Biodiversity may prove to be the defining issue of our age

25 July 2018

It’s an error to think we’ve got bigger problems than extinction. We must take species loss seriously, or it will come back to haunt us

Feedback: Paper on canine consent gives a journal paws for thought

25 July 2018

Neutering? Bark once for yes and growl for no. Plus: it takes a lot of water to make drought-busting balls, happy world emoji day and more

Forgotten giants: Why the time is ripe to revisit Uranus and Neptune

25 July 2018

A fleeting glimpse of the ice giants 30 years ago hinted at very weird science that could tell us a lot about exoplanets. Now we have a rare chance to go back

Has the chicken and egg puzzle over religion's decline been settled?

25 July 2018

New research claims to answer the question of whether godlessness begets riches or riches beget godlessness. It won't be the final word, says Gregory Paul

An exclusive look inside the UK's legal medical cannabis farm

25 July 2018

As the row over medical cannabis usage in the UK continues, Amy Fleming visits the only people in the country with a licence to grow marijuana

Plant life

25 July 2018

A recent New Scientist article, "The most ancient piece of you" (4 November 2017), discussed the common ancestors of living beings today. But are plants included in this universal common ancestor? If so, are we linked to plants in very early stages of...

Cracked it

25 July 2018

Why do I, or any other human, get sore and cracked heels? I understand it's less common in men than women – presumably this is down to footwear choices? The cream product I use to cure it works very well, but its active ingredient appears to be urea....

Clean up your act with a clock that knows when you last vacuumed

25 July 2018

A Fitbit for your vacuum cleaner keeps track of when you last did the cleaning and lets you know when you’ve been slacking off

For the record – 28 July 2018

25 July 2018

The benefits of plastic wrappers in a soggy land

25 July 2018