New Scientist - Features / /build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png daily 1 /article/2520367-exclusive-report-inside-chernobyl-40-years-after-nuclear-disaster/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:01 +0100 New Scientist reporter Matthew Sparkes secured unrivalled access to Chernobyl's most crucial scientific sites, where researchers are fighting to protect the area and ensure it remains safe amid the constant threat of attack from Russia 2520367-exclusive-report-inside-chernobyl-40-years-after-nuclear-disaster|2520367 /article/2522111-beef-is-making-a-comeback-does-it-fit-into-a-healthy-diet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:41:02 +0100 The protein craze is in full swing and beef consumption is on the rise, particularly in the US, where health agencies are promoting red meat as part of an optimum diet. So, how much beef should we really be eating, and how does it impact our well-being? 2522111-beef-is-making-a-comeback-does-it-fit-into-a-healthy-diet|2522111 /article/2521774-how-autoimmune-conditions-can-unexpectedly-drive-mental-illness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:00:08 +0100 Antibodies mistakenly attacking the brain are linked with conditions including schizophrenia, dementia and OCD, prompting a revolution in how we think about mental health conditions 2521774-how-autoimmune-conditions-can-unexpectedly-drive-mental-illness|2521774 /article/2520451-my-life-as-a-meteorologist-in-chernobyl-under-russian-occupation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:05 +0100 When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Chernobyl lay on the path to the capital Kyiv. When the plant was occupied by Russian troops, meteorologist Lyudmila Dyblenko fearlessly continued taking vital measurements to monitor the nuclear exclusion zone 2520451-my-life-as-a-meteorologist-in-chernobyl-under-russian-occupation|2520451 /article/2520435-the-man-who-crawls-into-the-perilous-heart-of-the-chernobyl-reactor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:24 +0100 Ever since the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in 1986, scientists have needed to monitor radioactive conditions inside. That job currently falls to Anatoly Doroshenko, who explains the dangers and importance of his work to New Scientist 2520435-the-man-who-crawls-into-the-perilous-heart-of-the-chernobyl-reactor|2520435 /article/2520573-were-solving-the-fundamental-mystery-of-how-reality-is-glued-together/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:00:03 +0100 For decades, scientists have tried and failed to explain how the force that binds the heart of atoms together really works. But new mathematical tools are finally prising the problem open 2520573-were-solving-the-fundamental-mystery-of-how-reality-is-glued-together|2520573 /article/2519999-the-invisibility-cloak-inventor-now-has-better-tricks-up-his-sleeve/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:00:26 +0100 John Pendry is known for creating an invisibility cloak. Twenty years on, he has used the same principles to fashion an even more powerful kind of metamaterial that can teach us about the wild frontiers of physics 2519999-the-invisibility-cloak-inventor-now-has-better-tricks-up-his-sleeve|2519999 /article/2520604-i-dont-see-images-in-my-head-can-training-give-me-a-minds-eye/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:00:25 +0100 Training programmes for people with aphantasia – the inability to create mental images – are challenging neuroscientists' understanding of how we create thoughts 2520604-i-dont-see-images-in-my-head-can-training-give-me-a-minds-eye|2520604 /article/2519611-oceans-are-darkening-all-over-the-planet-whats-going-on/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:00:58 +0100 In a shift that is reshaping entire ecosystems, the open oceans are letting less light in. We don't fully understand the consequences yet, but there is still hope, says oceanographer Tim Smyth 2519611-oceans-are-darkening-all-over-the-planet-whats-going-on|2519611 /article/2519026-a-once-fantastical-collider-could-answer-physics-biggest-mysteries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:00:50 +0100 The muon collider was once dismissed as impossible, but is now gaining steam as the successor to the Large Hadron Collider. If built, it could offer a new window to reality  2519026-a-once-fantastical-collider-could-answer-physics-biggest-mysteries|2519026 /article/2519667-the-profound-effect-the-heart-brain-connection-has-on-your-health/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:00:47 +0100 Cognitive decline, mental health and heart disease are all shaped by the deep links between heart and brain – with major implications for diagnoses and treatment 2519667-the-profound-effect-the-heart-brain-connection-has-on-your-health|2519667 /article/2519666-how-working-out-like-an-astronaut-can-reduce-back-pain-and-slow-ageing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:00:33 +0000 The same principles that help astronauts stay strong in microgravity can help us all resist the slow collapse of ageing – and it’s not all about hitting the gym more 2519666-how-working-out-like-an-astronaut-can-reduce-back-pain-and-slow-ageing|2519666 /article/2519003-the-shocking-fossils-that-show-t-rex-wasnt-the-king-of-the-dinosaurs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:00:41 +0000 We've always thought that Tyrannosaurus rex was an unchallenged apex predator during the dying days of the dinosaurs. But a fresh look at controversial fossils has prompted palaeontology’s biggest-ever U-turn 2519003-the-shocking-fossils-that-show-t-rex-wasnt-the-king-of-the-dinosaurs|2519003 /article/2519288-the-simple-questions-cracking-the-hard-problem-of-consciousness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:00:19 +0000 Do we all see the same red? Or feel joy and sadness alike? Mapping how our inner experiences relate to one another could finally reveal how physical processes in the brain give rise to consciousness 2519288-the-simple-questions-cracking-the-hard-problem-of-consciousness|2519288 /article/2517138-this-neuroscientist-says-some-psychopaths-wish-they-were-nicer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:00:08 +0000 Abigail Marsh has found that many psychopaths don’t want to be cruel and uncaring, and argues that they deserve support to help them get there 2517138-this-neuroscientist-says-some-psychopaths-wish-they-were-nicer|2517138 /article/2517880-a-very-serious-guide-to-buying-your-own-humanoid-robot-butler/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:00:48 +0000 You can now buy a humanoid robot housekeeper for less than the price of a second-hand car. But before splashing out, there’s something you need to know 2517880-a-very-serious-guide-to-buying-your-own-humanoid-robot-butler|2517880 /article/2518470-forget-the-multiverse-in-the-pluriverse-we-create-reality-together/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:00:20 +0000 A radical idea that resolves many quantum paradoxes suggests there is no objective view of reality. How can the cosmos be stitched together from interlocking perspectives? 2518470-forget-the-multiverse-in-the-pluriverse-we-create-reality-together|2518470 /article/2516419-frailty-sets-in-far-earlier-than-youd-expect-but-you-can-reverse-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:00:48 +0000 We’re learning that frailty can quietly arrive decades before old age, with some people in their 30s or 40s unknowingly in a pre-frail state. There are surprising ways to stay strong – and it’s not all about weight training 2516419-frailty-sets-in-far-earlier-than-youd-expect-but-you-can-reverse-it|2516419 /article/2517730-why-a-peruvian-mountain-is-becoming-an-impossible-particle-detector/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:00:16 +0000 Deep canyons in the Andes are the perfect location to catch the most energetic particles in the universe. Carlos Argüelles-Delgado reveals how these intergalactic envoys could help prove the quantum nature of gravity 2517730-why-a-peruvian-mountain-is-becoming-an-impossible-particle-detector|2517730 /article/2516629-the-real-reasons-birth-rates-are-declining-worldwide/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:00:52 +0000 From the cost of childcare to the housing crisis, there’s no shortage of explanations for the dramatic global fall in the number of babies being born. These analyses, though, are all missing something, says cognitive and evolutionary anthropologist Paula Sheppard 2516629-the-real-reasons-birth-rates-are-declining-worldwide|2516629 /article/2516720-how-our-ancestors-used-mushrooms-to-change-the-course-of-human-history/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Mushrooms have been used by ancient humans for millennia, but archaeologists have only just uncovered their pivotal role in shaping civilisation 2516720-how-our-ancestors-used-mushrooms-to-change-the-course-of-human-history|2516720 /article/2515689-a-bizarre-type-of-black-hole-could-solve-three-cosmic-mysteries-in-one/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:27 +0000 Black holes that turn matter into energy could explain dark energy and answer two other cosmic questions. Now, the challenge is to find them 2515689-a-bizarre-type-of-black-hole-could-solve-three-cosmic-mysteries-in-one|2515689 /article/2515631-a-crisis-in-cosmology-may-mean-hidden-dimensions-really-exist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:49 +0000 Physicists are scrambling to understand why dark energy is weakening. In a surprising twist, we must now reconsider the possibility that our reality contains extra dimensions 2515631-a-crisis-in-cosmology-may-mean-hidden-dimensions-really-exist|2515631 /article/2515195-the-bombshell-results-that-demand-a-new-theory-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:29 +0000 Last year, our most detailed map of the universe yet suggested our understanding of dark energy has been wrong for decades. The shock result is reigniting the search for a better cosmic story 2515195-the-bombshell-results-that-demand-a-new-theory-of-the-universe|2515195 /article/2516974-crisis-in-cosmology-if-weve-got-dark-energy-wrong-what-could-it-be/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:25 +0000 This is a New Scientist special package about shock results that have upended cosmology. What do they mean for our models of the universe, and what are the alternative explanations? 