Simple treatment tweak drastically reduces blood loss from severe cuts
A procedure that could be done in half an hour, and prepared ahead of time, could seriously reduce blood loss from severe wounds, such as during surgery
Weird 'transdimensional' state of matter is neither 2D nor 3D
An experiment with a carbon material in a magnetic field has revealed a novel way for electrons to move, which doesn't fully belong in two or three spatial dimensions
Why dinosaurs lived much more complex lives than we thought
A wave of dinosaur discoveries over the past decade has completely reshaped our understanding of these long-extinct animals. Palaeontologist Dave Hone spills the secrets of how dinosaurs lived, from how social they were to how much they really fought 
The chips in your phone are probably broken – and that's a good thing
Reports suggest that Apple is using defective chips originally destined for high-end devices to create its latest affordable laptop. Reusing partially broken chips is common practice for all device makers and produces less waste
Scorpions reinforce their claws and stingers with metals
Many scorpion species use blends of iron, zinc and manganese to enhance the toughness of their deadly weaponry
Extreme weather in 2025 drove record wildfire emissions in Europe
Europe, the fastest-warming continent, saw unprecedented wildfires and heatwaves in 2025, including a three-week hot spell that hit 30°C inside the Arctic circle
Cancer is increasing in young people and we still don't know why
Obesity might be to blame for part of the increase in cancer among young people, a study in the UK has found, but the causes largely remain a mystery
Apple wants to kill your Time Capsule, but they run NetBSD so they can’t
It seems like Apple is finally going to remove support for AFP from macOS, twelve years after first moving from AFP to SMB for its default network file-sharing technology. This change shouldn’t impact most people, as it’s highly unlikely you’re using AFP for anything in 2026.
People are betting on measles outbreaks – and that might be useful
Millions of dollars are being spent on wagers predicting measles outbreaks in the US, which could help researchers modelling the spread of the disease
Gamblers are betting millions of dollars on measles outbreaks
People are increasingly placing bets that predict measles outbreaks in the US, which could help researchers modelling the spread of the disease
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
The idea that everything that exists can be built from the bottom up has long held sway among physicists. Now, a new kind of science is under construction that centres conscious experience – and might unravel the universe’s biggest mysteries
Humanoid robots may be about to break the 100-metre sprint record
Robots can now run a half-marathon faster than humans and are rapidly homing in on the 100-metre sprint record. But why are companies so keen to create speedy robots that have no obvious application in homes or factories?
How I pay almost nothing to power my house and electric car
The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has seen energy prices soar, but Alice Klein pays just A$25 (£13) a month for her electricity, even when charging an electric car or running an air conditioner.
We may finally have a cure for many different autoimmune conditions
A revolutionary cancer treatment is now being applied to a wide range of autoimmune disorders. Columnist Michael Le Page finds it is proving to be even more effective than expected
Dillo 3.3.0 released
Dillo is an amazing web browser for those of us who want their web browsing experience to be calmer and less flashing. Dillo also happens to be a very UNIX-y browser, and their latest release, 3.3.0, underlines that.
Ubuntu is going to integrate “AI”, but Canonical remains vague about the how and why
Ubuntu, being one of the more commercial Linux distributions, was always going to jump on the “AI” bandwagon, and Jon Seager, Canonical’s VP Engineering, published a blog post with more details.
Coral reefs on a remote archipelago shrugged off a massive heatwave
Scientists were shocked to find that the Houtman Abrolhos Islands’ coral reefs survived a prolonged extreme heatwave in 2025 virtually unharmed, which may reveal how to protect corals elsewhere
Why the keto diet could be a revolutionary way to treat mental illness
You may think of the high-fat, low-carb eating plan as a faddish way to lose weight. But the keto diet is now being used to tackle conditions from severe depression to bipolar disorder and anorexia, with transformative results
Giant Arctic continent launched dinosaurs to world domination
Coincident with the rise of the dinosaurs, a large landmass filled most of the Arctic circle, potentially contributing to global cooling that advantaged the famous reptiles
10,000 new planets found hidden in NASA telescope data
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite has been searching for exoplanets since its launch in 2018, and it turns out it may have found plenty more of them than we had thought
How your heart rate variability can offer an insight into your mind
Smartwatches commonly use heart rate variability to monitor stress. Columnist Helen Thomson explores what this metric actually tells us, and whether it could also predict and diagnose depression – and help improve your mental health more generally
100-year-old assumption about the universe may soon be overturned
Physicists have long assumed that the universe is uniform at very large scales, but evidence is emerging this is wrong and suggests a way to resolve some of the biggest cosmological mysteries
If 64bit Windows 11 contains a copy of 32bit explorer.exe, could you run it as its shell?
