New Scientist

27/05/2025

If there is a Planet Nine, it was likely to have been bullied by the other planets into leaving the solar system, and only saved thanks to the intervention of passing stars.

The chance of a planet forming in the outer reaches of the solar system - a hypothetical Planet Nine - could be as high as 40 per cent, but it would have been a rough ...

27/05/2025

Results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) suggest that dark energy, a mysterious force in the universe, is changing over time. This would completely re-write our understanding of the cosmos - but now other physicists are challenging this view

27/05/2025

An advanced version of the famous double-slit experiment has directly measured a single photon in two places at once – or at least, that’s the claim made by a team of physicists who say these results could destroy the concept of a multiverse. This interpretation remains highly contested, however, with other physicists arguing that the experiment can’t really tell us anything new about the nature of reality.

The double-slit experiment, first performed in 1801, has played a key role in the development of quantum mechanics. It shows that when light is shone through two thin slits, it produces a wave-like interference pattern on the other side. Bizarrely, this occurs even when particles of light, called photons, are fired through one by one, with seemingly no chance of interfering with each other.

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481629-a-photon-caught-in-two-places-at-once-could-destroy-the-multiverse/

Image: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

27/05/2025

Thanks to SpaceX's Starlink there are now thousands of satellites in orbit, and we are starting to learn how the sun affects them when it is at its most active.

There have never been so many satellites orbiting Earth as there are today, thanks in part to the launch of mega constellations like SpaceX's Starlink internet service...

27/05/2025

Your s*x, ethnicity and level of education may influence how long you live, but also the pace at which your body ages.

The pace of ageing accelerates as you get older, and it is linked to an individual's s*x, ethnicity and level of education, according to studies of US and UK populations

27/05/2025

The idea of a multiverse of universes is derived from a particular interpretation of quantum mechanics, but now a new twist on a classic experiment says it is time to put the idea to bed

The idea of a multiverse of universes is derived from a particular interpretation of quantum mechanics, but now a new twist on a classic experiment says it is time to ...

27/05/2025

Banking a baby’s umbilical cord blood was once seen as a reasonable way to protect their future health, but much of that potential has turned out to be mere hype

27/05/2025

US President Trump has proposed a Golden Dome defence system that includes missile interceptors in space. But the idea would cost hundreds of billions of dollars – and could accelerate the weaponisation of space

US President Trump has proposed a Golden Dome defence system that includes missile interceptors in space. But the idea would cost hundreds of billions of dollars – and...

27/05/2025

The Avanade Intelligent Garden on display at the Chelsea Flower Show uses sensors and a small language AI model to allow visitors to communicate with and understand more about, trees in the garden.

The idea behind the gold-prize winning display is to "invite connection with nature and gather data to ultimately help protect and preserve the ecosystems that are so vital to our survival on this planet," says designer Tom Massey.

27/05/2025

Captured carbon dioxide could be injected deep in the Earth to dissolve rocks, freeing up nickel and other key metals vital for batteries