2516974-crisis-in-cosmology-if-weve-got-dark-energy-wrong-what-could-it-be|2516974 /article/2514410-the-worlds-most-elusive-colour-is-worth-billions-if-we-can-find-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:00:05 +0000 The discovery of bright yet stable pigments is vanishingly rare, making them hugely valuable. Now chemist Mas Subramanian is unpicking the atomic code of colour and homing in on our most-wanted hue 2514410-the-worlds-most-elusive-colour-is-worth-billions-if-we-can-find-it|2514410 /article/2514976-how-ukraine-became-a-drone-factory-and-invented-the-future-of-war/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Ukraine has responded to a war it didn’t start by creating an industry it doesn’t want, but could the nation's drone expertise help it rebuild? To learn more, New Scientist gained exclusive access to the research labs, factories and military training schools behind Ukraine’s drones 2514976-how-ukraine-became-a-drone-factory-and-invented-the-future-of-war|2514976 /article/2515266-its-your-perception-of-sleep-thats-making-you-feel-tired-all-day/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:00:53 +0000 How we feel about a night’s sleep can have a bigger impact on mood and grogginess than actual hours of rest. Here’s how to change your mindset to feel more energised 2515266-its-your-perception-of-sleep-thats-making-you-feel-tired-all-day|2515266 /article/2514293-weve-glimpsed-before-the-big-bang-and-its-not-what-we-expected/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:00:10 +0000 The big bang wasn’t the start of everything, but it has been impossible to see what came before. Now a new kind of cosmology is lifting the veil on the beginning of time 2514293-weve-glimpsed-before-the-big-bang-and-its-not-what-we-expected|2514293 /article/2514431-the-untold-story-of-our-remarkable-hands-and-how-they-made-us-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:00:24 +0000 The evolution of human hands is one of the most important – and overlooked – stories of our origin. Now, new fossil evidence is revealing their pivotal role 2514431-the-untold-story-of-our-remarkable-hands-and-how-they-made-us-human|2514431 /article/2513596-your-bmi-cant-tell-you-much-about-your-health-heres-what-can/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:05 +0000 People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them 2513596-your-bmi-cant-tell-you-much-about-your-health-heres-what-can|2513596 /article/2511141-nobel-prizewinner-omar-yaghi-says-his-invention-will-change-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:26 +0000 Chemist Omar Yaghi invented materials called MOFs, a few grams of which have the surface area of a football field. He explains why he thinks these super-sponges will define the next century 2511141-nobel-prizewinner-omar-yaghi-says-his-invention-will-change-the-world|2511141 /article/2509117-what-if-the-idea-of-the-autism-spectrum-is-completely-wrong/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:10:03 +0000 For years, we've thought of autism as lying on a spectrum, but emerging evidence suggests that it comes in several distinct types. The implications for how we support autistic people could be profound 2509117-what-if-the-idea-of-the-autism-spectrum-is-completely-wrong|2509117 /article/2514484-postpartum-depression-in-dads-is-common-we-can-now-spot-and-treat-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:00:20 +0000 Fathers may get postpartum depression at a similar rate to mothers, but it’s often overlooked. At last, the way we diagnose and treat it is improving, for the good of the whole family 2514484-postpartum-depression-in-dads-is-common-we-can-now-spot-and-treat-it|2514484 /article/2513274-putting-a-price-tag-on-nature-failed-can-radical-tactics-save-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:48 +0000 Biologists have long thought that speaking to nature’s economic value would persuade boardrooms it was worth saving. It hasn’t worked – so what, if anything, will? 2513274-putting-a-price-tag-on-nature-failed-can-radical-tactics-save-it|2513274 /article/2513815-how-teaching-molecules-to-think-is-revealing-what-a-mind-really-is/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:00:17 +0000 Networks of molecules in our body behave as though they have goals and desires. Understanding this phenomenon could solve the origins of life and mind in one fell swoop 