A small number of companies are working on biological computers Floriana/Getty Images Data centres use huge amounts of energy and chips are in high demand – could brain cells be the answer? Australia-based start-up Cortical Labs has announced it is building two “biological” data centres in Melbourne and Singapore, stacked with the same neuron-filled chips…
In the two-way race between the U.S. and China to put humans back on the moon, the lunar south pole is widely considered the most prized place to land. The area is relatively resource-rich, pocked with dark craters that harbor water ice and have near constant exposure to sunlight around their respective rims—both desirable features…
Dolphins stranded in shallow water in San Antonio Bay, Argentina Hundreds of stranded dolphins in Argentina appear to have become trapped while escaping hungry orcas in a tragic lose-lose situation. Videos shared on social media and citizen science platforms have helped scientists unravel the mystery behind two deadly mass stranding events in recent years, says…
The bedraggled bumblebee queen seemed lifeless. Yet she was somehow alive — still breathing after being underwater for roughly a week in the lab. Did she manage to hold her breath for all that time, wondered ecological physiologist Charles Darveau. “I did a simple calculation: How much oxygen would they need on board to be able to…
March 10, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm First-of-its-kind vaccine protects children from deadly intestinal infections ETVAX is the first vaccine that offers significant protection against pathogenic E. coli in children By Sahas Mehra edited by Tanya Lewis Scientists have developed a vaccine for a toxic form of E. coli bacteria that…
Genetic data can be analysed to estimate your risk of certain conditions Science Photo Library / Alamy Genetic risk scores that summarise a person’s likelihood of getting certain health conditions can be exploited through mathematical tricks to reveal hidden details about their DNA. The method could theoretically be used by health insurers to reconstruct genetic…
March 10, 2026 4 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm What is the ‘acid rain’ in the wake of U.S. bombings in Iran? Iranian residents have reported headaches, difficulty breathing, and oil-contaminated rain settling on buildings and cars after the bombing of oil depots By Gabriel da Silva & The Conversation US Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty…
New Scientist reporter James Woodford recalls his run-in with rabbits D.Cunningham/Shutterstock I was working a Sunday shift when the news came through, and it gave me an instant sinking feeling – the big kind that you hopefully only get once or twice in a lifetime. A potential biocontrol virus that was being tested to deal…
Thunderstorms may bring more than rain and gloom. The same forces that cause thunder and lightning also make treetops sparkle in ultraviolet light, like a Christmas tree topper invisible to the human eye. For almost a century, scientists have discussed a phenomenon called Saint Elmo’s fire, where electrical discharges elicit a bluish glow from pointy…
March 10, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm NASA space probe expected to reenter the atmosphere with a chance of raining debris Van Allen Probe A, which studied how our planet has been protected from harmful space radiation, could fall to Earth tonight. Here’s what to know By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited…