Raymond Chen published a blog post about how a crappy uninstaller on Windows caused a mysterious spike in the number of Explorer (Windows’ graphical shell) crashes. It turns out the buggy uninstaller caused repeated crashes in the 32bit version of Explorer on 64bit systems, and – hold on a minute.
8087 emulation on 8086 systems
Not too long ago I had a need and an opportunity to re-acquaint myself with the mechanism used for software emulation of the 8087 FPU on 8086/8088 machines. ↫ Michal Necasek Look, when a Michal Necasek article starts out like this, you know you’re in for a learnin’ ol’ time.
How hard is it to open a file?
Sebastian Wick has a great explanation of why opening files – programmatically – is a lot more complex and fraught with dangers than you might think it is. This issue was relevant for Wick as he is one of the lead developers of Flatpak, for which a number of security issues have recently been discovered, and it just so happens that many of these issues dealt with this very topic.
AI as a fascist artifact
In that reading „AI“ is a machine for the creation of epistemic injustice and the replacement of truth with what a tech elite wants it to be in order to control the population. This is a Fascist project that not so subtly aligns with Fascism’s totalitarian will to power and control as well as its reliance in replacing reasoning and debate with belief in power and the leader.
Gravity's strength measured more reliably than ever before
Measuring the strength of gravity is extraordinarily difficult, and different experiments have always disagreed – but a new test is paving the way to finally understanding nature’s most enigmatic force
Symptoms of early dementia reversed by bespoke treatment plans
People with cognitive decline or early-stage dementia saw their symptoms improve when given bespoke treatment plans that targeted their personal nutritional deficiencies, ongoing infections and environmental exposures
QBox theory may offer glimpse of reality deeper than quantum realm
Physicists have long suspected that there is a layer of physical reality beneath quantum theory and a new mathematical model unveils just how strange it might be
Is stem cell therapy about to transform medicine and reverse ageing?
A clinical trial to reverse age-related vision conditions using stem cell treatment could finally deliver on the promise of a major discovery in ageing and regeneration made 20 years ago, says columnist Graham Lawton
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon released
I’m not sure many OSNews readers still use Ubuntu as their operating system of choice, and from the release announcement of today’s Ubuntu 26.04 it’s clear why that’s the case. Resolute Raccoon builds on the resilience-focused improvements introduced in interim releases, with TPM-backed full-disk encryption, improved support for application permission prompting, Livepatch updates for Arm-based servers, and Rust-based utilities for enhanced memory safety.
Largest-ever octopus was great white shark of invertebrate predators
During the Cretaceous, 19-metre-long predatory octopuses swam the seas, and evidence from their fossilised remains suggest they may have been highly intelligent hunters
Do you need to worry about Mythos, Anthropic's computer-hacking AI?
A powerful AI kept from public access because of its ability to hack computers with impunity is making headlines around the world. But what is Mythos, does it really represent a risk and might it even be used to improve cybersecurity?
Catching a cold can delay cancer from spreading to the lungs
Infecting mice with RSV, a common virus that causes cold-like symptoms, prevented breast cancer cells from reaching their lungs. This was due to the release of proteins that stop viruses from replicating in the lungs also making it harder for cancer cells to seed new tumours
Huge study reveals how Epstein-Barr virus may cause multiple sclerosis
The Epstein-Barr virus seems to affect gene expression and cell signalling in a way that causes the autoimmune condition multiple sclerosis
Windows 9x Subsystem for Linux
You can find beauty in the oddest of places. WSL9x runs a modern Linux kernel (6.19 at time of writing) cooperatively inside the Windows 9x kernel, enabling users to take advantage of the full suite of capabilities of both operating systems at the same time, including paging, memory protection, and pre-emptive scheduling.
