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Notes from an Apocalypse review: A lively romp through the end of days

Notes from an Apocalypse review: A lively romp through the end of days

29 April 2020

Mark O'Connell's book Notes from an Apocalypse is an exploration of doomsday preparation from Mars colonists to fallout shelter estate agents


large consignment of amazon deliveries left on doorstep of house during coronavirus covid-19 lockdown in the uk

We can't rely on rampant consumerism to get us out of this mess

29 April 2020

Hyperconsumption adds to environmental destruction that brings people into contact with animal viruses that can spark pandemics. We have to avoid the temptation to rely on it to get us out, writes Graham Lawton


Is the universe conscious? It seems impossible until you do the maths

Is the universe conscious? It seems impossible until you do the maths

29 April 2020

The question of how the brain gives rise to subjective experience is the hardest of all. Mathematicians think they can help, but their first attempts have thrown up some eye-popping conclusions


Drinking coffee appears to cause epigenetic changes to your DNA

Drinking coffee appears to cause epigenetic changes to your DNA

28 April 2020

Coffee has been linked to changes on our DNA that affect how active certain genes are. The finding may help explain some of coffee's touted health benefits


Pine Island glacier

It’s impossible to predict if crucial Antarctic glacier will collapse

28 April 2020

The Pine Island glacier has three tipping points that could lead to the collapse of the entire West Antarctic ice sheet, potentially raising sea levels by 3 metres over centuries


Nerve cells

Electrical devices implanted in the brain may help treat anorexia

27 April 2020

In a small trial, implanting electrodes into the brain helped women with severe anorexia gain weight and feel less anxious and depressed


What is it like to be a covid-19 contact tracer and what do they do?

What is it like to be a covid-19 contact tracer and what do they do?

24 April 2020

Covid-19 contact tracers are part healthcare worker, part detective and part call centre operative. But what is the job really like? New Scientist spoke to one in Ireland to find out


We may have found 19 more interstellar asteroids in our solar system

We may have found 19 more interstellar asteroids in our solar system

23 April 2020

A bunch of asteroids near Jupiter and Neptune with orbits perpendicular to the plane of the solar system may have come here from a different star system


BCG vaccine

BCG vaccine being trialled as potential protection against covid-19

23 April 2020

A long-standing hypothesis suggests the BCG vaccine also serves to generally enhance the immune system, meaning it could protect against covid-19, and trials are under way to find out


Water treatment

Waste water tests could monitor 2 billion people for the coronavirus

23 April 2020

We need to scale up testing efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, and looking for signs of virus RNA in our sewage could provide a shortcut


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