animals, tiny pieces of plastic rubbish are a big problem. But for one species of marine insect, they're a handy place to lay eggs -
When humans attack: The fallout of the shark slaughter
1 May 2012 | 6:55 amWe are killing so many of the ocean's top predators that their numbers are plummeting. Does it matter? -
Undersea network opens up the ocean to all
25 Apr 2012 | 6:53 amFibre-optic cables and sensors hope to supply an array of Pacific data, from ocean currents to sea floor movements -
Too-blue oceans: The invisible famine
12 Apr 2012 | 6:59 amTiny marine plants produce half the planet's food – and there are signs that their numbers are plummeting as the seas warm. Bob Holmes investigates -
James Cameron set for a Mariana Trench sequel
22 Mar 2012 | 12:08 pmThe Hollywood director should reach the bottom of the deepest ocean trench this week. Others may soon follow
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New Scientist - Nanotechnology
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Silicon cracks could make a lab-on-a-chip
9 May 2012 | 12:00 pmThe next generation of lab-on-a-chip devices could be made out of patterns of cracks rather than with conventional channel-carving techniques -
Gold nanoparticles boost accuracy of brain surgery
17 Apr 2012 | 7:51 amThe particles could help surgeons locate and remove hard-to-see brain tumours by visualising the cancerous cells in three ways -
Drug-smuggling nanoparticles target tumours
5 Apr 2012 | 12:25 pmFirst clinical trial of a cancer drug couriered by nanonparticles reduces size of tumours and delivers payload only where it is needed -
DNA origami nanorobot takes drug direct to cancer cell
16 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmA tiny clam-like robot made out of DNA releases its drug payload only when it meets and identifies a cancer cell -
Thinnest silicon-chip wires refuse to go quantum
6 Jan 2012 | 7:24 amThe finding is good news for conventional computer chips – but might be a problem for quantum computers
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Quantum World
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Truth of the matter: The Majorana particle mystery
14 May 2012 | 2:00 amCan a single entity be matter and antimatter at the same time? It looks like it, say Michael Brooks and Richard Webb -
Sound waves help quantum computers scale up
21 Apr 2012 | 9:00 amThe multiverse-delving potential of quantum computing could become possible with a device that welds two existing technologies using the power of sound -
Dodge ban on quantum clones to trap Schrödinger's cat
13 Apr 2012 | 7:12 amA way to create quantum clones – usually forbidden by theory – could help map the border of the classical, everyday world and the quantum realm -
Controversial quantum computer beats factoring record
13 Apr 2012 | 5:58 amAdiabatic computing has been used to factorise a larger number than any previous quantum computer, but is the method truly quantum? -
Leaders of controversial neutrino experiment step down
30 Mar 2012 | 5:49 pmCiting tensions within the experimental collaboration, two leaders of the OPERA team behind last year's faster-than-light neutrino result resign
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New Scientist - Robots
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Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA paralysed woman sipping a cup of coffee with a robotic arm becomes the first human to use their brain signals to manipulate a real-world object -
Paper robots could have a strong, gentle touch
10 Feb 2012 | 12:11 pmPaper structures filled with air could lead to new "soft" robots that can handle delicate objects -
Time for robots to get real
21 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amDrop the gimmicks, focus on practical problem-solving, and robotics can change the world, says Helen Greiner -
Take tips from the arts to make robots come alive
20 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amActors, animators and dancers are helping to help create expressive automatons -
Must-have robots come nearer with software explosion
19 Jan 2012 | 11:48 amSoftware is about to haul robots out of the lab and into our lives, just as it did with home computing
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New Scientist - Saturn and its moons
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How Saturn's moon Titan could spark chemistry of life
2 May 2012 | 12:00 pmSimulation of conditions on Saturn's moon Titan has generated amino acids that may make the existence of Earth-like life possible -
Astrophile: Picture yourself on a sandboard on Titan
27 Jan 2012 | 10:47 amTaking in plastic sand, marmalade skies and methane rivers, a tour of Titan's sand dunes would be as trippy as a late Beatles song -
Ethane lakes in a red haze: Titan's uncanny moonscape
11 Jul 2011 | 4:00 amSkies like a bad day in LA, red-and-black rainbows, Mississippi-style river channels – Saturn's largest moon is our prototype weird-world exoplanet -
NASA floats Titan boat concept
9 May 2011 | 3:56 pmThe first extraterrestrial boat could sail on one of Titan's hydrocarbon lakes, searching for signs of life on the Saturn moon -