2513815-how-teaching-molecules-to-think-is-revealing-what-a-mind-really-is|2513815 /article/2512675-why-is-childbirth-so-hard-for-humans-and-is-it-getting-even-harder/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story 2512675-why-is-childbirth-so-hard-for-humans-and-is-it-getting-even-harder|2512675 /article/2513239-nobel-laureate-says-hell-build-worlds-most-powerful-quantum-computer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:00:11 +0000 John Martinis has already revolutionised quantum computing twice. Now, he is working on another radical rethink of the technology that could deliver machines with unrivalled capabilities 2513239-nobel-laureate-says-hell-build-worlds-most-powerful-quantum-computer|2513239 /article/2513188-the-secret-signals-our-organs-send-to-repair-tissues-and-slow-ageing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Your organs are constantly talking to each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Tapping into these communication networks is opening up radical new ways to boost health 2513188-the-secret-signals-our-organs-send-to-repair-tissues-and-slow-ageing|2513188 /article/2511681-ancient-humans-were-seafaring-far-earlier-than-we-realised/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:23 +0000 Thousands of years before the invention of compasses or sails, prehistoric peoples crossed oceans to reach remote lands like Malta and Australia. Doing so meant striking out in unknowable conditions. What do such crossings tell us about ancient minds? 2511681-ancient-humans-were-seafaring-far-earlier-than-we-realised|2511681 /article/2511723-the-daring-idea-that-time-is-an-illusion-and-how-we-could-prove-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:00:33 +0000 The way time ticks forward in our universe has long stumped physicists. Now, a new set of tools from entangled atoms to black holes promises to reveal time’s true nature 2511723-the-daring-idea-that-time-is-an-illusion-and-how-we-could-prove-it|2511723 /article/2508422-realising-the-importance-of-our-microbiome-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:01 +0000 Humans have been inadvertently using microbes to influence our health for thousands of years. But only recently has the microbiome rocketed to the forefront of healthcare 2508422-realising-the-importance-of-our-microbiome-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508422 /article/2508838-embracing-quantum-spookiness-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:59 +0000 The strange principle of quantum entanglement baffled Albert Einstein. Yet finally putting quantum weirdness to the ultimate test, and embracing the results, turned out to be a revolutionary idea 2508838-embracing-quantum-spookiness-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508838 /article/2510765-crowdsourcing-wikipedias-encyclopedia-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:07 +0000 The internet is typically defined by conflict. Yet a crowdsourced encyclopedia, open for anyone to edit, has transformed into one of the world's most essential knowledge hubs 2510765-crowdsourcing-wikipedias-encyclopedia-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510765 /article/2508417-the-totemic-1-5c-climate-target-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:17 +0000 Although we’re on course to cross 1.5°C of warming, the alliance of small island nations that revised our goal down from the 2°C threshold transformed global climate policy 2508417-the-totemic-1-5c-climate-target-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508417 /article/2510350-we-can-block-the-spread-of-hiv-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:13 +0000 The “enormous revelation” that drugs can be used to prevent catching HIV has benefitted millions and helped slash transmission rates 2510350-we-can-block-the-spread-of-hiv-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510350 /article/2511326-new-scientists-guide-to-the-21-best-ideas-of-the-21st-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:07 +0000 A quarter of a century in, this is our definitive pick of the ideas in science and technology that are already transforming the world 2511326-new-scientists-guide-to-the-21-best-ideas-of-the-21st-century|2511326 /article/2510424-we-can-rewrite-our-genetic-code-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Our genomes are filled with errors that were once impossible to correct. But in CRISPR, we finally found an extraordinarily powerful tool for treating genetic disease – and perhaps making better versions of ourselves 2510424-we-can-rewrite-our-genetic-code-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510424 /article/2508303-the-one-diet-thats-good-for-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:35 +0000 Time and time again, scientists have found that one diet beats all others when it comes to our health. Fortunately, it's delicious – and also good for the planet 2508303-the-one-diet-thats-good-for-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508303 /article/2510618-the-electrification-of-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable power is crucial. The opening of Tesla's first "gigafactory", which used economies of scale to electrify our transport and energy systems, marked a turning point in this endeavour 2510618-the-electrification-of-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510618 /article/2508561-our-solar-system-is-extremely-weird-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:08 +0000 Realising that our solar system isn’t like most others out there has helped astronomers rewrite the story of how it formed 2508561-our-solar-system-is-extremely-weird-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508561 /article/2510623-smartphones-yes-really-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:06 +0000 Some might say smartphones have caused more harm than good. Here’s why putting a powerful computer into every pocket was a good idea 2510623-smartphones-yes-really-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510623 /article/2508875-the-hidden-power-of-epigenetics-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:28 +0000 Following the surprising discovery that our genetic blueprint is much simpler than expected, we’ve rapidly learned that we have epigenetics to thank for our extraordinary complexity 2508875-the-hidden-power-of-epigenetics-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508875 /article/2510768-end-to-end-encryption-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:26 +0000 How end-to-end encryption is the wall that keeps our digital secrets safe – and why modern life would be unimaginable without it 2510768-end-to-end-encryption-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510768 /article/2508854-revealing-the-epic-story-of-ancient-humans-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:25 +0000 Since the turn of the millennium, our understanding of our ancestors and extended cousins has shifted dramatically, thanks to a swathe of surprising archaeological discoveries 2508854-revealing-the-epic-story-of-ancient-humans-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508854 /article/2508890-how-fear-drastically-shapes-ecosystems-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:15 +0000 Understanding the “landscape of fear” that predators create in their environments has helped us uncover just how drastically humans have upended the natural world 2508890-how-fear-drastically-shapes-ecosystems-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508890 /article/2510604-the-one-innovation-that-supercharged-ai-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:42 +0000 The most powerful artificial intelligence tools all have one thing in common. Whether they are writing poetry or predicting protein structures, they rely on the "transformer" architecture 2510604-the-one-innovation-that-supercharged-ai-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510604 /article/2508317-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-normal-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:46 +0000 Neurodiversity research has reshaped how we think about autism and ADHD, revealing that a “normal” brain doesn’t exist – and that unusual brains also come with unique strengths 2508317-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-normal-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508317 /article/2508569-filming-the-universes-biggest-dramas-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:52 +0000 Astronomers used to rely on chance to catch a glimpse of fleeting explosions in space. A fresh approach to watching these flashes has completely transformed astronomy 2508569-filming-the-universes-biggest-dramas-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508569 /article/2508420-a-revolution-in-how-we-do-chemistry-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:50 +0000 From finding new antibiotic candidates to studying the insides of cells, snapping molecules together "like Lego" has completely overhauled chemistry, and biology too 2508420-a-revolution-in-how-we-do-chemistry-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508420 /article/2508819-pinning-extreme-weather-on-climate-change-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:57 +0000 It never used to be possible to attribute individual weather events to climate change and map their full consequences. Thanks to the work of two pioneering climate scientists, it is now 2508819-pinning-extreme-weather-on-climate-change-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508819 /article/2508813-the-invention-of-net-zero-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:51 +0000 Net zero wasn’t always the target – the consensus used to be that we could continue releasing greenhouse gases and maintain global temperatures. How did that change? 