Conspiracy theories are the new pandemic infecting public life
19 July 2023
Millions of people, from all walks of life, have come to believe aspects of the QAnon conspiracy theory. Prevention is our only hope, says James Ball
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Premium
Social media brings benefits as well as risks to young people
12 July 2023
A recent US surgeon general’s report on social media use and youth mental health warns of a "profound risk of harm". But it also highlights the upsides, says Jennifer Abbasi
We must address a key obstacle to our new age of space exploration
5 July 2023
Advances in rocket technology are exciting, but we need to investigate how non-terrestrial gravity affects astronauts' psychology and cognition, says neuroscientist Elisa Raffaella Ferrè
The real reason claims about the existential risk of AI are scary
28 June 2023
Claims that superintelligent AI poses a threat to humanity are frightening, but only because they distract from the real issues today, argues Mhairi Aitken, an ethics fellow at The Alan Turing Institute
Why medical studies of diverse populations benefit humanity as a whole
21 June 2023
We in science and medicine aren't immune to the biases that lead to discrimination. It's time to take concrete steps to put science on a fairer and more productive path, say Michal Elovitz, Stephen Quake and Hannah Valantine
Concern about dirty air can galvanise the fight against climate change
14 June 2023
Politicians think that climate policy is a vote loser because people see it as a "tomorrow" issue. But immediate worries about the air we breathe offer a way to shift the dial, says London's mayor Sadiq Khan
Why you shouldn't believe claims that there are 7 types of ADHD
8 June 2023
Popular psychiatrist Daniel Amen says there are 7 subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that display different patterns in the brain. As focus on ADHD rises, this idea is getting more attention – but it isn't backed by the evidence
Is it ethical to use complex mini-brains for artificial intelligence?
7 June 2023
Brain organoids could be more effective than silicon-based AIs at certain tasks. But as they grow more complex, when should we step in to protect their welfare, asks Michael Le Page
Why we should do more to protect frogs and toads
31 May 2023
Amphibians could help cure our ills, from diabetes to fungal infections – if they don't go extinct first, says Matthew Gould
Read an extract from The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
25 May 2023
This tantalising extract is taken from the prologue of The Ferryman by Justin Cronin, a science fiction novel which is the first pick for New Scientist's book club
