New Scientist covers the latest developments in science and technology that will impact your world. New Scientist employs and commissions the best writers in their fields from all over the world. Our editorial team provide cutting-edge news, award-winning features and reports, written in concise and clear language that puts discoveries and advances in the context of everyday life today and in the future.
Elsewhere on New Scientist
Cut the chat • Rushing the release of chatbots for search is a risky experiment
New Scientist
Spectacular ‘firefall’
Can bacteria make you look older? • The presence of certain bacterial species on our faces has been linked with a decline in collagen, the protein that gives youthful skin a plump appearance, finds David Cox
Early crawling fish was evolving a spine more like that of a land animal
AI spots possible archaeological sites in satellite images
Homes for the net-zero age • Energy-saving ideas are being put to the test in a unique facility, reports Madeleine Cuff
Gene-edited wheat cuts level of cancer-risk chemical
Searching for answers • The move by Google, Microsoft and Baidu to add AI chatbots into search engines may bring advantages, but at what cost, asks Matthew Sparkes
Covid-19 pandemic linked to antibiotic resistance in pneumonia bacterium
Urban beekeeping boom may be bad for native bee species
Why chocolate cravings strike before a period
Toxic train spill fears • Locals are concerned about chemicals released by a train crash in Ohio
Early risers may have inherited faster body clocks from Neanderthals
Stuffed dead birds make for unusual spy drones
Dark energy may have been hiding in the cores of black holes all along
Fully autonomous F-16 fighter jet takes part in dogfights
How healthy is your river? • Pollution isn’t always easy to spot, but there are visible indicators that can reveal whether rivers are in a good ecological state, finds Graham Lawton
Young prawns make their eyes invisible
Water drops bounce on weird waves
Third person is ‘cured’ of HIV by cancer treatment
Really brief
Parliaments of the future • Speculative fiction authors try to predict the worlds that will arise from technological change. So should governments, says Ray Nayler
Our human story • Worst mistake in history? The notion that our ancestors’ shift from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming was disastrous for our health is well established. But is it correct, asks Michael Marshall
On thin ice
Your letters
The wonder of old trees • A history of ancient trees is a great idea for a book and makes an excellent read – when it stays on topic, says Graham Lawton
Dementia’s other stories • A compassionate rethink of those who care for people with dementia is welcome, says James McConnachie
Don’t miss
The film column • Life goes on In Next Exit, researchers have found strong evidence for consciousness after death and volunteers are needed to help study it – by dying. A disturbing, if underwritten, sci-fi film follows the fate of two of them, finds Simon Ings
You are electric • Every cell in your body is a tiny battery, providing electricity with immense power to shape, heal and harm you. Meet your electrome, says Sally Adee
Electrical nature
A new wave of particle physics • A type of particle accelerator that sends electrons surfing on a surge of plasma might help us discover new physics, finds Joshua Howgego
The break-up • We increasingly know why monogamous animals “divorce” – and sometimes the reasons are linked to climate change, finds Jasmin Fox-Skelly
Boil them in oil • Fat gets a bad rap, but it is key to...
