New Scientist
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What primates tell us about the evolutionary origins of keeping pets | New Scientist
Keeping pets seems to be fairly recent behaviour in the timeline of human evolution. Columnist Michael Marshall turns to the latest research on primates to understand how long we’ve had the impulse to adopt furry friends
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Quantum voting trickery could make elections more secure | New Scientist
In an election, how can you make sure that everyone's votes are counted but also kept entirely secret? Quantum mechanics may have the answer
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Earth extremophile can grow in near-Mars-like conditions | New Scientist
A salt-loving microorganism found in places like the Dead Sea can not just survive but actively grow in conditions close to those that may be found just under the Martian surface
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SpaceX crash site on moon revealed by South Korean orbiter | New Scientist
An out-of-control SpaceX rocket that crashed into the moon earlier this week did, in fact, leave an impact crater, according to images from a Korea AeroSpace Administration lunar orbiter that caught before-and-after photographs
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Could geoengineering ‘ice arches’ help preserve Arctic sea ice? | New Scientist
Researchers are investigating whether artificially thickening ice blockages between Canada and Greenland could prevent huge amounts of sea ice from flowing south to melt
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Drought and heat push Europe's power grid to breaking point | New Scientist
High temperatures and low water levels have forced several countries to shut down nuclear reactors just as citizens turn up their air conditioning, forcing energy prices to spike and raising the threat of blackouts
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Postbiotic supplement boosts body's own GLP-1 and weight loss | New Scientist
A small trial suggests a supplement containing dead bacteria could offer a cheaper alternative to weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide, but further evidence is needed
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4 ways to watch a solar eclipse without burning your eyes | New Scientist
Even during a solar eclipse, it isn’t safe to look directly at the sun, but with a proper solar filter or a simple pinhole projector, you can still watch it disappear behind the moon
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A mathematical measure of surprise explains why we fall for clickbait | New Scientist
Why are we so susceptible to clickbait? Columnist Jacob Aron traces it to a surprising source: a mathematical framework that paved the way for much of how the modern world works
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Why mathematician Terence Tao thinks AI must spark a rapid revolution | New Scientist
This year has left mathematicians reeling as AI models are increasingly solving seemingly intractable maths problems. Terence Tao, the world's leading mathematician, says a rethink of the entire field is the only way out of the crisis
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It’s good for the planet to scrap a new petrol car and buy electric | New Scientist
Carbon savings from driving EVs are so large that it makes sense to scrap a working petrol car to make the switch
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DeepMind AI gives an extra day of warning ahead of deadly cyclones | New Scientist
An AI model from DeepMind can predict cyclones three days ahead with a level of accuracy that previous models can only hit a day later
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Do leftovers taste better the next day? Sometimes, according to science | New Scientist
The widespread belief that some foods benefit from a night in the fridge has been put to the test, and it seems to be true for some curries, but not lasagne
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The 85-million-year timeline of human evolution | New Scientist
Combining archaeological evidence with ancient DNA and data on past climates shows us how long and winding the story of human evolution is, stretching back millions of years to when the first primates arose
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Three factors in midlife can delay the onset of dementia by 13 years | New Scientist
A study involving 12,000 adults in the US suggests that taking action to prevent dementia during your 50s can make a big difference later in life
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Swallowing faecal capsules reduces peanut allergy in six adults | New Scientist
Altering the gut microbiomes of people with peanut allergy using faeces donated from an allergy-free individual improved their peanut tolerance in a clinical trial
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Last Word: How does my energy use differ if I walk, jog or run for 1 kilometre? | New Scientist
A reader weighs in on this one – and finds it will depend on how far you’re travelling
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We must adapt to climate change while also tackling the root cause | New Scientist
The devastating wildfires in Europe demand urgent measures to make landscapes more resilient, but without action to reduce use of fossil fuels, the danger is only going to increase
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Last Word: This week’s new questions | New Scientist
Humans can see water but not air. So can fish see air? And would it be possible to have anti-black holes, and how could we tell if we were looking at one?