Saturn moon's atmosphere forged by comet impacts
8 May 2011 | 12:00 pmTitan is the only moon in the solar system with much of an atmosphere, but the origin of its nitrogen-rich air has been a puzzle
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Spaceflight
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Death Valley provides rover's-eye view of Mars geology
11 May 2012 | 4:26 amNew Scientist visits Death Valley to find out how human geologists read Earth's past in its present – and how the rover Curiosity will apply those tricks on Mars -
Private firm SpaceX gears up to spark next space age
9 May 2012 | 12:00 pmDocking with the ISS would be a first for a commercial craft – and a key milestone for making space flight cheaper and more innovative -
Silicon Valley reaches for the sky
9 May 2012 | 12:00 pmAn experimental, entrepreneurial spirit may be just what space exploration needs -
Marathon mouse space mission boosts bone protection
7 Apr 2012 | 4:00 amAfter the longest mission ever by an animal, a group of mice have shown how a genetic treatment can prevent the breakdown of bone in space -
New space radars track small but deadly space junk
29 Mar 2012 | 7:00 amSpace Fence will locate and identify the 200,000 pieces of junk too small to be seen by current radar systems, but still posing a threat to spacecraft
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New Scientist - Teenagers
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America's report card - science skills improving
10 May 2012 | 12:01 pmThe US National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals good news about science education – but can Obama take credit for the boost? -
The curse of Generation Me
3 May 2012 | 2:00 amFor decades it has been fashionable to boost our children's self-esteem. Could we be setting them up for a fall? -
Let's give science a bad name in schools
27 Jan 2012 | 7:05 amThe best way to get teens interested in science is to wash its dirty laundry in public, says Michael Brooks -
Brain-training games stop depression before it starts
1 Nov 2011 | 6:00 amDepression could be staved off before it even appears using a computer game so simplistic that even the psychologist testing it once bet it wouldn't work -
Brain's synaptic pruning continues into your 20s
17 Aug 2011 | 10:07 amThe pruning of brain connections characteristic of adolescence doesn't end with puberty after all – which could improve our understanding of schizophrenia
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New Scientist - The Big Idea
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Love machine: Engineering lifelong romance
14 May 2012 | 4:00 amDivorce makes it look like we're outliving our capacity to love. But chemical tweaks might help keep love alive, say Julian Savulescu and Anders Sandberg -
We're closing in on consciousness in the brain
20 Apr 2012 | 7:35 amBrain "observatories" may solve the puzzle of how material brains create an intangible world of love, colour, taste and fantasy, says Christof Koch -
Aliens, but definitely not as we know them
13 Apr 2012 | 4:47 amAre everyday objects, such as apple pies or microchips, aliens? It depends how you think about what it's like to be a thing, says author Ian Bogost -
The story of language: culture not nature
16 Mar 2012 | 5:37 amThe cultural foundations of human language is a story very much in the making, says Daniel Everett, because it must see off notions that language is innate -
Foiling the cheats in a world of high-tech trust
27 Feb 2012 | 7:05 amOur complex world runs on trust – yet that very complexity, combined with our culture, also makes cheating a lot easier, says Bruce Schneier
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New Scientist - The Human Brain
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Explosions cause brain damage through head movement
16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmBrain trauma from explosions often experienced by soldiers are caused by sudden head movements rather than high-pressure shockwaves -
Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA paralysed woman sipping a cup of coffee with a robotic arm becomes the first human to use their brain signals to manipulate a real-world object -
Sweat-sensing bracelet could detect fatal seizures
9 May 2012 | 11:26 amA device that measures skin conductance could monitor and perhaps even predict when life-threatening seizures are about to strike -
Kinect cameras watch for autism
8 May 2012 | 4:43 amAn automated system that keeps watch over children could spot the telltale signs of autism and lead to earlier diagnoses -
Bilingual brain boost: Two tongues, two minds
8 May 2012 | 2:00 amSpeaking a second language can change everything from problem-solving skills to personality – almost as if you are two people
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New Scientist - The Large Hadron Collider
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LHC gets first glimpse of excited baryon
1 May 2012 | 11:00 amEvidence for the excited neutral Xi_b baryon was hard to find amid the particle detritus at the Large Hadron Collider -
Is the LHC throwing away too much data?
