Science & Space
Science and spaceflight, from rocket launches and planetary exploration to astronomy, physics and discoveries that change our understanding of the world.
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This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Science & Space. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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Ancient shipwreck discovered off Turkey claimed to be world’s oldest
A ship that probably sank in the Early Bronze Age was carrying jars of olive oil and may have been on its way to the ancient city of Troy when it sank
Self-replicating AIs are a great digital horror story – here’s the reality
Anthropic announced that an AI could self-replicate inside smart devices within months, stoking fear around the internet. Columnist Jacob Aron explains the technical limitations that make this spook story less than likely
We can rescue the AMOC after its collapse – but it won’t be easy
An AMOC weakened by climate change can be revived by cooling global temperatures, but we don't have the technology to remove huge quantities of CO2 and drive that cooling
Twisteddoodles on life before the study began…
This week’s cartoon from Twisteddoodles
Can math stay human in the age of AI?
As AI churns out mathematical proofs, a DeepMind study raises a bigger question: What do we lose when we focus only on the answers?
NASA’s Chandra Breaks Down ‘Treble Clef’s’ Galaxy Cluster Collision
Astronomers have used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to break down the cause of a remarkable formation of radio waves they have nicknamed the “Treble Clef” because its distinct shape strongly resembles the musical symbol. The researchers discovered the Treble Clef is likely caused by an outburst from a supermassive black hole, followed by a collision
Why don’t dogs look up when a low-flying plane passes overhead? part 5
This question was posed as part of New Scientist’s Last Word series, in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions. Here’s what our readers had to say
Is it faster to jog up the stairs or take them two at a time?
This question was posed as part of New Scientist’s Last Word series, in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions. Here’s what our readers had to say
Are humans the only animals that cry? If so, why?
This question was posed as part of New Scientist’s Last Word series, in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions. Here’s what our readers had to say
Astronomers Observe The Limb Darkening Effect On Nearby Stars
The edge of the Sun appears darker than its central region. This effect is known as limb darkening and tells us about the solar atmosphere. This same limb darkening effect has now been observed on several nearby stars and could help us improve our understanding of stellar atmospheres.
Astronomers Uncover More Intriguing Detail in an Ancient Supernova Remnant
When a supernova exploded in 1181, Chinese and Japanese sky-watchers recorded it. They couldn't have known what the object was, and why it appeared for six months then disappeared. But in our modern times, we know it was a supernova, and we've even, most likely, found its remnant. New observations reveal more detail than ever in the unusual and rare supernova remnant.
NASA’s Space X CRS-35 Launch Jellyfish
Sunlight illuminates the exhaust plumes of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft on Oct. 13, 2026. This visual phenomenon is known
Microplastics may produce harmful molecules if they enter our blood
In a lab experiment, microplastics generated harmful molecules when exposed to blood, which may damage cells
Tiny implants can use the body itself to talk to each other
Researchers made a rat’s front-leg movement trigger its back leg. The experiment could point to a new kind of body-based network to connect implants.
From the Mojave to Phobos: PlanetVac rides with MMX
Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration mission, MMX, is about to set out for Phobos and Deimos, the two small moons of Mars. If all goes well, it will bring the first-ever sample from the Martian system back to Earth. Asa Stahl, public outreach astronomer at The Planetary Society, explains why these strange little moons are still such a mystery and what a piece of Phobos could reveal.
Flightless ancient bird complicates our picture of wing evolution
Fossils of a ground-dwelling, carnivorous bird with wing anatomy similar to that of a pheasant may force a rewrite of the role of flight in the early evolution of birds
Chandrasekhar Placed A Limit On White Dwarfs, But A New Study Finds This Limit Is Not Absolute
The Chandrasekhar limit states that a white dwarf can be no larger than 1.4 solar masses. A new study demonstrates how highly magnetized white dwarfs could overcome that limit, and how such super-Chandrasekhar white dwarfs could form.
NASA Develops Batteries to Power Humanity’s Return to Moon
If you’ve ever had your car start sluggishly, or not at all, on a particularly frigid winter morning, you know standard batteries do not like extreme cold. That’s why NASA researchers are working to develop a battery that could function in the brutal cold of the Moon’s South Pole, where nighttime temperatures plunge to minus
Curiosity Greets a Spectacular Dawn Sky on Mars
Mars is a planetary geologist’s paradise. NASA’s Curiosity rover drove that home recently, with a captivating panorama seen from the slopes of Mount Sharp. The image shows a stunning vista, and was not white-balance adjusted during processing, to show just what a viewer might really see at sunrise standing of Mars.
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