Quantum Entanglement Can Be Measured in Solids for the First Time
Physicists have reported the first direct measurement of quantum entanglement within a solid material, using advanced neutron‑scattering techniques. The breakthrough demonstrates that spin correlations in a crystal lattice can be quantified without relying on indirect Bell‑test protocols. Researchers say the method validates long‑standing theoretical predictions about many‑body quantum states. This capability could accelerate the development of solid‑state quantum devices and deepen our understanding of fundamental physics.
Disappearing Megafauna May Have Prompted a Stone Tool Revolution
A new study links the abrupt decline of megaherbivores in the Middle East around 200,000 years ago to a rapid transition from heavy stone axes and cleavers to lighter, more versatile toolkits. Researchers argue that the loss of large prey...
The Invisibility Cloak Inventor Now Has Better Tricks up His Sleeve
John Pendry, the physicist who unveiled the first practical invisibility cloak two decades ago, has shifted his focus to a new class of metamaterials that can bend light through time as well as space. These advanced structures emulate exotic phenomena...
Particles Seen Emerging From Empty Space for First Time
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory's RHIC have detected a rare pair of short‑lived particles produced in high‑energy proton collisions, offering the strongest experimental evidence to date that mass can emerge from vacuum fluctuations. The observation supports quantum chromodynamics' view that...
Why The Double Helix Is Such an Extraordinary but Infuriating Book
James Watson’s 1968 memoir *The Double Helix* is hailed as a landmark in science writing, turning the discovery of DNA into a vivid personal adventure. Its narrative style sparked a new genre of scientific memoirs and motivated countless students to...
How a Century-Long Argument over Light’s True Nature Came to an End
The century‑long Einstein‑Bohr dispute over whether light is a wave or a particle has finally been resolved: modern quantum theory treats light as inherently dual, exhibiting both wave‑like and particle‑like behavior. Historical milestones such as the Davisson‑Germer electron diffraction experiment...
I Don’t See Images in My Head. Can Training Give Me a Mind’s Eye?
A growing number of people with aphantasia—an inability to generate mental images—are joining online groups and enrolling in experimental training programs to improve their mind's eye. Researchers note that if visual imagery can be enhanced, it would suggest aphantasia is...
Are Manure Digesters a Real Solution to Dairy Farm Emissions?
Governments are subsidizing anaerobic digesters that turn cow manure into biogas, a technology that can slash methane emissions from dairy operations by up to 70%. Proponents argue the systems are among the most effective livestock‑focused climate tools, while critics warn...
We're Solving the Fundamental Mystery of How Reality Is Glued Together
Physicists and mathematicians have introduced novel mathematical frameworks that finally tackle the long‑standing confinement problem of the strong nuclear force, the glue that holds atomic nuclei together. By merging advanced topology with quantum field theory, the new tools resolve inconsistencies...
Novel Approach to Clearing Brain Waste Shows Promise for Alzheimer's
Researchers have identified a novel method to boost the brain’s waste‑disposal system by targeting the DDR2 receptor, a protein previously studied for lung health. In mouse models, blocking DDR2 lowered amyloid‑beta production and enhanced clearance of toxic protein aggregates, leading...
We May Have Seen a 'Dirty Fireball' Star Explosion for the First Time
Astronomers have identified what appears to be a “dirty fireball,” a rare type of stellar explosion, marking the first observation of this phenomenon. The event was detected as a gamma‑ray burst with an unusually dense surrounding medium, suggesting a black‑hole‑driven...
How Worried Should You Be About an AI Apocalypse?
The article questions whether the public should fear an AI‑driven apocalypse, noting that super‑intelligent systems remain a speculative concept. It contrasts AI risk with climate change, emphasizing that AI threats are harder to measure due to limited data. While science‑fiction...