16 Mar 2012 | 8:46 amThe accelerator cannot save all of the data it takes, and one researcher worries it may be tossing out clues to new physics -
Conflicting Higgs results muddy particle hunt
7 Mar 2012 | 8:30 amResearchers at the US-based Tevatron spot new hints of the Higgs boson, while an LHC experiment reports that an earlier signal is starting to fade -
Tevatron collider's mighty boost for Higgs hunt
5 Mar 2012 | 10:33 amPosthumous revelations from the late, great US particle-smasher look good for Higgs and the standard model of particle physics -
LHC boosts energy to snag Higgs – and superpartners
13 Feb 2012 | 11:57 amPhysicists at the Large Hadron Collider hope that raising the energy of collisions still further will settle the question of the elusive Higgs particle
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New Scientist - US national issues
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Americans would pay more for green energy
13 May 2012 | 12:00 pmThe American public would pay extra to get green electricity, but partisan politics means their elected representatives still won't adopt it -
Political divides begin in the brain
10 Apr 2012 | 6:16 amDifferences in political belief seem to have some basis in biology, which could promote tolerance on both sides, but probably won't, warns Chris Mooney -
US army orders drug review after Afghan massacre
4 Apr 2012 | 8:19 amJust three days after a US soldier killed 16 Afghan civilians, the US army expedited a review of an antimalarial drug that can cause psychiatric side effects -
US scepticism – it's been a long time coming
29 Mar 2012 | 9:05 amDistrust in science among US conservatives is assumed to be a recent political gambit – the reality is it's been building for decades -
Has global warming brought an early summer to the US?
28 Mar 2012 | 12:07 pmClimate change may have made the unseasonably warm spell that left North America sweltering in March more likely to happen
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New Scientist - Weapons Technology
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How was airline bomb made to be 'undetectable'?
8 May 2012 | 11:35 amIntelligence officials say they have foiled a plan to bring down a plane using an explosive device that would not be detected by airline security -
Taser stun gun linked to heart attacks
8 May 2012 | 9:51 amA new study has found that a 50,000-volt stun to the chest from a Taser can induce irregular heartbeats and lead to cardiac arrest -
Launch will reveal North Korean rocket's purpose
10 Apr 2012 | 12:08 pmUnha-3 is stoking tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions – together with signs of an upcoming underground weapons test -
Assad masses Syrian cyber army in online crackdown
22 Feb 2012 | 10:09 amSyria's violence against civilians is being matched with online abuses as the government uses hacking and surveillance tools to track its people -
Nuclear spies use earth and skies to up their game
22 Feb 2012 | 6:14 amIonospheric disturbances and swelling rocks could both be used on to help sniff out covert nuclear weapons tests
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New Scientist - Zoologger
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Zoologger: Bug evolved a self-propelling corkscrew
11 May 2012 | 9:47 amThe marine bacterium Synechococcus has no flagellum to propel itself, but it still gets around thanks to a twisted rod inside its body -
Zoologger: Jesus bugs evolved hooks for grappling eyes
3 May 2012 | 1:00 pmMale Rheumatobates rileyi have special antennae that restrain reluctant females, giving them a chance of mating -
Zoologger: The ant that dives into digestive juices
26 Apr 2012 | 10:09 amWhile most ants struggle to swim, one species dives head first into a pool of digestive juices that is designed to kill it. Why? -
Zoologger: Meet the polar bear's replacement
20 Apr 2012 | 6:28 amAs the sea ice retreats, the little-known Greenland shark could take the polar bear's place as the top Arctic predator -
Zoologger: The soldiers that double up as doctors
12 Apr 2012 | 12:37 pmIn one insect species, the soldier caste also secretes antifungal chemicals that protect the colony from disease
