New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
Autoimmune conditions linked to reactivated X chromosome genes
The inactivation of one copy of the X chromosome in female mammals may start to fail as they get older, which may be why women have a higher risk of autoimmune conditions such as lupus
Categories: Astronomy
Red squirrels were hosts for leprosy in medieval England
DNA analysis of remains found at medieval sites has identified closely related strains of leprosy-causing bacteria in the bones of humans and a red squirrel
Categories: Astronomy
Protocells on early Earth may have been formed by squeezing geysers
Simulations of the crust of early Earth show that cycles of pressure caused by geysers or tidal forces could have generated cell-like structures and even very simple proteins
Categories: Astronomy
Flies undertake epic migrations that may be vital for pollination
Migrating flies can carry pollen hundreds or thousands of kilometres, and this could help plants adapt to climate change
Categories: Astronomy
China is sending its Chang’e 6 spacecraft to the far side of the moon
If all goes well, the Chang’e 6 probe will be the first ever to land on the far side of the moon to take samples and bring them back to Earth
Categories: Astronomy
Mysterious space signals may come from a dead star with a planet
Strange bursts of radio waves called FRBs have long been mysterious, and one of the most famous sources of these flashes may have an unexpected planet
Categories: Astronomy
Seven surprising things you may not know about roots
Plants are often celebrated for the parts that are easy to see – flower, leaves, fruit – but scientists are uncovering the secrets of their more mysterious underground networks
Categories: Astronomy
Indoor climbing wall users may be breathing in toxic rubber dust
The air and dust in climbing centres contain high levels of rubber particles from the soles of climbing shoes, some of which contain toxic additives
Categories: Astronomy
Rising temperatures are cooking bumblebee nests and killing larvae
Climate change could be fueling bumblebee population loss by making hives too hot to handle
Categories: Astronomy
Orangutan is first non-human seen treating wounds with medicinal plant
A male Sumatran orangutan chewed the leaves of a plant used in Indonesian traditional medicine and placed them on a wound on his face
Categories: Astronomy
MMR vaccines may not always give lifelong immunity against measles
Levels of protection measles provided by the MMR jab fall by a small amount every year, according to mathematical modelling
Categories: Astronomy
Politicians can use social media ads to buy votes for €4 per person
An analysis of the 2021 German federal elections has found that for every 200,000 times a politician's social media adverts were viewed, their vote share increased by 2.1 per cent - a potentially low-cost way of swinging elections
Categories: Astronomy
Astonishing images show how female Neanderthal may have looked
The skull of Shanidar Z was found in the Shanidar cave in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and has been painstakingly put back together
Categories: Astronomy
Is climate change accelerating after a record year of heat?
The record-breaking heat of 2023 has seen a rare disagreement break out between climate scientists, with some saying it shows Earth may have entered a new period of warming
Categories: Astronomy
Corals that recover from bleaching still struggle to breed
Corals can survive heat-related bleaching, but research from the Great Barrier Reef suggests a full recovery may take longer than we thought
Categories: Astronomy
Joel Edgerton must escape the multiverse in a gripping sci-fi series
Blake Crouch's riveting Dark Matter sees physics professor Jason wanting out of the multiverse, after being kidnapped and dumped there by another version of himself
Categories: Astronomy
GPS jamming traced to Russia after flights over Europe suspended
Finnair has cancelled flights to Tartu in Estonia this month because of an ongoing GPS jamming attack – and there is evidence that the attack is being controlled from Russia
Categories: Astronomy
European summers will be hotter than predicted because of cleaner air
By ignoring declining air pollution, regional climate models have greatly underestimated how hot Europe's summers and heatwaves will become
Categories: Astronomy
Here's an easier way to improve the drainage of heavy clay soil
Digging sand or grit into clay soils is a drainage fix that has been around for years, but James Wong turns to nature to find a less backbreaking solution
Categories: Astronomy
The "science of weird shit" and making sense of the paranormal
Chris French, who runs the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, explores what lies behind claims of ghosts, aliens and reincarnation in his new book
Categories: Astronomy