Search | New Scientist

Tom Gauld: Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration

19 April 2023

Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon

Twisteddoodles: We need you to highlight your research on social media

19 April 2023

This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles

A kelp forest, dominated by giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), grows off the coast of northern California. This is an important habitat for a diverse array of eastern Pacific marine life.; Shutterstock ID 179694674; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

The Seaweed Revolution review: How to save the world with seaweed

19 April 2023

Marine algae could replace plastic, massively cut our carbon emissions and help feed billions of people healthily, according to an excellent new book by Vincent Doumeizel

Big data. Information concept. 3D render

The Battle for Your Brain review: A guide to neuro nightmares ahead

19 April 2023

How will we find a way through the new minefield of brain tracking and hacking? Ethicist and lawyer Nita Farahany's book is an excellent, if troubling, look at neurotechnology

Why do some AI researchers dismiss the potential risks to humanity?

19 April 2023

Existential risk from AI is admittedly more speculative than pressing concerns such as its bias, but the basic solution is the same. A robust public discussion is long overdue, says David Krueger

Searching for the stars near my hometown, Pollachi, led me to the forests of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve. As I moved away from towns and their lights, the darker it got, the more I could see - fireflies, stars. I was fascinated when I saw hundreds of fireflies flashing at the edge of the forest and heard stories of trees laden with fireflies deep in the forest. Predicting the time of their peak activity, I set out to a remote area of the reserve along with forest officials. I waited for nightfall in anxiety. Flashes of green started appearing at twilight. As the place grew dark, millions of fireflies started synchronizing their flashes across several trees. Flashes started in one tree and continued across several trees in a mexican-wave like fashion. It lasted all night. I felt transported to another planet. Being under a sky full of stars, with fireflies flashing in the foreground, owls and other nocturnal creatures calling at a distance, Elephants and Leopards lurking around the corner, this was Nature as our ancestors experienced. The image, created by stacking several photographs, shows a 16 minute activity of the fireflies. ? Sriram Murali, India, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2023

See our pick of the entries for the Sony World Photography Awards

19 April 2023

From a firefly panorama to a howling coyote, these are some of the finalists and shortlisted photographs for the professional competition in the 2023 Sony awards

2F6N0XJ A shot of beautiful orchid garden in Thailand.

What is so special about orchids and why are there so many?

19 April 2023

Orchids seem unique in how they inspire such a devoted following, but why are these much-loved plants so diverse and widespread, wonders Penny Sarchet

How smart is ChatGPT really – and how do we judge intelligence in AIs?

19 April 2023

Following claims that an AI has shown "sparks of artificial general intelligence", what are we to make of the hype surrounding this technology? AI expert Melanie Mitchell is your guide

We know how kids learn to read, so why are we failing to teach them?

18 April 2023

Researchers are finally getting to grips with how children's brains pick up reading. Now the challenge is to apply this to the classroom to help kids reach their potential in literacy