December 26, 2025 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm 12 of the Best Interviews Scientific American Did in 2025—on AI, Headaches, and More From an interview with author Mary Roach to a chat with cardiologist Eric Topol, here are 12 of the most eye-opening conversations we had this year By Brianne Kane edited…
When numbers get large, things get weird Jezper / Alamy In 2025, the edges of mathematics came a little more sharply into view when members of the online Busy Beaver Challenge community closed in on a huge number that threatens to defy the logical underpinnings of the subject. This number is the next in the…
As a science communicator, I don’t think a week goes by without a press release hitting my inbox informing me of astronomers finding some new record-breaking object. Sometimes it’s the smallest planet yet discovered or the most iron-deficient star. But a very common claim is a distance record: the farthest galaxy from Earth ever seen,…
Mount Etna erupting European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery Mount Etna in Sicily is the world’s most active stratovolcano, which is a high, conical volcano created by repeated eruptions of viscous lava. In February, it erupted with ash clouds and a lava flow that travelled 3 kilometres, forcing a local airport to partially close. One of…
Advances delivered what may feel like medical miracles, including the first bladder transplant, a lifesaving personalized gene therapy and more.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX may be on the cusp of going public: The company, which almost went bankrupt in the 2000s, is mulling an initial public offering (IPO) that would value it at as much as $1.5 trillion. The move could raise tens of billions of dollars for SpaceX, but there’s more than money at stake—the…
Practical quantum computers are moving closer to reality Alexander Yakimov / Alamy Fully practical quantum computers haven’t arrived yet, but the quantum computing industry is ending the year on an optimistic note. At the Q2B Silicon Valley conference in December, which brings together quantum business and science experts, the consensus seemed to be that the…
We tend to imagine the holiday season as universally joyful and social, full of family gatherings, sparkling lights and shared traditions. But people’s experiences at this time of year are far from uniform, and stepping outside the usual norms can come with its own perks. In a recent survey of more than 300 adults in…
Bill Bryson David Levene/eyevine Rowan Hooper: Bill, when I mentioned in the office that you were coming in, people reacted like I’d said Ryan Gosling or David Beckham was visiting.Bill Bryson: It’s my looks. RH: Your 2003 book, A Short History of Nearly Everything, became one of the best-selling non-fiction books of the 21st century….
Feedback is New Scientist’s popular sideways look at the latest science and technology news. You can submit items you believe may amuse readers to Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com A gift of a headline Feedback is a sucker for a truly spectacular headline. One where the first few words are utterly bizarre and you think it…
