Science News

Recursive self-improvement, where AI continuously builds better versions of itself, might be harder than some hope. The post Are We on the Verge of an Intelligence Explosion? Maybe Not. appeared first on SingularityHub.

Frequent micro-awakenings during sleep were linked to higher genetic risk for Alzheimers in healthy middle-aged adults who had no symptoms. The discovery raises the possibility that subtle changes during sleep could offe...

Scientists have identified a protein that acts like a brake on the nervous systems ability to repair damaged connections. Blocking AHR helped injured nerve fibers regrow and improved movement and sensation in mice with n...

Scientists have debated whether the diabetes drug metformin acts primarily in the intestines or the liver. New findings clear up this confusion.

The Meta settlement requires limited oversight of Instagram and Facebook for just five years. Making it permanent and industry-wide requires a law, says experts Mariana Olaizola Rosenblat and Jonathan Bellack.

Scientists found a way to convert brain cells called astrocytes into neurons. In theory, this could replenish neurons lost in neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

Something took a bite out of one of the biggest predators in Cambrian seas, an extraordinary fossil shows - and it could well be cannibalism

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which launches on 30 August, will observe space with the same detail as the Hubble Space Telescope, but over a much larger area

A newfound star called S301 is both the fastest ever seen and the closest to a supermassive black hole -and it could make bafflingly difficult tests of gravity possible at last

Scientists have created light-activated drugs that helped blind mice perceive light again and restored visually guided behavior without gene therapy, implants, or specialized lighting. Even more intriguingly, two of the ...

The total solar eclipse on 2 August 2027 is due to be the longest one until the year 2114, and researchers, eclipse chasers and tourists alike are on the edge of their seats

NASAs Roman Space Telescope will combine Hubble-like detail with a field of view 100 times larger, giving astronomers a sweeping new way to explore the cosmos. Its observations could uncover hidden planets, map billions ...

Some chimpanzees in West Africa repeatedly throw rocks at particular trees, creating piles of stones that can remain in use for more than a decade. Researchers think this unusual behavior may be cultural and could serve ...

A popular vanilla flavoring in e-cigarettes may interfere with some of the earliest steps of human development. In lab experiments, vanillin caused embryonic stem cells to lose their ability to develop normally and pushe...

Echidnas are a difficult animal to breed in captivity, but scientists in Sydney have now managed it, which could improve our understanding of the evolution of pregnancy in mammals

A 20-year study of 400,000 students found that children who attended public school pre-K earned better grades and test scores through high school than those in other childcare settings. Better-trained teachers and earlie...

What even is time? Columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan takes on this mind-bending question by exploring the proof we have that time dilation is both a physical phenomenon and a psychological one

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, New Scientist columnist and author of the September read for the New Scientist Book Club, The Edge of Space-Time, on why the big questions in physics matter so much

The opening chapter to the New Scientist Book Club's read for September sees Chanda Prescod-Weinstein explore what we gain when we look at the universe from the margins

Every one of 212 plant-based meat alternatives and drinks tested in the UK contained at least one naturally occurring fungal toxin, though concentrations remained below recommended EU guideline levels. Researchers say th...

Scientists tracking thousands of animals found that our physical presence can reshape where wildlife moves and lives, sometimes as strongly as roads, cities, and other human development. Because different species reacted...

More than 1,000 volunteers buried cotton underwear across Switzerland to help scientists measure how active different soils are. The faster the fabric disappeared, the more biological activity was taking place undergroun...