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15 of the best science non-fiction books to savour on your holiday

21 July 2022

Whether it is the science of sleep, the physics that changed the world or the inner lives of bees, we've got you covered for holiday reading

Cryptic crossword #88: Raise concern about a medicinal herb (6)

21 July 2022

Challenge your brain by solving New Scientist's weekly crosswords on your mobile, tablet or desktop

Ai chipset with human brain on computer circuit board. Artificial intelligence, Data mining, and Deep learning modern computer technology. Ai CPU concept. 3D Rendering.; Shutterstock ID 1949704300; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Mistakenly calling AIs 'sentient' is more dangerous than we think

20 July 2022

A Google engineer recently claimed an AI was alive and that it had hired a lawyer. If judges were to accept these claims, it could lead to AIs being frozen in their biased states, writes Annalee Newitz

Let slip the online shiba inus of war

20 July 2022

Feedback lifts the veil on the cartoon dogs debunking Russian propaganda, while also checking in on the hunt for the legendary Sasquatch

This photograph is of the sky over north London on Wednesday 15th June at 8:13 am. The picture Is cropped to centre the image. The effect was not due to camera or glass of vehicle photo was taken from and looked identical to naked eye. What can have caused the contrails to end so evenly? No aircraft were immediately apparent, it did turn out to be a remarkable hot day. I am assuming my passenger?s suggestion of a glitch in the matrix leading to an incomplete sky rendering is incorrect- can you or your readers provide a more sensible explanation

This week’s new questions

20 July 2022

What caused the contrails in the sky to end so abruptly (see picture)? And what is the optimal number of piercings to make in the film covering a microwave meal?

TTN6C3 Low angle majestic view of aurora borealis over forest

Does Earth’s magnetic field affect the weather? (continued)

20 July 2022

New Scientist readers continue to debate the impact of magnetic fields on the weather - including links to a mass extinction event 42,000 years ago

Why are peas green when they grow in the dark inside a pod?

20 July 2022

A pea pod isn’t as dark as you might think, say our readers, and selective breeding has favoured vibrant green peas over yellow or purple ones that occur naturally

Young women swim breaststroke, wearing swimming caps and goggles.

Slow breaststroke vs faster front crawl - which is more efficient?

20 July 2022

Front crawl might get you there faster, but breast stroke can be better for a number of reasons, say our readers

Jupiter from Europa. Computer artwork of a view towards Jupiter and its moons, across the surface of Europa as it might have looked four billion years ago. Europa is the fourth largest of the moons that orbit Jupiter. It is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. It may contain more water than all of Earth's oceans combined but its distance from its sun meant that there wasn't enough heat to prevent it from freezing over.

11 of the best science fiction books for holiday reading

20 July 2022

Eyes of the Void, Sea of Tranquility and The Memory Librarian are among our top sci-fi novels to read this holiday

Travel the world and universe from home with these video games

20 July 2022

If you can't leave the country over the holidays, then video games have you covered, whether you fancy flying a plane with Microsoft Flight Simulator or exploring a galaxy of planets with No Man's Sky, says Jacob Aron