Science News

An innovative approach to battery materials could bring sodium-ion energy density and charging speeds far closer to those of lithium-ion, scientists say.

A study tested several AI models and 100,000 people. AI was better than average but trailed top performers. The post AI Now Beats the Average Human in Tests of Creativity appeared first on SingularityHub.

In 1963, researchers unearthed two Stone Age skeletons that were buried in an embraced position in a cave in Italy. Now, DNA testing has revealed that one of them had a rare genetic condition.

Designed to assist rather than replace doctors, a new autonomous tool scans clinical notes to highlight patients who may need urgent follow-up for cognitive decline and potential dementia.

Archaeologists have found the oldest-known surviving examples of handheld wooden tools.

Today's best AI systems don't have a good grasp on their own thought process, but a new model might allow them to tap into metacognition

While snakes and ladders is purely a game of chance, there is a way to add some strategy, says mathematician Peter Rowlett

Feedback has been informed about a "global telepathy study" which is currently taking place, but isn't entirely convinced about its merits

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

From health tech developers to influencers, our health is being monetised - and we need to be aware of what's going on, says Deborah Cohen

Where is physics headed? No one knows for sure, but Beyond the Quantum by Antony Valentini is a striking new book that reminds us what a big idea really looks like, finds Jon Cartwright

Susan Wise Bauer's The Great Shadow investigates the effects of illness on individual lives and collective beliefs. It's a mixed bag, says Peter Hoskin

How much do you know about friction? Jennifer R. Vail's charming, if sometimes technical, "biography" of the force showcases its amazing and largely overlooked role in everything from climate change to dark m...

Astronomers suspect that a massive metallic cloud swirling in a nearby star system could be hiding a giant planet or dwarf star from view, after it drastically dimmed a sun-like star for around nine months.

A team of engineers and scientists has shown for the first time that a hard-X-ray cavity can provide net X-ray gain, with X-ray pulses being circulated between crystal mirrors and amplified in the process, much like happ...

NASA has announced it will fuel the Artemis II rocket as part of a simulated launch that will take place as early as Saturday (Jan. 31).

The ubiquitous Epstein-Barr virus is increasingly being linked to conditions like multiple sclerosis and lupus. But why do only some people who catch it develop these complications? The answer may lie in our genetics

Thousands of years before the invention of compasses or sails, prehistoric peoples crossed oceans to reach remote lands like Malta and Australia. Doing so meant striking out in unknowable conditions. What do such crossin...

A treasure trove of Cambrian fossils has been discovered in southern China, providing a window on marine life shortly after Earths first mass extinction event

A major challenge in thermal-management and thermal-insulation technologies, across multiple industries, is the lack of materials that simultaneously offer low thermal conductivity, mechanical robustness, and scalable fa...

Researchers from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a new ferroelectric ultraviolet photodetector material that overcomes the long-standing performance limitations of ...

Scientists have unveiled a new approach to powering quantum computers using quantum batteries-a breakthrough that could make future computers faster, more reliable, and more energy efficient.