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Last Word: Why don’t dogs look up when a low-flying plane passes overhead? part 2 | New Scientist
Readers continue to give their examples of dogs who do notice passing aircraft – but also put forward some ideas as to why they generally don’t
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What is life? A provocative new book sets out to redefine it | New Scientist
Melanie Challenger's Alive aims to describe the living world very differently – by insisting on agency and purpose everywhere. Michael Marshall explores
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The mathematics of balloon animals | New Scientist
Feedback is delighted to be pointed towards an old but still vital piece of research that presents “a general mathematical and algorithmic theory for balloon-twisting structures”
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Last Word: At what point does my family tree stop doubling and start decreasing? | New Scientist
Readers debate how the introduction of bicycles and trains will have led to less closely related prospective partners for our ancestors – and consider various royal dynasties from this perspective
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Twisteddoodles: 'Will you take the red pill or the blue pill?' | New Scientist
This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles
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Dive into an in-depth history of the realities of space exploration | New Scientist
Out of This World by Peter Bond lays out the successes and failures of space exploration. It reminds us of what faces all who venture into the unknown, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
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Tom Gauld visits the entomology department | New Scientist
Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon
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Ancient Egyptians may have built a massive dam near the Red Pyramid | New Scientist
Large structures near the Red Pyramid may be the remnants of a major dam, suggesting that the Egyptians used water to help power their construction projects
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SpaceX rocket crashes into moon at 8700 kilometres per hour | New Scientist
A rocket launched last year is thought to have smashed into the lunar surface this morning, creating the moon's newest crater
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Most people prefer AI-written stories – and can't tell when they are made by humans | New Scientist
People appear to prefer short stories created by AI over those written by humans. They are also no better than chance at telling which is which
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Should you stop using preventive flea treatments on your pets? | New Scientist
It has been assumed for decades that tick and flea treatments for pets pose no threat to wildlife or people, but there’s growing evidence that we have got it wrong
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The once-impossible black holes that could break thermodynamics | New Scientist
The laws of physics seemed to forbid a strange variety of black holes that could have zero temperature. Columnist Jacklin Kwan explores research that shows these strange behemoths can really exist – and how they could test the limits of thermodynamics
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Darwin proved right about gnat-trapping carnivorous plant | New Scientist
Botanists have finally proved what Charles Darwin was unable to nail down – that a genus of plants known to catch insects also digests them, suggesting the extent of plant carnivory has been underestimated
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We’re beginning to understand the sudden ‘grief attacks’ that hit mourners | New Scientist
A few years ago, psychologist Sherman Lee experienced a "grief attack". When he set out to study them, he discovered just how powerful and all-consuming grief can be
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The best new popular science books of August 2026 | New Scientist
From which diets work best to the ethics of octopus farming, here’s Liz Else’s round-up of the most interesting popular science books published this month
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Canadian wildfires are reducing solar power generation in Europe | New Scientist
Lost solar power due to smoke blocking the sun cost Europe and North America nearly $2 billion in 2023 alone
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Parts of the UK endure first ever month without any rain | New Scientist
For the first time since records began, there was no rain at all for parts of southern England and Wales in July, in a “truly exceptional” month of heat and sunshine
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OpenAI announces solutions to 10 longstanding maths problems | New Scientist
Ten conundrums that stumped human mathematicians for years have been cracked by OpenAI's Astra model, continuing a hot streak of AI-driven breakthroughs that are shaking up the field
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Why winner of biggest prize in maths has decided to work on AI instead | New Scientist
Jacob Tsimerman won a Fields medal last month – now he is leaving mathematics to work on AI safety
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Why sitting under a parasol is barely cooler than being in the sun | New Scientist
A beach umbrella might protect you from sunburn, but when it comes to keeping you cool, it makes surprisingly little difference
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Will a new kind of AI that understands physical reality change the world again? | New Scientist
AI chatbots can describe reality in words, but don’t truly understand cause and effect in the real world. Now, a fresh kind of machine intelligence that does just that is emerging
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Are beef-liver or standard iron supplements better for boosting iron? | New Scientist
Beef-liver supplements are said to be more effective at raising iron levels than standard tablets, but is it true? Columnist Alice Klein looks into the evidence behind the claims
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The best new science-fiction novels of August 2026 | New Scientist
Fascist empires and deadly sea monsters are on offer in the science fiction out this month, says Alison Flood
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How Europe can make its landscapes more fire-resilient | New Scientist
Paradoxically, suppressing wildfires has also made European countries more vulnerable to huge blazes like those seen in France and Spain this week. With global warming also amplifying the danger, some experts are calling for a change of strategy
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High-protein is a wellness craze, but could restricting it be anti-ageing? | New Scientist
Protein is everywhere, but studies – mostly in non-human animals – suggest that limiting our intake could extend our lifespan
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Climate change may help eliminate malaria from West and Central Africa | New Scientist
Global warming may make it too hot for malaria-carrying mosquitoes to survive in parts of Africa, but could also shift the problem to less affected areas
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Thousands of people in China have had banned Alzheimer's surgery | New Scientist
Surgery that aims to enhance the clearance of Alzheimer's-associated proteins from the brain has been banned in China, but only after thousands of people had the procedure
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Where to watch the next total solar eclipse anywhere in the world | New Scientist
The total solar eclipse on 12 August will only be visible to a lucky few, but eclipses happen all over the world – here are the next ones to look out for, wherever you may be
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Why full-fledged quantum computers might always be five years away | New Scientist
To predict when we’ll have a truly useful quantum computer, we need to know precisely what one is. Columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan finds that’s harder to pin down than you might think
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New Scientist Book Club: Read an extract from The Dog Stars by Peter Heller | New Scientist
In this extract from Peter Heller’s novel, the August read for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to pilot Hig, who lives alone after most of the world was killed in a superflu pandemic
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New Scientist Book Club: How I wrote The Dog Stars, the novel behind Ridley Scott's new film | New Scientist
Set in an empty world after a superflu pandemic wipes out most of humanity, Peter Heller's The Dog Stars - the August read for the New Scientist Book Club - will be released as a film later this month. He reveals how he came to write it