Oracle Solaris 11.4 SRU92 released
Despite years of apparent stagnation and reported mass layoffs, it seems the Solaris team at Oracle has found somewhat of a renewed stride recently. Both branches of Solaris – the one for paying customers (SRU) and the free one for enthusiasts (CBE) – are receiving regular updates again, and there seems to be a more concerted effort to let the outside world know, too.
Striking photo essay examines deadly spread of dengue fever in Nepal
Photographer Yuri Segalerba explores how dengue has spread to Nepal's Himalayan districts, and how locals are fighting back
98 per cent of meat and dairy sustainability pledges are greenwashing
The food industry has made big promises to reduce emissions and become more sustainable, but a review concludes that many of the pledges are not backed up by evidence
New Scientist recommends Jeff Beal’s New York Études, Vol. II
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
How many dachshunds would it take to get to the moon?
Feedback, always on the hunt for absurd units of measurement, is delighted by recent attempts to convey the 406,771 kilometres that the Artemis II crew travelled from Earth
Can you slow ageing with your diet? A new book gives it a go
Discovering he is getting old before his time, David Cox tries to lower his biological age by changing his diet in a helpful new book, The Age Code, says Graham Lawton
This mesmerising Cornish time-travel film is not to be missed
A seaside town is devastated when a small fishing boat, the Rose of Nevada, disappears at sea. Thirty years later, the boat reappears in the harbour and sets off a moving story, says Bethan Ackerley
Why your opinion of used electric vehicles is probably wrong
The idea that EV batteries age poorly is a misconception – and a new report has found they often outlive the cars themselves
We need more radioactive drugs. Can we make them from nuclear waste?
The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That's why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste
Table tennis-playing robot on track to becoming world champion
A robot built by Sony AI is rapidly learning how to beat the world's very best table tennis players
Exercise advice for long covid may be doing more harm than good
Exercise has been touted as a tool for managing and treating long covid, but much of the evidence has neglected one of its most debilitating symptoms: post-exertional malaise
Fermat's Last Theorem: still a must-read about a 350-year maths secret
Simon Singh's exploration of mathematical proof – in particular Pierre de Fermat's last theorem – remains an absolute treasure, almost three decades after it was first published
If a bird flu pandemic starts, we may have an mRNA vaccine ready
A final-stage trial has started of an mRNA vaccine against the bird flu strain infecting many animals – and occasionally people – worldwide
Titan’s strange plains may be explained by unusual weather
Most of Titan’s surface is oddly flat and smooth, and it may be because it is coated by as much as a metre of fluffy organic material that snowed down from the icy moon’s thick atmosphere
How we discovered the speed limit of arithmetic – and broke it
Some seemingly simple sequences of multiplication and addition grow so quickly that they question the very foundations of mathematics. In doing so, they demand a whole new level of logic
The monstrous number sequences that break the rules of mathematics
Some seemingly simple sequences of multiplication and addition grow so quickly that they question the very foundations of mathematics. In doing so, they demand a whole new level of logic
Game theory explains why the US's goals in Iran keep changing
The ongoing conflict around the Strait of Hormuz has become a situation in game theory known as a war of attrition. The maths behind it can help explain what's going on, says Petros Sekeris
Some tech company to replace its CEO
I need to post about this because if I don’t, people will get mad. Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple’s Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026.
Google to punish back button hijacking
Have you ever tried clicking the back button in your browser, only to realise the website you’re on somehow doesn’t allow that? Out of all the millions of annoyances on the web, Google has decided to finally address this one: they’re going to punish the search rankings of websites that use this back button hijacking.
Diamonds are surprisingly elastic when you make them tiny
Experiment with nanodiamonds reveals that they are less rigid than other diamonds, adding to our understanding of how they could be used in new technologies
LXQt 2.4.0 released
LXQt, the desktop environment which is effectively to KDE what Xfce is to GNOME, has released version 2.4.0. Quite a few changes in this release are further refinements and fixes related to LXQt’s adoption of Wayland, but there are also a ton of small fixes, improvements, and small new features that have nothing to do with Wayland at all.
