New Scientist Space - Cosmology
Will sucking carbon from air ever really help tackle climate change?
The direct air capture industry got a boost last week with the opening of Mammoth, the largest plant yet for sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, but questions remain about whether the technology can scale up
Categories: Astronomy
Around half the world could lose easily accessible groundwater by 2050
In coming decades, major groundwater sources may become economically unfeasible — this could raise food prices and shift diets, among other impacts
Categories: Astronomy
Frozen human brain tissue can now be revived without damage
Using a new approach, scientists have successfully frozen and thawed brain organoids and cubes of brain tissue from someone with epilepsy, which could enable better research into neurological conditions
Categories: Astronomy
Why did hominins like us evolve at all?
Animal life on Earth existed for over half a billion years before hominins hit the scene – a complex combination of environmental changes, innovations in technology and competition may have led to us
Categories: Astronomy
Huge jellyfish invasion could disrupt Arctic ecosystems as waters warm
The Arctic could see a surge of jellyfish as climate change leads to warmer waters and less ice – a process known as “jellification”
Categories: Astronomy
One-day mental health workshop improves teenagers' mood for six months
The one-day courses were particularly beneficial to those pupils with worse mental health problems initially
Categories: Astronomy
Everything you need to know about semaglutide weight loss drugs
From how well they work to side effects such as hair loss, here’s the skinny on new weight loss injections that work by blocking a hormone that normally reduces appetite
Categories: Astronomy
Flu vaccine for children linked to pneumonia risk for their relatives
The nasal flu vaccine may reduce cases of pneumonia illness in population over the whole flu season because flu infections are likely to lead to even higher boost in bacteria
Categories: Astronomy
We are about to hear echoes in the fabric of space for the first time
Gravitational waves can be lensed by massive galaxies so that they repeat, like an echo. Scientists are now readying to snare their first one and explore the cosmic secrets it holds
Categories: Astronomy
How could we give boring blobby galaxies a new, exciting shape?
Galaxies could do with a few more arms or some decorative designs – on this episode of Dead Planets Society, our hosts are using collisions, black holes and dark matter to reshape our galaxy
Categories: Astronomy
Underwater data centres could be destroyed by loud noises
Underwater data centres being installed off the coasts of China, the US and Europe could be disrupted by sounds from military-grade sonar on ships and submarines, or even whales
Categories: Astronomy
Mystery of 'impossible' star resolved by three-body solution
A white dwarf star orbiting a sun-like star was thought to be impossibly small, but now astronomers have found another star in the system that solves the puzzle
Categories: Astronomy
Oldest known human viruses found hidden within Neanderthal bones
Genetic analysis of 50,000-year-old Neanderthal skeletons has uncovered the remnants of three viruses related to modern human pathogens, and the researchers think they could be recreated
Categories: Astronomy
ChatGPT got an upgrade to make it seem more human
OpenAI's new ChatGPT model, called GPT-4o, provides more human-like interactions through a voice mode, and it is capable of conversations that incorporate text, audio and video in real time
Categories: Astronomy
Ultrasound therapy could treat lung condition linked to heart failure
Mice benefitted from ultrasound therapy for a rare lung condition – the treatment might work for common forms of high blood pressure, too
Categories: Astronomy
Sticky oil sprayed onto plants offers alternative to pesticides
A sticky liquid made from vegetable oil could be sprayed onto plants to catch small pests such as thrips without affecting larger insects such as bees
Categories: Astronomy
How an audacious sonic survey could help revive damaged rainforests
The world’s largest "ecoacoustic" survey, listening to Costa Rican rainforests, could pave the way for a network of sensors listening to the planet’s biodiversity in real time
Categories: Astronomy
Edible gel prevents and treats alcohol intoxication in mice
Mice given unlimited access to alcohol recovered faster after consuming a gel based on a milk protein, with the same treatment also preventing intoxication in another group of mice. If proved safe and effective in humans, it could offer a quick way to sober up
Categories: Astronomy
Did humans evolve to chase down prey over long distances?
Outrunning prey over long distances is an efficient method of hunting for humans, and it was widely used until recently, according to an analysis of ethnographic accounts
Categories: Astronomy
Having more children protects parents’ brains from age-related decline
The brains of adults who have raised children appear younger later in life. Child-rearing seemed to have this effect on both mothers and fathers, and it was stronger the more children they had
Categories: Astronomy