Multipurpose Anti-Viral Pill May Treat Colds, Norovirus, Flu and Covid
Artificial intelligence flagged a long‑neglected breast‑cancer medication as a candidate to block multiple viruses, and subsequent animal studies confirmed it can inhibit coronaviruses, RSV, norovirus, influenza and hepatitis viruses. Model Medicines, a California biotech, is advancing the compound toward a...
How a DIY Worm Farm Can Compost Food Scraps, Paper or a Whole Kangaroo
James Woodford demonstrates that worm composting works at any scale, from a modest bin on his Sydney balcony to a dumpster‑sized farm system capable of processing food scraps, paper and even whole animal carcasses such as a kangaroo. His DIY...
Unprecedented Insight Into Memory Champion's Brain Reveals His Tricks
Nelson Dellis, a six‑time U.S. memory champion, has been scanned with high‑resolution neuroimaging, revealing the brain structures that power his method‑of‑loci technique. The scans show heightened activity in the hippocampus and posterior parietal cortex, regions linked to spatial navigation and...
Tobacco Plant Altered to Produce Five Psychedelic Drugs
Scientists at Israel's Weizmann Institute have engineered tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) to produce five psychedelic compounds—including psilocin, psilocybin, DMT, bufotenin and 5‑methoxy‑DMT—using agroinfiltration, a transient gene‑delivery method that does not integrate DNA into the plant genome. The approach leverages nine introduced...
The First Quantum Computer to Break Encryption Is Now Shockingly Close
Two independent studies reveal that a quantum computer capable of cracking the elliptic‑curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP) – the backbone of most internet encryption – is nearer than previously believed. The analyses suggest the world’s largest quantum processor is already...
Oceans Are Darkening All over the Planet – What’s Going On?
Marine scientists have identified that roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oceans are becoming increasingly opaque, a trend dubbed "ocean darkening." Analysis of two decades of satellite imagery revealed large, contiguous regions where surface waters let in less sunlight. The phenomenon...
Male Octopuses Have a Favourite Arm that They Mostly Use for Sex
Researchers at Nagasaki University have identified the third right arm of male octopuses as a specialised hectocotylus used exclusively for sperm transfer. The study observed that males fiercely protect this arm, pulling it back when touched and avoiding predators that...
The Best New Science-Fiction Books of April 2026
April 2026 brings a diverse slate of new science‑fiction titles, from Charlotte Robinson’s near‑future thriller *Mars One* to S.A. Barnes’s space‑horror *Dead Silence*. Award‑winning collections such as Samantha Mills’s *Rabbit Test and Other Stories* and the *Wild Cards* anthology edited by George R.R. Martin...
A Once-Fantastical Collider Could Answer Physics’ Biggest Mysteries
Physicists are rallying behind a muon collider as the next big step after the Large Hadron Collider, arguing that muon collisions could reach energies unattainable with protons. Although muons decay in microseconds, recent breakthroughs in rapid acceleration and beam cooling...
AI Data Centres Can Warm Surrounding Areas by up to 9.1°C
AI‑powered data centres generate enough waste heat to create localized "heat islands" that can raise surrounding land temperatures by as much as 9.1 °C. Researchers estimate up to 340 million people live close enough to feel this effect. Real‑estate firm JLL predicts...
I Almost Drowned in Space when My Helmet Filled with Water
During a July 2013 spacewalk, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano experienced a sudden water leak that flooded his helmet, obscuring his vision, muffling his hearing, and threatening to drown him in microgravity. The incident forced him to abort the EVA and race back...
How Anthony Leggett Pushed the Boundaries of Quantum Physics
Renowned physicist Sir Anthony Leggett, Nobel laureate and pioneer of macroscopic quantum theory, died on March 8, 2026. His work on superfluid helium‑3 and the Leggett–Garg inequality reshaped how scientists probe the boundary between quantum and classical realms. Over a six‑decade career...
