New Scientist
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The best place to find out what’s new in science – and why it matters.
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In this week’s issue: Your BMI can't tell you much about your health – here's what can, teaching molecules to think is revealing what a 'mind' is, and the weird rules of temperature in the quantum realm.
Grab a copy in shops now or download our app for digital editions. newscientist.com/issue/3582/
Grab a copy in shops now or download our app for digital editions. newscientist.com/issue/3582/
An otherworldly coral, a very cute moth and an intricately beautiful mushroom are among the winners in the prize this year
Five stunning images from the Close-up Photographer of the Year awards
An otherworldly coral, a very cute moth and an intricately beautiful mushroom are among the winners in the prize this year
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:42 PM
An otherworldly coral, a very cute moth and an intricately beautiful mushroom are among the winners in the prize this year
The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water
Seafarers were visiting remote Arctic islands over 4000 years ago
The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:46 PM
The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water
It's hard not to despair about the state of the world today, but here are five reasons to be a little bit hopeful, says Fred Pearce
Why I'm still an environmental optimist – despite it all
It's hard not to despair about the state of the world today, but here are five reasons to be a little bit hopeful, says Fred Pearce
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:55 PM
It's hard not to despair about the state of the world today, but here are five reasons to be a little bit hopeful, says Fred Pearce
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
New Scientist recommends Hamnet, and its look at our links with nature
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:31 PM
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
A growing body of psychological research shows that the best relationships – romantic or otherwise – come with a feeling of personal growth. Columnist David Robson explores the evidence-backed ways to broaden our horizons and connect more deeply with our loves, our friends and ourselves
Why self-expansion is the key to long-lasting love and friendship
A growing body of psychological research shows that the best relationships – romantic or otherwise – come with a feeling of personal growth. Columnist David Robson explores the evidence-backed ways to broaden our horizons and connect more deeply with our loves, our friends and ourselves
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:11 PM
A growing body of psychological research shows that the best relationships – romantic or otherwise – come with a feeling of personal growth. Columnist David Robson explores the evidence-backed ways to broaden our horizons and connect more deeply with our loves, our friends and ourselves
When we exercise more, our bodies may compensate by using less energy for other things – especially if we eat less too
Why exercise isn't much help if you are trying to lose weight
When we exercise more, our bodies may compensate by using less energy for other things – especially if we eat less too
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:55 AM
When we exercise more, our bodies may compensate by using less energy for other things – especially if we eat less too
Reposted by New Scientist
In Hamlet, Shakespeare has the Prince speak of the recycing that takes place between people and nature.
In Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell and Chloe Zhao recycle the essence of the dead boy into the fictional Hamlet
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
In Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell and Chloe Zhao recycle the essence of the dead boy into the fictional Hamlet
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
New Scientist recommends Hamnet, and its look at our links with nature
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:28 AM
In Hamlet, Shakespeare has the Prince speak of the recycing that takes place between people and nature.
In Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell and Chloe Zhao recycle the essence of the dead boy into the fictional Hamlet
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
In Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell and Chloe Zhao recycle the essence of the dead boy into the fictional Hamlet
www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT seemed to induce similar patterns of brain activity in a lama - a revered spiritual teacher in Tibetan Buddhism - as meditation, advancing our understanding of the drug's neurological effects
Psychedelic causes similar brain state to meditation
The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT seemed to induce similar patterns of brain activity in a lama - a revered spiritual teacher in Tibetan Buddhism - as meditation, advancing our understanding of the drug's neurological effects
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:29 AM
The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT seemed to induce similar patterns of brain activity in a lama - a revered spiritual teacher in Tibetan Buddhism - as meditation, advancing our understanding of the drug's neurological effects
Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story
Why is childbirth so hard for humans – and is it getting even harder?
Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story
Once considered an oddity of quantum physics, time crystals could be a good building block for accurate clocks and sensors, according to new calculations
Time crystals could be used to build accurate quantum clocks
Once considered an oddity of quantum physics, time crystals could be a good building block for accurate clocks and sensors, according to new calculations
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Once considered an oddity of quantum physics, time crystals could be a good building block for accurate clocks and sensors, according to new calculations
The late photographer's work depicting some of the world's coldest places is collected in his new book Genesis
Sebastião Salgado's stunning shots of the world's icy regions
The late photographer's work depicting some of the world's coldest places is collected in his new book Genesis
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:14 AM
The late photographer's work depicting some of the world's coldest places is collected in his new book Genesis
We are told we need cynical strategies to "play" the dating game, but the science says this is totally wrong. David Robson enjoys an evidence-based takedown from psychologist Paul Eastwick
What to read this week: Bonded by Evolution by Paul Eastwick
We are told we need cynical strategies to "play" the dating game, but the science says this is totally wrong. David Robson enjoys an evidence-based takedown from psychologist Paul Eastwick
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:23 AM
We are told we need cynical strategies to "play" the dating game, but the science says this is totally wrong. David Robson enjoys an evidence-based takedown from psychologist Paul Eastwick
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 matter, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
Engaging look at friction shows how it keeps our world rubbing along
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 matter, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:30 AM
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 matter, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
We pick the sci-fi novels we’re most looking forward to reading this month, from a new Brandon Sanderson to the latest from Makana Yamamoto
The best new science fiction books of February 2026
We pick the sci-fi novels we’re most looking forward to reading this month, from a new Brandon Sanderson to the latest from Makana Yamamoto
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:05 AM
We pick the sci-fi novels we’re most looking forward to reading this month, from a new Brandon Sanderson to the latest from Makana Yamamoto
Feedback is delighted by an experiment on the Milan metro system, which involved a prosthetic bump, a Batman costume and some unexpected displays of public decency
Holy prosociality! Batman makes people stand for pregnant passengers
Feedback is delighted by an experiment on the Milan metro system, which involved a prosthetic bump, a Batman costume and some unexpected displays of public decency
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:20 AM
Feedback is delighted by an experiment on the Milan metro system, which involved a prosthetic bump, a Batman costume and some unexpected displays of public decency
Electric vehicle batteries are typically retired once they reach about 80 per cent of their original capacity, but they could be repurposed in electricity grids to balance out slumps in renewable generation
Old EV batteries could meet most of China's energy storage needs
Electric vehicle batteries are typically retired once they reach about 80 per cent of their original capacity, but they could be repurposed in electricity grids to balance out slumps in renewable generation
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Electric vehicle batteries are typically retired once they reach about 80 per cent of their original capacity, but they could be repurposed in electricity grids to balance out slumps in renewable generation
A type of cognitive training that tests people's quick recall seems to reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease
Specific cognitive training has 'astonishing' effect on dementia risk
A type of cognitive training that tests people's quick recall seems to reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:24 AM
A type of cognitive training that tests people's quick recall seems to reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease
Scientists have captured remarkable footage of the young of a mouse-sized marsupial, called a fat-tailed dunnart, making their way to their mother’s pouch soon after being born
Newborn marsupials seen crawling to mother's pouch for the first time
Scientists have captured remarkable footage of the young of a mouse-sized marsupial, called a fat-tailed dunnart, making their way to their mother’s pouch soon after being born
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Scientists have captured remarkable footage of the young of a mouse-sized marsupial, called a fat-tailed dunnart, making their way to their mother’s pouch soon after being born
People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them
Your BMI can't tell you much about your health – here's what can
People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:49 AM
People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them
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
Fascinating but flawed book explores how sickness shapes our lives
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
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:32 AM
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
Building the human story based on a few artefacts is tricky – particularly for wooden tools that don’t preserve well, or cave art that we don’t have the technology to date. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how we determine what came first in the timeline of our species
Which humans first made tools or art – and how do we know?
Building the human story based on a few artefacts is tricky – particularly for wooden tools that don’t preserve well, or cave art that we don’t have the technology to date. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how we determine what came first in the timeline of our species
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:38 AM
Building the human story based on a few artefacts is tricky – particularly for wooden tools that don’t preserve well, or cave art that we don’t have the technology to date. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how we determine what came first in the timeline of our species
Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics
'Hidden' group of gut bacteria may be essential to good health
Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics
The New Scientist Book Club's February read is Tim Winton's novel Juice, set in a future Australia that is so hot it is almost unliveable. Here, the author lays out his reasons for writing it – and why he doesn't see it as dystopian
Tim Winton: 'Sometimes I think we use the word dystopia as an opiate'
The New Scientist Book Club's February read is Tim Winton's novel Juice, set in a future Australia that is so hot it is almost unliveable. Here, the author lays out his reasons for writing it – and why he doesn't see it as dystopian
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:58 AM
The New Scientist Book Club's February read is Tim Winton's novel Juice, set in a future Australia that is so hot it is almost unliveable. Here, the author lays out his reasons for writing it – and why he doesn't see it as dystopian
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 crossings tell us about ancient minds?
Ancient humans were seafaring far earlier than we realised
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 crossings tell us about ancient minds?
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:25 AM
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 crossings tell us about ancient minds?
Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to popular science reading this month, with new titles by major names including Maggie Aderin and Michael Pollan
The best new popular science books of February 2026
Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to popular science reading this month, with new titles by major names including Maggie Aderin and Michael Pollan
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to popular science reading this month, with new titles by major names including Maggie Aderin and Michael Pollan