New Scientist

Is gravity a new type of force that arises from cosmic entropy? Decades ago, a renegade physicist suggested that gravity isn't so much a force as just a byproduct of the universe's tendency to get more disordered. Now this idea might finally be testable

Decades ago, a renegade physicist suggested that gravity isn't so much a force as just a byproduct of the universe's tendency to get more disordered. Now this idea might finally be testable.

DNA analysis reveals what really killed Napoleon's army in 1812 At least 300,000 men died during Napoleon’s retreat from Russia - now the latest genetic techniques have identified two pathogens that may have contributed to some of the deaths

At least 300,000 men died during Napoleon’s retreat from Russia - now the latest genetic techniques have identified two pathogens that may have contributed to some of the deaths

Meltwater bursts through Greenland ice in first-of-a-kind eruption Satellite images reveal how a subglacial lake erupted through the Greenland ice sheet – a phenomenon never witnessed before which could be driven by rising temperatures

Satellite images reveal how a subglacial lake erupted through the Greenland ice sheet – a phenomenon never witnessed before which could be driven by rising temperatures.

Social media is dead – here’s what comes next A new information ecosystem is on the rise, featuring closer connections, cosy media and worker-owned websites, writes Annalee Newitz

A new information ecosystem is on the rise, featuring closer connections, cosy media and worker-owned websites, writes Annalee Newitz

Neanderthals were probably maggot-munchers, not hyper-carnivores

Chemical tests on Neanderthal bones have been used to argue that our ancient relatives ate little besides meat, but a more likely explanation may be an omnivorous diet with lots of maggots.

Vagus nerve stimulation receives US approval to treat arthritis The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a pill-sized device for treating rheumatoid arthritis, marking the first time the therapy has been approved for an autoimmune condition

The FDA just approved a pill-sized device which, when surgically implanted along the vagus nerve, can automatically deliver electrical pulses that reduce inflammation.

UK online safety law is going to change the way we use the internet The UK's Online Safety Act is intended to stop children from accessing pornography online, but its potential implications are much wider reaching

If you are in the UK, you will soon need to verify your age to access certain online services. The new law behind the measures is intended to protect children from harmful content, but its impacts could be much wider.

The time you take an oral exam could affect whether you pass or fail Midday seems to be the optimal time to take an oral exam at university, which could be due to students not generally being early risers

The time you take an oral exam could make all the difference between whether you pass or fail.

Triumphant images of women who climbed to new heights Mountaineering Women: Climbing through history tells the stories of more than a dozen female climbers who have conquered the world's greatest peaks

Mountaineering Women: Climbing through history tells the stories of more than a dozen female climbers who have conquered the world's greatest peaks

How to harness your body clock for a longer, healthier life Your circadian rhythm influences mood, metabolism and even how well you respond to medical treatment. Now we finally have the tools to harness it to help us live longer and feel better

Your circadian rhythm influences mood, metabolism and even how well you respond to medical treatment. Now we finally have the tools to harness it to help us live longer and feel better

What would it feel like to be on a planet spinning out of control? Alex Foster, the author of the latest read for the New Scientist Book Club, Circular Motion, on imagining a world that is spinning ever faster

Alex Foster, the author of the latest read for the New Scientist Book Club, Circular Motion, on imagining a world that is spinning ever faster

How life thrives in one of the most hostile environments on Earth Creatures that lurk more than 9000 metres deep in the Pacific Ocean get their nutrients from a surprising source

We're starting to understand how life thrives in one of the most hostile environments on Earth, and it involves getting nutrients from a surprising source.

Spectacular Triassic reptile had an early kind of feathers A 247-million-year-old fossil reptile boasted an enormous crest on its back made from feather-like appendages, long before the appearance of feathered dinosaurs

A reptile from the Middle Triassic period had a spectacular crest made from feather-like structures, around 100 million years before the first feathered dinosaurs.

Simple skincare routine could stop babies developing eczema Keeping a baby's skin moisturised could significantly reduce their risk of eczema - but perhaps only if they are not genetically at risk

Moisturising a baby's skin every day could ward off eczema - but that may depend on whether they are genetically at risk of the condition.