Read an Extract From Kim Stanley Robinson's Sci-Fi Classic Red Mars
New Scientist’s Book Club features an opening excerpt from Kim Stanley Robinson’s sci‑fi classic Red Mars, framing humanity’s transition from mythic fascination to actual settlement of the Red Planet. The passage juxtaposes ancient cultural reverence for Mars with modern scientific breakthroughs...
Temperature Gets a New Definition Using a Quantum Device
Physicists have demonstrated a quantum temperature sensor that uses oversized rubidium atoms, offering a direct, calibration‑free definition of the kelvin. Traditional sensors depend on a chain of calibrated devices, each traced back to national institutes like NIST, introducing cumulative uncertainties....
Meta and YouTube Fined $3 Million for Harming Mental Health
A California jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for harming a young woman's mental health, ordering $3 million in compensatory damages. The verdict follows a similar New Mexico case that imposed $375 million on Meta. Both companies plan to appeal, and the rulings...
Rare Andean Bear Captured in Stunning Photograph
Sebastian Di Domenico’s photograph of an Andean bear perched on a moss‑covered branch in Colombia’s Chingaza Ecopalacio Reserve has been shortlisted for the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards. The image captures a roughly five‑year‑old male, a rare sighting that suggests the...
Ancient Elephant Bones Reveal Vivid Details of a Neanderthal Hunt
Researchers have re‑examined elephant fossils and a 2.3‑metre wooden spear uncovered in Lehringen, Germany, dating to roughly 125,000 years ago. The spear was lodged between the ribs of a straight‑tusked elephant, and cut marks on the bones indicate deliberate butchery...
Earth May Have Formed From Two Separate Rings Around the Sun
New computer simulations suggest Earth and its neighboring rocky planets formed from two separate rings of material around the young Sun, rather than a single disc. The dual‑ring model better reproduces Earth’s mixed rock composition, corrects size discrepancies for Mercury...
Cystitis or Tooth Decay Could Trigger Dementia Just a Few Years Later
Researchers in Finland analyzed health records of over 375,000 older adults and found that severe infections such as cystitis, pneumonia, and tooth decay significantly raise the risk of developing dementia within six years. The study identified 29 conditions linked to...
The Shocking Fossils that Show T. Rex Wasn't the King of the Dinosaurs
Recent analysis of newly discovered tyrannosaur fossils shows that T. rex shared its habitat with at least two other large tyrannosaurids, overturning its long‑standing status as the sole apex predator of the Late Cretaceous. The study, led by a team of...
How AI Shook the World's Largest Meeting of Physicists
At the American Physical Society Global Physics Summit in Denver, 14,000 physicists convened to share cutting‑edge research. Throughout the conference, attendees increasingly turned to AI chatbots to translate complex concepts such as transmon qubits and spintronics into plain language. The...
Adrian Tchaikovsky: 'I Try and Do Interesting Aliens'
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s latest installment, Children of Strife, hit shelves on 26 March 2026, continuing his award‑winning Children of Time saga that blends speculative evolution with hard science fiction. The novel centers on a human‑sized mantis shrimp, a species he researched through...
Are Humans Degenerating Genetically and Getting Dumber as a Result?
Humans inherit roughly 100 new genetic mutations each generation, a rate that fuels ongoing debate about a potential decline in physical and mental fitness. Geneticist Michael Lynch warned that industrialized societies could see reduced fitness over centuries, while some studies...
The Simple Questions Cracking the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Physicist Johannes Kleiner and neuroscientists are moving beyond binary consciousness tests toward a “structural” approach that maps specific qualia to brain activity. Integrated Information Theory (IIT) underpins a consciousness detector that can confirm awareness in unresponsive patients, providing a tangible...
'Zombie' Cells Created by Transplanting Genomes Into Dead Bacteria
Researchers have revived a dead bacterial cell by transplanting the complete genome of Mycoplasma capricolum into a chemically inactivated host, creating the first living synthetic bacterium assembled from non‑living parts. The experiment builds on the 2010 landmark where a synthetic...