A whole new way to prevent death from sepsis shows promise
Filtering a protein that may cause sepsis out from the blood has shown promising signs for improving survival
Parrot uses his broken beak to become a dominant male
An injured kea with just half a beak has used what's left as a weapon that gives him dominance over a captive colony of the birds
Can we ‘vaccinate’ ourselves against stress?
A traditional vaccine primes the immune system to build better defences. Researchers think we can do something similar to increase our resilience to the pressures and worries of life
Why the right kind of stress is crucial for your health and happiness
Stress is linked to many of our biggest killers, but a growing body of research suggests that certain types can sharpen the mind and strengthen the body. Here’s how to find your perfect dose
Can you determine your personalised stress score?
“I’m stressed” is a phrase that many of us use, but now there are ways to shed light on how stressed you actually are
We might finally know how to use quantum computers to boost AI
Pushing against years of scepticism, an analysis suggests quantum computers may offer real advantages for running machine learning and similar algorithms in the near future
Hospital-acquired pneumonia reduced by daily toothbrushing
Most hospital patients don't brush their teeth regularly, but doing so could cut their risk of developing pneumonia during their stay
Brushing your teeth in hospital could prevent catching a bad infection
Most hospital patients don't brush their teeth regularly, but doing so could cut their risk of developing pneumonia during their stay
Electric vehicle owners could earn thousands by supporting power grid
Electric vehicles could store renewable energy when there is excess supply and give it back to the grid when demand peaks, but car companies disagree on the best way to do that
Why is it so hard to change your mind?
Changing your opinion can be difficult, and it’s sometimes even seen as a flaw. But research shows being open-minded has a host of benefits. Columnist David Robson finds there are a few simple ways to encourage yourself to withstand the discomfort that gets in the way of mental flexibility
The rise, the fall and the rebound of cyclic cosmology
Cyclic cosmology, or the big bounce, is the idea that the universe will eventually crunch back together and then go through another big bang. Columnist Leah Crane finds that, appropriately, it’s coming back
Nationwide bill to put age verification in operating systems introduced in the US
The title of my article on age verification in Linux and other operating systems had a “for now” added for a reason, and here we are, with two members of the US Congress introducing a bill to add age verification to operating systems.
Our dreams become more emotive and symbolic as we approach death
Terminally ill people are commonly reunited with lost loved ones in their dreams and have visions of doors, stairways and light, which are said to help them accept the dying process
How to spot the Lyrid meteor shower tonight
The Lyrid meteor shower will soon hit its peak. Here's how to spot it, including by using the New Scientist stargazing companion
Tribblix m34 for SPARC released
Tribblix, the Illumos distribution focused on giving you a classic UNIX-style experience, doesn’t only support x86. It also has a branch for SPARC, which tends to run behind its x86 counterpart a little bit and has a few other limitations related to the fact SPARC is effectively no longer being developed.
Requests for blood from unvaccinated donors is harming patients
Patients are requesting that blood transfusions come from people who they know have not been vaccinated against covid-19, which can cause dangerous delays
People are refusing transfusions from donors vaccinated against covid
Patients are requesting that blood transfusions come from people who they know have not been vaccinated against covid-19, which can cause dangerous delays
Monkeys walk around a virtual world using only their thoughts
Monkeys with around 300 electrodes implanted in their brain were able to steer avatars around different virtual environments
What to read this week: Emma Chapman's mind-expanding Radio Universe
An imaginative and compelling book reveals how radio waves help us tune in to our universe – and even search for alien civilisations, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
New Scientist recommends Jamie Bartlett's insightful How to Talk to AI
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
Why cloning anyone – even Jim Carrey – isn't the best plan ever
Feedback discovers that a conspiracy theory has formed that various celebrities have been replaced by clones, and sees just a few small problems with the idea
Werner Herzog searches for ghost elephants in stunning new documentary
A film about the quest for “ghost elephants” is as much about not knowing and asking the right questions as about exploration, finds Davide Abbatescianni
Startling images show how fake news isn't just a 21st century issue
From huge geese to flying cars, these photographs from a new exhibition at the Rijksmuseum reveal how we have been manipulating images for over a century
The biggest threat to Chernobyl is no longer radiation
Forty years after the world’s biggest nuclear disaster, the safety of Chernobyl hangs in the balance – though not because of the radiation risk
Largest ever map of universe captures 47 million galaxies and quasars
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has finished the most detailed survey of the universe to date, and the resulting map will help researchers understand an apparent weakening of dark energy
Neanderthal infants were enormous compared with modern humans
A detailed analysis of the best-preserved Neanderthal infant skeleton ever found suggests that our ancient relatives grew much faster as young children
Haiku on ARM64 boots to desktop in QEMU
Another Haiku monthly activity report, but this time around, there’s actually a big ticket item. Haiku has been in a pretty solid and stable state for a while now, so the activity reports have been dominated by fairly small, obscure changes, but during March a major milestone was reached for the ARM64 port.