How human eggs stay fresh for decades In human beings, egg cells need to survive for about five decades, much longer than most other cell types – and they may achieve this unusually long lifespan by slowing down their natural cell processes

In human beings, egg cells need to survive for about five decades, much longer than most other cell types – and they may achieve this unusually long lifespan by slowing down their natural cell processes.

We are undergoing unprecedented loss of freshwater across the planet Rising temperatures are causing water to evaporate and driving humans to extract more groundwater, which is moving freshwater from the land to the seas and creating a "continental drying" trend

We are undergoing an unprecedented loss of freshwater across the planet. Rising temperature are prompting more evaporation and groundwater pumping, ultimately sending freshwater to the seas.

Remarkable set of tracks suggests different dinosaurs herded together

A set of 76-million-year-old tracks discovered in Canada might be the first evidence for different species of dinosaur herding together.

Walking 7000 steps a day seems to be enough to keep us healthy Many people like to check that they have walked 10,000 steps over the course of a day, but falling short of that target still seems to bring serious health benefits

Don't worry if you don't walk 10,000 steps a day - falling short of that target still seems to bring serious health benefits.

The secret to what makes colours pop on dazzling songbirds Hidden layers of colour in the plumage of tanagers and some other songbirds explain what makes them so eye-catching

Painters often prime a canvas with a layer of white to make it smoother, stronger and to enhance the colours they will later layer on, but it seems this is a mechanism that birds were using long before humans picked up paintbrushes.

Intensely grieving a loved one could shorten a mourner's life Feeling profound grief years after a loved one has died could affect our own longevity

Feeling profound grief years after a loved one has died could affect our own longevity

Ozempic really could turn back the clock on your biological age When people were randomised to receive either a placebo or Ozempic, they became biologically younger with the latter drug

It's been suggested that Ozempic could delay or reverse biological ageing - and now we have good-quality evidence that suggests this really does occur.

DeepMind and OpenAI claim gold in International Mathematical Olympiad Two AI models have achieved gold medal standard for the first time in a prestigious competition for young mathematicians – and their developers claim these AIs could soon crack tough scientific problems

Experimental AI models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI have achieved a gold-level performance in the International Mathematical Olympiad for the first time.

Record marine heatwaves may signal a permanent shift in the oceans Fierce marine heatwaves were recorded globally in 2023 and 2024, and some researchers now believe they mark the start of a fundamental change with devastating consequences for life on Earth

Extreme marine heat recorded since 2023 might herald the start of a regime shift in the world’s oceans that poses a grave threat to life on Earth, scientists have warned.

Steadfast lifestyle changes seem best to improve cognitive decline Healthy habits like exercising and eating well really do seem to improve cognitive decline, particularly if followed in a dedicated way

Lifestyle changes like exercising and eating well really do seem to improve cognitive decline - particularly if they are applied in a steadfast, structured way.

This string art game will boost your mathematical imagination Inspired by the work of Victorian mathematician Mary Everest Boole, try making a symmetric curve using string and some hole-punched card, says Peter Rowlett

Inspired by the work of Victorian mathematician Mary Everest Boole, try making a symmetric curve using string and some hole-punched card, says Peter Rowlett

How regrowing your own teeth could replace dentures and implants

For the more than 7 per cent of people over the age of 20 who don’t have any of their own teeth, the only option is artificial substitutes. But an era of regrowing living teeth may now be almost upon us

The 25 best fictional robots – according to New Scientist From R2D2 to the Terminator via Bender and Johnny-5, we choose our favourite robots from books, films and television series

From R2D2 to the Terminator via Bender and Johnny-5, we choose our favourite robots from books, films and television series.

What were ancient humans thinking when they began to bury their dead?

Claims that a small-brained hominin called Homo naledi buried its dead raise intriguing questions about ancient minds and why we engage in this peculiar practice

E. coli genome has been remade with 101,000 changes to its DNA The recoded bacterium uses only 57 of the 64 possible genetic codes, freeing up seven to be used for different purposes

The recoded bacterium uses only 57 of the 64 possible genetic codes, freeing up seven to be used for different purposes

Anthropic AI goes rogue when trying to run a vending machine Feedback watches with raised eyebrows as Anthropic's AI Claude is given the job of running the company vending machine, and goes a little off the rails

Feedback watches with raised eyebrows as Anthropic's AI Claude is given the job of running the company vending machine, and goes a little off the rails