Security Credentials Inadvertently Leaked on Thousands of Websites
A recent investigation uncovered that critical security credentials, including RSA private keys, have been inadvertently exposed on thousands of websites, affecting organizations from small firms to major banks and healthcare providers. The leak could enable attackers to impersonate servers, decrypt...
You Can Now Buy a DIY Quantum Computer
Barcelona‑based Qilimanjaro has unveiled EduQit, a DIY quantum‑computer kit that bundles a superconducting qubit chip, a dilution refrigerator, and the necessary microwave control electronics in a flat‑pack format. The company markets the system as a relatively affordable entry point for...
Inside the World’s First Antimatter Delivery Service
On 21 March 2026 CERN performed the world’s first road transport of antiprotons, moving roughly a hundred particles in a compact, vacuum‑sealed trap aboard a truck. The demonstration used the BASE‑STEP transportable trap system, a filing‑cabinet‑sized container that weighs slightly less than...
Major Leap Towards Reanimation After Death as Mammal's Brain Preserved
Researchers at Nectome have successfully cryopreserved an entire pig brain, locking cellular activity with minimal damage. The method uses rapid vitrification to prevent ice formation, preserving neural architecture and synaptic connections. Nectome now plans to offer the service to terminally...
What to Read This Week: Katrina Manson's Terrifying Project Maven
Katrina Manson’s new book, *Project Maven*, chronicles the U.S. military’s decade‑long push to embed artificial intelligence in drone surveillance, beginning with the 2017 initiative that automated video analysis. Drawing on more than 200 interviews, the work reveals a hidden ecosystem...
Your Partner May Wake You up Six Times a Night – but Does It Matter?
Sleeping with a partner leads to significantly more nighttime awakenings, with research showing up to six disturbances per night compared to sleeping alone. While many couples subjectively feel they sleep better together, objective measurements reveal increased sleep fragmentation. The study...
3I/ATLAS: Interstellar Comet Has Water Unlike Any in Our Solar System
Astronomers have confirmed that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS carries water and carbon compounds with a deuterium abundance at least ten times higher than any comet observed in our solar system. The comet also shows unusually high carbon‑dioxide levels and is estimated...
Forget the Multiverse. In the Pluriverse, We Create Reality Together
The article introduces the "pluriverse" concept, arguing that reality emerges from interlocking subjective perspectives rather than an objective, detached view. It claims this relational framework can dissolve longstanding quantum paradoxes by placing observers at the core of the cosmos. The...
The Asteroid Ryugu Has All of the Main Ingredients for Life
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft retrieved Ryugu asteroid samples in 2020 after impacting the surface in 2018. Laboratory analysis has now identified all five nucleobase precursors needed for DNA and RNA within the debris. The discovery strengthens the hypothesis that asteroids delivered...
Why Global Warming Is Accelerating and What It Means for the Future
Over the past three years, global temperatures have risen faster than most climate models predicted, confirming a consensus that warming is accelerating. Some researchers argue the surge reflects systematic model underestimation, while others attribute it to short‑term natural variability that...
AI Is Nearly Exclusively Designed by Men – Here's How to Fix It
The article highlights that artificial‑intelligence systems are overwhelmingly created by men, leading to gender‑bias in products such as transcription tools that misrecognize women’s names. It draws on observations from the Royal Society’s Women and the Future of Science conference, where...
The Ancient Goths Were an Ethnically Diverse Group
A new ancient‑DNA study of Gothic burial sites reveals that the Goths were a genetically heterogeneous population, drawing ancestry from Scandinavia, the Near East and North Africa. The findings overturn the long‑held view that the Goths originated solely as a...
Our Extinct Australopithecus Relatives May Have Had Difficult Births
A new analysis of Australopithecus pelvis fossils reveals that these early hominins experienced birth forces comparable to modern humans, exposing mothers to significant perineal stress and potential tearing. Researchers, including midwife Pierre Frémondière, argue that the pelvic floor was subjected...