2508813-the-invention-of-net-zero-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508813 /article/2508321-the-immense-interconnectivity-of-the-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:32 +0000 How discovering that different parts of the brain work together as networks has transformed our understanding of everything from daydreaming and emotions to planning and memory 2508321-the-immense-interconnectivity-of-the-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508321 /article/2511248-the-5-worst-ideas-of-the-21st-century-and-how-they-went-wrong/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:06 +0000 They offered so much promise, but ultimately turned sour. These are the most disappointing ideas since the turn of the millennium 2511248-the-5-worst-ideas-of-the-21st-century-and-how-they-went-wrong|2511248 /article/2509966-psychiatry-has-finally-found-an-objective-way-to-spot-mental-illness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:00:14 +0000 A decades-long push to identify clear biomarkers for anxiety and depression is at last achieving results 2509966-psychiatry-has-finally-found-an-objective-way-to-spot-mental-illness|2509966 /article/2510000-three-ways-to-become-calmer-this-new-year-that-you-havent-tried-yet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:00:41 +0000 Easing stress is one of the healthiest pursuits you can embark on this January. Here are some evidence-backed ways to ground yourself in 2026 2510000-three-ways-to-become-calmer-this-new-year-that-you-havent-tried-yet|2510000 /article/2509948-the-pacific-islanders-fighting-to-save-their-homes-from-catastrophe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 13 Jan 2026 16:00:05 +0000 Some of climate change's sharpest realities are being felt on small island nations, where extreme weather is claiming homes and triggering displacement. Those able to stay are spearheading inventive adaptation techniques in a bid to secure their future 2509948-the-pacific-islanders-fighting-to-save-their-homes-from-catastrophe|2509948 /article/2509985-our-elegant-universe-rethinking-natures-deepest-principle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:00:44 +0000 For centuries, the principle of symmetry has guided physicists towards more fundamental truths, but now a slew of shocking findings suggest a far stranger idea from quantum theory could be a deeper driving force 2509985-our-elegant-universe-rethinking-natures-deepest-principle|2509985 /article/2509450-how-rethinking-your-relationship-with-time-could-give-you-more-of-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:13 +0000 You might feel like the days and weeks are slipping by. Here is how one psychologist says you can shift your experience of time 2509450-how-rethinking-your-relationship-with-time-could-give-you-more-of-it|2509450 /article/2508956-the-secret-weapon-that-could-finally-force-climate-action/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:00:29 +0000 An ambitious form of climate modelling aims to pin the blame for disasters – from floods to heatwaves – on specific companies. Is this the tool we need to effectively prosecute the world’s biggest carbon emitters? 2508956-the-secret-weapon-that-could-finally-force-climate-action|2508956 /article/2507511-you-can-upgrade-your-immune-system-but-not-in-the-way-you-think/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:00:57 +0000 From vitamin C to your microbiome and mindset, the latest science of immunity is often counterintuitive. Here's how to give your system a fighting chance to overcome infection 2507511-you-can-upgrade-your-immune-system-but-not-in-the-way-you-think|2507511 /article/2503844-are-we-living-in-a-simulation-this-experiment-could-tell-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:13 +0000 The idea that we might be living in a simulated reality has worried us for centuries. Now physicists have found some tantalising clues – and devised an experiment that might reveal the truth 2503844-are-we-living-in-a-simulation-this-experiment-could-tell-us|2503844 /article/2505167-a-sinister-deadly-brain-protein-could-reveal-the-origins-of-all-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:00:16 +0000 We have long struggled to determine how the first living organisms on Earth came together. Now, surprising evidence hints that poorly understood prions may have been the vital missing ingredient 2505167-a-sinister-deadly-brain-protein-could-reveal-the-origins-of-all-life|2505167 /article/2504149-a-new-understanding-of-causality-could-fix-quantum-theorys-fatal-flaw/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:00:39 +0000 Quantum theory fails to explain how the reality we experience emerges from the world of particles. A new take on quantum cause and effect could bridge the gap 2504149-a-new-understanding-of-causality-could-fix-quantum-theorys-fatal-flaw|2504149 /article/2507755-the-emotion-you-never-knew-you-had-and-how-to-feel-more-of-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:00:54 +0000 The warm and fuzzy emotion