Science
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Twisteddoodles on a brand-new type of robot | New Scientist
This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles
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Last Word: Are there plants that could survive as a food source on the moon? Part 2 | New Scientist
Fresh answers are questioning the broader applicability of the Wardian case – and note the importance of where on the moon the plants are grown
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Richard Feynman’s 80-year-old quantum postulate has now been validated | New Scientist
Decades after it was posited as a foundational principle of quantum physics, Richard Feynman’s “path integral” has been directly measured in an experiment for the first time
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The quest to save the bananas we love so much makes scary reading | New Scientist
Without serious technical efforts, banana crops faces collapse worldwide. James Woodford enjoys a passionate plea from leading researcher James Dale in his new book, The Future of Bananas
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There Are No Trans Women in the WNBA, so Right-Wingers Are Making Some Up
As culture warriors continue to stoke the flames of a gender panic in professional sports, wild conspiracy theories are coming into play.
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The Meta Settlement Will Put Limits on Instagram for Teens. They’re Still Vulnerable
Child safety groups and former Meta employees welcome proposed changes to how the company’s platforms will work for teens. They also think states should have demanded more.
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Waffle House Teleporter Gregg Phillips Is Still on the Trump Administration’s Payroll
In June, a FEMA official infamous for claiming to have teleported to a Waffle House was reportedly ousted. He’s still employed by the government, though—and meeting with a Trump fixer.
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Candidates Are Signing a Pact Promising Action on Data Centers and AI Safety
More than 15 politicians from across the country have signed on to the AI Pact, vowing to regulate data centers and AI. “We’ve got to get this right,” says Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Nebraska.
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What We Still Don’t Know About OpenAI’s Hugging Face Hack
The AI giant acknowledges that it could have done far more to prevent its AI agents from going rogue. But it still fails to explain why it didn't see this fiasco coming.
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Tom Gauld on picking the right staff | New Scientist
Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon
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Democrats Just Might Win the Senate
Strategists in both parties have long thought that everything would need to go right for Democrats to take over Congress this fall. Their map, though, is becoming more forgiving.
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Last Word: This week’s new questions | New Scientist
Is there such a thing as an olfactory illusion, and what forces make a particle of fluid start spiralling down a pipe instead of flowing smoothly?
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The healthcare industry isn't built for coming off medication | New Scientist
Starting a new medication is relatively easy once you have a prescription from your doctor, but stopping is much harder, because from research to revenue, the healthcare industry has little interest in getting people off drugs
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Last Word: Why don’t we sneeze when we are asleep? | New Scientist
Our readers don’t agree with this statement, and even broaden out their evidence base to their furry companions
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FBI Disrupts Chinese Proxy Tools Used in Mass Hacking of US Agencies and Infrastructure
China’s hacking campaign targeted NASA, the Federal Reserve, the US Senate, the Justice Department, and more, according to the DOJ.
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The Humanoids at China’s Robot Games Were Faster Than Usain Bolt—but I’m More Impressed by Their Tweezer Mastery
Beijing’s endlessly delightful Robot Games featured tons of impressive stunts. But the most mind-blowing tricks challenged the humanoid’s brain, not its brawn.
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Can 'quantum musical agents' really make a melody better? | New Scientist
Feedback wonders if a bum note is being struck in a new paper exploring "quantum teleportation in multi-agent systems for interactive music”
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Last Word: Why do we feel emotional about fictional characters? | New Scientist
Readers provide different perspectives to tackle the question of why humans so readily adopt fiction into our lives
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How Rising Temperatures Likely Contributed to Nepal’s Deadly Flood
Climate change is causing glaciers to retreat and become less stable, upping the odds of catastrophic collapses.
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5 graphs that show how the record-breaking El Niño will affect the world | New Scientist
A stronger El Niño means more extreme weather, including droughts and wildfires in some places and flooding and tropical storms in others
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Are mushroom-growing kits seeding a biodiversity crisis across Europe? | New Scientist
What began as a seemingly harmless and delicious hobby may have released an invasive species across the continent. Experts fear that these desirable fungi, now classed in the UK as "high risk", could radically reshape forest ecosystems.
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A glacier collapse is most likely cause of the Nepal disaster | New Scientist
Melting snow appears to have weakened a steep glacier at an altitude of 5 kilometres, causing it to plummet around a kilometre into the river valley below
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Doctors are finally learning to manage antidepressant withdrawal | New Scientist
Withdrawal symptoms following long-term SSRI use appear far more pervasive and serious than previously realised. Now medical bodies are rethinking how and when to stop taking them
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Meta Will Pay Up to $16.7 Billion to Settle Its Social Media Harms Case—and That’s Not All
In addition to sending billions of dollars to states, Meta will make substantive changes to its platforms as part of a landmark settlement.
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Nanoparticles ease Alzheimer's by making neurons from other cells | New Scientist
A drug made up of a cage of nanoparticles and antibodies created neurons from another type of brain cell, which relieved symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mice
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AI Slop Is Ruining Cute Animals on the Internet
Pet owners, rescue agencies, and wildlife groups are calling for new safeguards as AI makes it harder to tell whether animals, from polar bears to house cats, are real or fake.
