Subscribe now
Silicon Valley needs to take responsibility for its political power

Silicon Valley needs to take responsibility for its political power

20 January 2021

Big tech firms have enabled the US’s current mess – the time has come for them to acknowledge that they are key to our political process and repair the things they have broken, writes Annalee Newitz


'Ums' and 'ers' are a hidden code that helped complex language evolve

'Ums' and 'ers' are a hidden code that helped complex language evolve

14 October 2020

Filler words such as uh, mmm and huh may seem inarticulate, but without them human communication would be far less sophisticated


The absurd QAnon conspiracy theory is expanding into science denial

The absurd QAnon conspiracy theory is expanding into science denial

16 September 2020

A harmful political conspiracy theory is now embracing science denial. Combating it is important, but it won't be easy, writes Graham Lawton


A weather forecast for fake news outbreaks on social media is coming

A weather forecast for fake news outbreaks on social media is coming

29 July 2020

A social media weather report that predicts outbreaks of propaganda is on its way. It can't arrive soon enough, says Annalee Newitz


How Korean pop fans took on white supremacists – and won

How Korean pop fans took on white supremacists – and won

1 July 2020

Unusual methods of online protest have sprung up recently, and it’s become harder to tell what’s real and what’s not, says Annalee Newitz


Twitter was once a fun place – now it is heading towards destruction

Twitter was once a fun place – now it is heading towards destruction

11 March 2020

Twitter used to be full of cat memes and had a culture of sharing. Now, I pay a company to make sure my presence on the site is extremely limited, writes Annalee Newitz


A campaign sign for Senator Elizabeth Warren

Deepfakes are terrible for democracy, but Facebook is a bigger threat

13 November 2019

Doctored videos are a menace, but we have more to fear from unscrupulous politicians taking advantage of Facebook's targeted ads, writes Annalee Newitz


Facebook must come clean and hand over election campaign data

Facebook must come clean and hand over election campaign data

11 September 2019

After fake news and election manipulation scandals, Facebook promised to give researchers data on its political influence. They are still waiting, says Timothy Revell


A woman looking at a phone

Lazy thinking – not bias – is the real reason we believe fake news

18 July 2018

It was thought that we’re tricked by fake news because we like to believe stories that confirm our world view. But not thinking actually seems to be to blame


Line drawing icon of a person in profile, with an

Big tech can digitally erase us – do we need new protections?

17 April 2018

In an age when a person's online presence can be quickly removed by technology corporations, there's a case for a new right… to be remembered, says Jamais Cascio


Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop