Space-time is considered the fabric of physical reality Science Photo Library/Alamy The first time a physicist told me they wanted to get rid of space-time, on a cold January morning earlier this year, I stopped typing my interview notes and clutched my New Scientist mug of tea. Space-time is the very fabric of physical reality…
Rosettes made by scraping Tête de Moine, or “monk’s head,” cheese result from variations in the friction between the blade and the cheese.
There’s a popular sci-fi cliché that one day artificial intelligence goes rogue and kills every human, wiping out the species. Could this truly happen? In real-world surveys AI researchers say that they see human extinction as a plausible outcome of AI development. In 2024 hundreds of these researchers signed a statement that read: “Mitigating the…
Is there hydrogen to be found beneath the Grisons mountains in Switzerland? Thomas Stoiber / Alamy Mountain ranges could be a potential source of clean energy in the form of as-yet untapped hydrogen. While previous research has suggested this “geologic” hydrogen could be found underground, researchers have only recently turned to mountains as a possible…
Implanted tubes that transport bodily fluids can get gross. A lab prototype suggests a new vibration-based way to keep them clean and prevent infection.
These Fish and Flies Are Engineered to Break Down Mercury Bacterial genes protect animals—and their predators—from harmful contamination By Cody Cottier edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Danio rerio, a freshwater zebra fish, is one species scientists have modified to filter mercury from the environment. Ian Grainger/Alamy Stock Photo For decades mercury has been settling into…
Local people searching the site of a landslide in Yambali, Papua New Guinea, in 2024 Xinhua/Alamy When a dangerous landslide hits, rescuers scrambling to assist need to know exactly where to look – and now a new technique for analysing seismic data can do just that, by tracing the source of the disaster to within…
Here’s What Einstein Would Tell Trump Einstein offers a lesson for scientists who are protesting an out-of-control nationalist administration attacking U.S. science today By Alexander Soifer Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo Germany was once a beacon of science. On January 31, 1933, that all changed, when Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany. In early…
Data and AI tools enable broad surveillance of social media Tada Images/Shutterstock The US government is expanding its surveillance of social media to monitor millions of visitors and immigrants – and its embrace of more data analytics and artificial intelligence tools could increase scrutiny of US citizens as well. “It is nearly – if not…
Trump Targets Air-Conditioning and Heating Funds for Low-Income Households The Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides funding for home heating and cooling By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News A close-up view of red-brick residential apartment buildings in New York City, showcasing repetitive windows, air conditioning units….