Fixing a 20-year-old bug in Enlightenment E16
The editor in chief of this blog was born in 2004. She uses the 1997 window manager, Enlightenment E16, daily. In this article, I describe the process of fixing a show-stopping, rare bug that dates back to 2006 in the codebase.
Let sleeping CPUs lie — S0ix
Modern laptops promise a kind of magic. Shut the lid or press the sleep button, toss it in a backpack, and hours, days, or weeks later, it should wake up as if nothing happened with little to no battery drain.
Microsoft isn’t removing Copilot from Windows 11, it’s just renaming it
A few weeks ago, Microsoft made some concrete promises about fixing and improving Windows, and among them was removing useless “AI” integrations. Applications like Notepad, Snipping Tool, and others would see their “AI” features removed.
Is a super El Niño imminent, and what could the impacts be?
A planet-warming El Niño climate phase is now developing, and some models predict it could turn out to be the strongest on record
Beef is making a comeback – does it fit into a healthy diet?
The protein craze is in full swing and beef consumption is on the rise, particularly in the US, where health agencies are promoting red meat as part of an optimum diet. So, how much beef should we really be eating, and how does it impact our well-being?
Are Neanderthals descendants of modern humans?
The gap between genetics and archaeology leaves us with an unclear picture of where the Neanderthals originated. Columnist Michael Marshall details a surprising new hypothesis that suggests they may have come from us
The stunning physics of Project Hail Mary go back to ancient China
How do you portray momentum in space accurately? Columnist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein takes a look at the origins of our understanding of motion, which runs from Isaac Newton back to the Zhou dynasty a millennia ago
Antioxidant in mushrooms may target uterus cells to ease period pain
L-ergothioneine, an antioxidant found in certain mushrooms, is thought to neutralise damaging molecules in uterine cells that may contribute to period pain
How autoimmune conditions can unexpectedly drive mental illness
Antibodies mistakenly attacking the brain are linked with conditions including schizophrenia, dementia and OCD, prompting a revolution in how we think about mental health conditions
Quantum computers could usher in a crisis worse than Y2K
The day when a quantum computer manages to break common encryption, or Q-Day, is fast approaching, and the world is not close to being ready
From autism to migraines, birth order may have wide-reaching effects
A study of more than 10 million siblings suggests that firstborns are more likely to be autistic and have allergies, while conditions like migraine and shingles tend to affect their younger sibling
The green solution to climate change isn't happening – and that's good
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere by capturing the carbon from burning biomass is supposed to save the planet, but it looks like the flagship project will never happen
A key solution to climate change isn't happening – and that's good
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere by capturing the carbon from burning biomass is supposed to save the planet, but it looks like the flagship project will never happen
Modern living may be causing big changes to our oestrogen levels
Some gut bacteria recycle discarded sex hormones, like oestrogens, back into the body. The level of these bacteria seems to be higher in industrialised societies, which could have big implications for our health
Urban living may be causing big changes to our oestrogen levels
Some gut bacteria recycle discarded sex hormones, like oestrogens, back into the body. The level of these bacteria seems to be higher in industrialised societies, which could have big implications for our health
We’ve caught a comet switching its spin direction for the first time
A small comet has been spotted slowing down and then speeding up again – but in the opposite direction, which we have never seen before
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