of kama muta underlies vital feel-good experiences like social connection and feeling part of something bigger. But are you getting enough of it? 2507755-the-emotion-you-never-knew-you-had-and-how-to-feel-more-of-it|2507755 /article/2507988-the-century-long-hunt-for-the-gigantic-meteorite-that-vanished/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:00:07 +0000 A soldier returned from the Sahara desert in 1916 with a wild story about a meteorite that dwarfed all others. Over 100 years of hunting yielded nothing – but now twin brothers think they have solved the puzzle 2507988-the-century-long-hunt-for-the-gigantic-meteorite-that-vanished|2507988 /article/2508430-low-on-energy-a-new-understanding-of-rest-could-help-revitalise-you/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 29 Dec 2025 16:00:36 +0000 There is a state of relaxation that few of us spend much time in, but which comes with profound well-being benefits. With healthier ageing, reduced risk of disease and feeling more energised all on offer, here's how to get there 2508430-low-on-energy-a-new-understanding-of-rest-could-help-revitalise-you|2508430 /article/2507009-the-essential-guide-to-proving-weve-found-alien-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:00:37 +0000 From mudstones on Mars to strange gases in exoplanet atmospheres, tentative evidence for extraterrestrial life is starting to come thick and fast. But when we've found it, how will we know for sure? 2507009-the-essential-guide-to-proving-weve-found-alien-life|2507009 /article/2506241-how-to-extend-and-improve-your-life-by-getting-more-creative/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 23 Dec 2025 16:00:40 +0000 Growing evidence reveals that creativity is one of the best-kept secrets for boosting your health. From live theatre to a quick crafting break, here’s how to harness the power of art in your everyday life 2506241-how-to-extend-and-improve-your-life-by-getting-more-creative|2506241 /article/2506992-how-lab-grown-lichen-could-help-us-to-build-habitations-on-mars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:00:43 +0000 Scientists cultivating partnerships of fungi and algae believe their invention has far-out implications for how we create the buildings of the future 2506992-how-lab-grown-lichen-could-help-us-to-build-habitations-on-mars|2506992 /article/2502000-how-3-imaginary-physics-demons-tore-up-the-laws-of-nature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:06 +0000 Three thought experiments involving “demons” have haunted physics for centuries. What should we make of them today? 2502000-how-3-imaginary-physics-demons-tore-up-the-laws-of-nature|2502000 /article/2494268-weve-finally-cracked-how-to-make-truly-random-numbers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:00:48 +0000 From machine learning to voting, the workings of the world demand randomisation, but true sources of randomness are surprisingly hard to find. Now quantum mechanics has supplied the answer 2494268-weve-finally-cracked-how-to-make-truly-random-numbers|2494268 /article/2501758-did-ancient-humans-start-farming-so-they-could-drink-more-beer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:00:06 +0000 New evidence suggests that alcohol was a surprisingly big motivator in our monumental transition from hunting and gathering to farming – but was beer really more important to us than bread? 2501758-did-ancient-humans-start-farming-so-they-could-drink-more-beer|2501758 /article/2497162-why-we-only-recently-discovered-space-is-dark-not-bright/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:00:55 +0000 For centuries, Europeans thought that eternal daylight saturated the cosmos. The shift to a dark universe has had a profound psychological impact upon us 2497162-why-we-only-recently-discovered-space-is-dark-not-bright|2497162 /article/2496622-what-the-family-drama-of-interbreeding-polar-and-grizzly-bears-reveals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:00:21 +0000 A hybrid grolar bear saga is unfolding in the Arctic, and the tale of this strange family has much to tell us about nature on our changing planet 2496622-what-the-family-drama-of-interbreeding-polar-and-grizzly-bears-reveals|2496622 /article/2495956-test-your-brain-on-these-mind-bending-scientific-riddles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:13 +0000 A bizarre Christmas dinner invitation, some mysterious carol singers and even a spot of charades. Can you solve all 12 of our unique festive riddles? 