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man sniffing

What makes a good smell? Inside a multibillion dollar aromatic mystery

29 May 2019

Perfume prospectors travelling the world, AI researchers and neuroscientists are discovering the secrets of our least understood sense


satellite ocean scene

Gaia rebooted: New version of idea explains how Earth evolved for life

20 March 2019

The controversial Gaia hypothesis sees Earth as a superorganism adapted to be perfect for life. A weird type of evolution may finally show how that actually happens


Sugata Mitra

Don't teach kids – I've shown their hive mind can learn on its own

31 October 2018

Educationalist Sugata Mitra's pioneering experiments suggest teaching facts doesn't work in the internet age – fostering creativity and collaboration is the key


glasses of wine artwork

Banana-y bread and onion beer: How yeast can trick our tastebuds

15 August 2018

Maker of beer, bread and wine, yeast is our biggest microbial friend. Now we're engineering weird new flavours with it - even lager that tastes of something


Why video-assisted referees won't stop World Cup errors

Why video-assisted referees won't stop World Cup errors

13 June 2018

The football tournament kicking off this week is introducing video replays for key calls. Human psychology means some decisions will improve – but some won't


atom bomb head

Bombhead and Bombs Away: when remembering is an art

2 May 2018

Powerful reminders of our nuclear and military past echo in an uncertain present, with a show in Vancouver and new book pulling no punches


RNA

The very first living thing is still alive inside each one of us

1 November 2017

A cellular machine so powerful that it gave rise to all of life and created our marble planet can tell us how it all began


vegetable display

The real clean food: How to eat well for yourself and the planet

20 September 2017

It's possible to have a diet that's both healthy and eco-friendly, but would you really want to eat it? Forget the fads, the answer is more straightforward than you think


plastic bottles

Throwaway culture: The truth about recycling

19 July 2017

We take it for granted that recycling is the best way to dispose of waste. But is that just greenwash? New Scientist sorts through the trash so that you can make up your mind


plane contrail

Living with climate change: You can make a difference

21 June 2017

With climate change, individual behaviour does matter. Here's how to influence the future through how you travel, where you get your electricity and what you eat


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