New Scientist Space - Cosmology

Strange quantum characteristics of molecules can weather the chaos of chemical reactions, which may benefit quantum technologies or unveil hidden natural phenomena

You can blank out certain types of background noise and focus on just one conversation using prototype noise-cancelling headphones

After comparing people with brain injuries whose life support was continued with those who had it turned off, scientists calculated that around 40 per cent in the latter group may have made some recovery

Soil core samples show an ancient riverbed under the desert near many Egyptian pyramids, revealing an ancient waterway that dried up thousands of years ago

Wildlife photographer Johanna Turner used a trail camera to capture this cheery shot of a black bear, which is going viral after she posted it on social media

Researchers have discovered the gene variant responsible for a distinctive colour pattern seen in cats in Finland, named salmiak after a variety of liquorice

Energy-saving networks that link smart devices, solar panels and batteries could regulate power demand and help avoid fossil fuel use at peak times

A virtual assistant for surgeons translates text prompts into commands for a robot, offering a simple way to instruct machines to carry out small tasks in operations

For the first time, astronomers have observed the area right at the edge of a black hole where matter stops orbiting and plunges straight in at near light speed

Artificial compound eyes made without the need for expensive and precise lenses could provide cheap visual sensors for robots and driverless cars

The US has been honing its psychological warfare skills since the 19th century, when it started sending anthropologists onto battlefields, says Annalee Newitz

Feedback gets wind of new research into flatulence, and reminds us all of past studies into "the gas-producing ability of Boston baked beans"

The new Climate Fiction prize aims to reward the best novels about climate change, because books can shift the narrative on global warming, says Tori Tsui

Craig Kirkpatrick-Whitby's cancer diagnosis added urgency to his project, as part of musical collective Mining, to turn weather and sea data into music

Ageism is a widespread global prejudice. It's about time we started acknowledging our unconscious bias towards old age – not least because our own future health depends on it

With big announcements about the latest artificial intelligence models this week, tech firms are competing to have the most exciting products - but generative AI remains hampered by issues

Researchers aiming to create a secure quantum version of the internet need a device called a quantum repeater, which doesn't yet exist - but now two teams say they are well on the way to building one

A solar energy absorber that uses quartz to trap heat reached 1050°C in tests and could offer a way to decarbonise the production of steel and cement

If a building is hit with an earthquake or explosives, the entire thing can collapse – but a design balancing strong and weak structural connections lets part of it fall while preserving the rest

Ageism is pervasive, accepted and invisible. Stamping out this prejudice won’t just benefit society, it will also have huge payoffs for those people who hold it