New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
Who were the enigmatic Sea Peoples blamed for the Bronze Age collapse?
Around 3000 years ago, several empires and kingdoms in the Mediterranean collapsed, with a group of sea-faring warriors implicated as the culprit. But new evidence shows that many of our ideas about this turbulent time need completely rethinking
Categories: Astronomy
Global capacity to directly suck CO2 from air has just quadrupled
A new plant in Iceland operated by the firm Climeworks can remove up to 36,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air per year, more than quadrupling existing global capabilities
Categories: Astronomy
DeepMind AI can predict how drugs interact with proteins
The latest version of the AlphaFold AI can help biologists predict how proteins interact with each other and other molecules, which is a boon to pharmaceutical research
Categories: Astronomy
Psychedelic toxins from toads could treat depression and anxiety
A compound emitted by the Colorado river toad may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in a similar way to LSD and psilocybin, according to a study in mice
Categories: Astronomy
The 'forever chemicals' toxic to your health - and how to avoid them
From your popcorn bag to your waterproof jacket, forever chemicals are all around us. We're finally starting to understand what they are doing to our health - and how to get rid of them
Categories: Astronomy
Ultrasonic coffee-maker produces the perfect cold brew in minutes
Cold-brewing coffee can reduce its bitter taste, but it normally takes up to 24 hours as the grounds slowly steep. A new method that involves pummelling the grounds with ultrasound can drastically speed up the process
Categories: Astronomy
Fusion reactors could create ingredients for a nuclear weapon in weeks
Concern over the risks of enabling nuclear weapons development is usually focused on nuclear fission reactors, but the potential harm from more advanced fusion reactors has been underappreciated
Categories: Astronomy
Can genetically modifying a rare marsupial save it from extinction?
Researchers are aiming to make the northern quoll resistant to the toxic cane toads wiping it out in Australia, but little progress has been made
Categories: Astronomy
Hottest April on record is the 11th record-breaking month in a row
Global temperatures in April 2024 were 1.6°C higher than the average for April during the pre-industrial era
Categories: Astronomy
Longest-living cat breeds revealed by life expectancy study
Birman and Burmese cats typically live for more than 14 years while sphynxes live less than half as long on average, finds a study of pet cats in the UK
Categories: Astronomy
Renewables supply 30 per cent of global electricity for the first time
The rapid growth of solar power led to a record-breaking year for clean energy generation in 2023, and the year is expected to mark the start of a long-term decline in fossil fuels
Categories: Astronomy
Sperm whale clicks could be the closest thing to a human language yet
Analysis of thousands of exchanges between the intelligent cetaceans suggests they combine short click patterns – similar to letters of the alphabet - into longer sequences
Categories: Astronomy
Why we are finally within reach of a room-temperature superconductor
A practical superconductor would transform the efficiency of electronics. After decades of hunting, several key breakthroughs are inching us very close to this coveted prize
Categories: Astronomy
Hackers can steal data by messing with a computer's processor
Software that has been blocked from connecting to the internet should be secure from hacking attempts, but now researchers have found a way to sneak data out by varying the speed of the computer's processor
Categories: Astronomy
Lack of US bird flu tracking in cows may raise risk of human infection
The strategy for tracking bird flu in US dairy cattle falls worryingly short of what is needed to prevent the outbreak from widening and potentially spreading to humans
Categories: Astronomy
Bird flu has hit US cows but tracking efforts fall woefully short
The strategy for tracking bird flu in US dairy cattle falls worryingly short of what is needed to prevent the outbreak from widening and potentially spreading to humans
Categories: Astronomy
Implantable heart pump could let children wait for transplants at home
An implantable heart pump could help children with heart failure awaiting transplants forego bulky devices that require long hospital stays
Categories: Astronomy
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft launch delayed due to rocket fault
Two astronauts will have to wait to set off for the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, following a problem with the Atlas V rocket that caused the mission to be aborted before launch
Categories: Astronomy
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is about to make its first crewed flight
Two astronauts are about to set off for the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. If all goes well, Starliner will join SpaceX’s Dragon as a US shuttle into orbit
Categories: Astronomy
Ball-balancing robot could assist wheelchair users
A robot that moves around by balancing on a ball could prove a better assistant for wheelchair users than humanoid robots that walk on two legs
Categories: Astronomy