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How Ikea Turned a Controller Thumbstick Into the Star of its Xbox Gaming Range
Xbox and Ikea collab alert! This unique nine-piece collection for gamers arrives this fall and has a slew of Easter eggs.
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A Mutation Is Making It Easier for Drug-Resistant Malaria to Spread
New findings shed light on what’s making the parasite less treatable using the drug that’s considered a first line of defense.
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Hot weather in the UK is now almost as deadly as a cold snap | New Scientist
Cold weather has always killed more people than hot weather in England and Wales – but that's about to change
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PeopleFinders’ New Website Runs Background Checks on Your Dates
The site, called Stud or Dud, helps daters dig up dirt on potential paramours. It’s fueled by the same public data as PeopleFinders.com—and comes with many of the same concerns.
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Workout patch delivers some of the benefits of exercise with no exertion | New Scientist
Injecting muscle cells beneath the skin of mice led to a patch of self-contracting cells that boosted their muscle mass, bone density and even markers of good brain, immune and liver function
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Shingles vaccine may lower risk of stroke and heart failure | New Scientist
Being vaccinated against shingles has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease before, but now a study suggests that the vaccine that is currently being used reduces the odds more than earlier versions of the shot
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The Best Early Labor Day Kitchen Deals for Busy Fall Days
I found discounts on WIRED-tested tools that make school mornings, weeknight meals, and cool-weather baking a little easier.
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‘Darth Vader’ Wants You to Know He Definitely Supports Flock Surveillance
Anthony Ralphs was frustrated by the San Diego City Council's support for Flock. He decided it would take something more than reasoned argument to get their attention.
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See the stunning contenders for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year | New Scientist
These images of nature in action are just some of the highly commended shots in the running for the prestigious nature photography award
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The US Just Recorded Its First 2 Measles Deaths This Year
The fatalities come amidst declining vaccination rates and calls from President Donald Trump to split up the MMR vaccine.
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Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold Is Better, but Not the Best
A polished update to Google’s foldable brings real improvements, but the price bump and rampant competition make it a tough sell.
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The Supreme Court’s Mail-In Ballot Ruling Is a Step Toward Chaos in the Midterms
The Supreme Court has removed one roadblock from the Trump administration’s attempts to impose severe restrictions on voting.
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The engineer racing to run the world’s most dangerous algorithm | New Scientist
Craig Gidney is largely unknown outside of quantum computing, but his pioneering work on quantum circuits could have huge consequences for us all, ushering in both useful quantum computers, and the end of digital privacy and security as we know it
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Apple Refreshes the Mac Mini and Mac Studio, Both With New AI-Ready Chips
Apple’s Mac Mini and Mac Studio have been tough to buy for months, but updated versions have arrived. Both include new chips optimized for AI, with the M6 Mac Mini getting a $200 price bump.
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I Road-Tripped With 12 Car Phone Mounts This Summer. This One Wins
The best car phone holders keep your phone firmly in place while never getting in your line of sight. I took a dozen on road trips this summer to find the best.
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It Should Be Harder to Apply for a Job. No, Really
Thanks to a dwindling supply of open roles, “one-click” applications, and the rise of artificial intelligence, it’s easier than ever to apply for a job. We’re all paying the price.
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Will muscle-boosting meds be the next big thing after GLP-1 drugs? | New Scientist
A number of drugs designed to prevent muscle loss and boost muscle growth are being tested in clinical trials. Columnist Michael Le Page looks at whether building and maintaining muscles is about to get a whole lot easier
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This Projector Is a Hole-in-One as a Golf Simulator, but Subpar for Anything Else
The Optoma GT2400HDR laser projector is great for setting up a driving range in your living room, but mediocre video quality makes it less appealing for home entertainment.
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The County Prosecutors Who Became ICE Informants
Illinois prosecutors shared defendants’ personal data with federal immigration agents without criminal warrants, public disclosure, or legislative oversight.
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Border Wall Construction Threatens 6,000 Years of History on Private Lands
Archeologists are confronting an “unfathomable” loss as border wall construction is set to cut across ranches that are home to unique historical sites, many of which haven’t been fully studied.
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Spirit Airlines Wants to Sell Its Data to Google. Former Flight Attendants Are Freaked Out
“It never crossed my mind that they would be so bold as to sell our private data for AI,” says one former Spirit Airlines flight attendant.
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Omega Just Released a Mini Moonwatch
Say hello to a revamped collection of perfectly proportioned 38-mm Speedmasters.
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Data Centers Are Driving an Alarming Gas Power Expansion in the US
There’s no clearer sign of the data center boom than rampant gas projects that have been proposed or that are already under construction.
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Your Eggs Could Have Salmonella. Here’s How to Make Them Safer
I used a sous vide machine and guidance from infectious disease experts to pasteurize eggs without hard-boiling them.
