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Columnist

Tackling topics from the cutting edge of dark matter research to the latest developments in the tech world, explore the incisive opinions of New Scientist's expert columnists.
Demonstrators march to the U.S. Capitol during the March for Science in Washington, U.S., April 22, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC125E31BBB0

Society

Who is researching and shaping science is more crucial than ever

It is hard to focus on getting academic work done when there is increasing hostility in the US to people of colour. This is why being awarded tenure matters, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Blondet Eliot/ABACA/Shutterstock (13625754c) ? The LINE ? exposition by NEOM in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 15, 2022. The Line Expo - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 15 Nov 2022

Environment

Does oil-rich Saudi Arabia really want to mend its ways and go green?

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Mathematics

Should all mathematical proofs be checked by a computer?

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The head of Bala Lake, Llyn Tegid, in North Wales, on a fine spring evening.

Environment

Why you should never ever mention rewilding to a Welsh hill farmer

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A simulation of gravity showing curved space-time. The ball represents the sun and is resting on a sheet of plastic that stretches under its weight. The curved sheet of plastic demonstrates the way a gravity curves space.

Physics

The massive problem of trying to fully explain what mass actually is

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LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 30: A pair of 1X androids are displayed at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) at ExCel on May 30, 2023 in London, England. The event is the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society's flagship conference and a forum for robotics researchers to present and discuss their work. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Technology

Robotics gets less attention than it should given its potential impact

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2PNYT3G Warsaw, Poland. 21st Apr, 2023. The Bluesky social media app logo is seen on a mobile device in this photo illustration in Warsaw, Poland on 21 April, 2023. Founder Jack Dorsey of twitter has released the Bluesky application on Android. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News

Technology

Bluesky is just another Twitter clone and that isn't a good thing

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Cheese Store at The Ethical Dairy

Environment

Why I can once again eat cheese with a clear conscience

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Milky Way. Night sky and silhouette of a standing man

Space

Questions I dread: How did the universe begin, and what is space-time?

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Urban red fox (Vulpes vulpes) wandering on top of brick wall spiked with broken glass on very early morning in residential gardens.; Shutterstock ID 1889796793; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Life

When did animals like foxes first start living alongside people?

We used to think "synanthropic" animals like raccoons, foxes and ravens started living alongside people around the time of the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago. But it could have been much earlier, says Michael Marshall

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Society

Why we shouldn't fill our minds with endless tales of dystopia

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Environment

How a campaign to keep fossil fuels underground is gaining traction

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Physics

How can we prove the world is really quantum mechanical?

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Life

What is so special about orchids and why are there so many?

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