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New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Test article - Obesity may damage immune cells that prevent psoriasis

10 September 2025

Mice with obesity have fewer immune cells in their skin that protect against psoriasis-related inflammation, potentially explaining why obesity increases the risk of the condition


Do psychedelics treat chronic pain or is it the placebo effect?

12 July 2023

Preliminary studies show that psilocybin, a compound in magic mushrooms, reduces pain in people with chronic Lyme disease, fibromyalgia and migraines. But without effective control groups the evidence is far from conclusive


Love + Science, a new play by scientist and writer David J. Glass. Production image

New Scientist recommends: Love + Science and The Price of Peace

5 July 2023

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week


Kamal Abu-Shamsieh, PhD - Muslim: https://www.gtu.edu/faculty/kamal-abu-shamsieh Jaime Clark-Soles - Christian Baptist Rabbi Zac Kamenetz - Jewish, founded Shefa: https://www.shefaflow.org Don Lattin - moderator: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Lattin A panel discussion at Psychedelic Science 2023, a conference held in Denver, Colorado in June 2023

Religious leaders given psilocybin say they "felt God"

28 June 2023

Senior religious figures from a diverse range of faiths took psilocybin as part of a study on how people's worldviews influence their psychedelic experiences. Many said they felt the divine


A small number of people in Florida and Texas have contracted malaria

What we know so far about the malaria cases in Florida and Texas

27 June 2023

Five malaria cases have been reported in Florida and Texas, all of which were acquired through local transmission


Love + Science review: Reflecting on the rise of HIV

Love + Science review: Reflecting on the rise of HIV

21 June 2023

Two gay medical students attempt to navigate the AIDS crisis – and their own love – in David Glass’s new play at New York City Center


Many autoantibodies, shown as orange, triple lobed forms, surround and attack a much larger, pale, partially translucent nerve cell in a computer generated illustration

Blood test can identify MS in some people years before symptoms start

29 May 2023

A unique group of antibodies can be used to predict whether someone will develop multiple sclerosis – they were present in about 10 per cent of people with MS years before they developed symptoms


Naked mole rats' hyaluronic acid genes can give mice a longer life

23 May 2023

Naked mole rats’ secret to a long life is an abundance of hyaluronic acid, and new research shows this substance can also help mice live longer, age slower and avert cancer


Nerve cell trauma response. Fluorescent light micrograph of a section through a spinal cord affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Reactive glial stem cells are producing the protein GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein, green) and OLIG2 (oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2, red) in an attempt to repair the damaged nerve cells. Cell nuclei are dyed blue. MS is an autoimmune condition, in which the immune system attacks nerve cells, impairing their ability to relay signals efficiently.

Stem cell therapy reduces symptoms of progressive MS for some people

19 May 2023

After experimental stem cell therapy, people who required assistance walking due to symptoms of progressive multiple sclerosis saw their mobility improve


A pair of the parasitic water-borne worms Schistosoma mansoni

We now know how parasitic worms help ward off obesity and diabetes

12 May 2023

We have long known that parasitic worm infections are associated with lower rates of several conditions. Now, research in mice reveals how the worms elicit these protections


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