2495956-test-your-brain-on-these-mind-bending-scientific-riddles|2495956 /article/2501960-inside-the-wild-experiments-physicists-would-do-with-zero-limits/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:27 +0000 From a particle smasher encircling the moon to an “impossible” laser, five scientists reveal the experiments they would run in a world powered purely by imagination 2501960-inside-the-wild-experiments-physicists-would-do-with-zero-limits|2501960 /article/2502335-what-the-evolution-of-tickling-tells-us-about-being-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:19 +0000 From bonobos and rats to tickling robots, research is finally cracking the secrets of why we’re ticklish, and what that reveals about our brains 2502335-what-the-evolution-of-tickling-tells-us-about-being-human|2502335 /article/2497719-the-surprising-longevity-lessons-from-the-worlds-oldest-animal/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:00:47 +0000 Scientists were amazed to discover a 507-year-old clam that was already 100 in Shakespeare’s day, but why did it live so long and what can we learn from it? 2497719-the-surprising-longevity-lessons-from-the-worlds-oldest-animal|2497719 /article/2497631-the-audacious-quest-to-light-up-the-sky-with-artificial-auroras/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:00:14 +0000 How a Finnish physicist named Karl Lemström once became obsessed with recreating the aurora borealis from scratch – and may have ended up creating something even more intriguing 2497631-the-audacious-quest-to-light-up-the-sky-with-artificial-auroras|2497631 /article/2502370-too-busy-to-meditate-microdosing-mindfulness-has-big-health-benefits/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:00:03 +0000 Small bursts of mindfulness practices lasting a minute or less can have unexpected benefits for those with busy lives - here’s how 2502370-too-busy-to-meditate-microdosing-mindfulness-has-big-health-benefits|2502370 /article/2505159-how-deliberately-giving-people-illnesses-is-supercharging-medicine/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:00:41 +0000 The covid-19 pandemic opened the door to once-controversial human challenge trials. Now, volunteers are willingly catching norovirus and influenza to reveal how our immune systems really fight back 2505159-how-deliberately-giving-people-illnesses-is-supercharging-medicine|2505159 /article/2505176-black-hole-entropy-hints-at-a-surprising-truth-about-our-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:00:29 +0000 Two clashing ideas about disorder inside black holes now point to the same strange conclusions, and it could reshape the foundations of how we think about space and time 2505176-black-hole-entropy-hints-at-a-surprising-truth-about-our-universe|2505176 /article/2501144-what-were-learning-about-consciousness-from-master-meditators-brains/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:00:12 +0000 Neuroscientist Matthew Sacchet is revealing how mastering meditation can not only enable transcendental states of bliss, but also reshape how we experience pain and emotion 2501144-what-were-learning-about-consciousness-from-master-meditators-brains|2501144 /article/2504372-a-revolutionary-way-to-map-our-bodies-is-helping-cure-deadly-diseases/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:00:29 +0000 New tools that create ultra-precise maps of our tissues are transforming our ability to diagnose and cure once-fatal illnesses 2504372-a-revolutionary-way-to-map-our-bodies-is-helping-cure-deadly-diseases|2504372 /article/2504250-the-long-overlooked-insects-that-could-save-our-crops/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 25 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Hoverflies, often mistaken for bees and wasps, pollinate three quarters of our crops. Now we’re discovering we can train them to be even more efficient 2504250-the-long-overlooked-insects-that-could-save-our-crops|2504250 /article/2503289-why-quasicrystals-shouldnt-exist-but-are-turning-up-in-strange-places/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:00:35 +0000 Matter with “forbidden” symmetries was once thought to be confined to lab experiments, but is now being found in some of the world’s most extreme environments 2503289-why-quasicrystals-shouldnt-exist-but-are-turning-up-in-strange-places|2503289 /article/2503415-the-vital-overlooked-role-of-body-fat-in-shaping-your-health-and-mind/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:00:22 +0000 The discovery that fat is a communicative organ with a role in everything from bone health to mood is forcing a rethink of how we view our bodies 2503415-the-vital-overlooked-role-of-body-fat-in-shaping-your-health-and-mind|2503415 /article/2502898-we-can-finally-hear-the-long-hidden-music-of-the-stone-age/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:00:21 +0000 Ancient rock art was meant to be heard as well as seen and now acoustic archaeologists are bringing the sounds of prehistoric rituals to life 2502898-we-can-finally-hear-the-long-hidden-music-of-the-stone-age|2502898 /article/2501447-women-have-supercharged-immune-systems-and-we-now-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:00:38 +0000 Being born with two X chromosomes brings a host of health benefits, and recognising this could lead to personalised medical treatments for men and women 2501447-women-have-supercharged-immune-systems-and-we-now-know-why|2501447