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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/
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
Ants rely on scent to recognise their comrades, and when they are exposed to common air pollutants, other members of their colony react as if they are enemies
Ants attack their nest-mates because pollution changes their smell
Ants rely on scent to recognise their comrades, and when they are exposed to common air pollutants, other members of their colony react as if they are enemies
www.newscientist.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Ants rely on scent to recognise their comrades, and when they are exposed to common air pollutants, other members of their colony react as if they are enemies
The planets around a nearby star seem to be in the wrong order, hinting that they formed through a different mechanism than the familiar one by which most systems grow
Weird inside-out planet system may have formed one world at a time
The planets around a nearby star seem to be in the wrong order, hinting that they formed through a different mechanism than the familiar one by which most systems grow
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:32 PM
The planets around a nearby star seem to be in the wrong order, hinting that they formed through a different mechanism than the familiar one by which most systems grow
Life may have begun when RNA molecules began to replicate themselves, and now we’ve finally found an RNA molecule that is very close to being able to do this
RNA strand that can almost self-replicate may be key to life's origins
Life may have begun when RNA molecules began to replicate themselves, and now we’ve finally found an RNA molecule that is very close to being able to do this
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Life may have begun when RNA molecules began to replicate themselves, and now we’ve finally found an RNA molecule that is very close to being able to do this
The activity of certain neurons may influence our endurance for exercise, and these could be targeted to help us run faster for longer
Endurance brain cells may determine how long you can run for
The activity of certain neurons may influence our endurance for exercise, and these could be targeted to help us run faster for longer
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:50 PM
The activity of certain neurons may influence our endurance for exercise, and these could be targeted to help us run faster for longer
The meaning of life has puzzled philosophers for millennia, but new research suggests it could be as simple as lending a helping hand
How to live a meaningful life, according to science
The meaning of life has puzzled philosophers for millennia, but new research suggests it could be as simple as lending a helping hand
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:31 PM
The meaning of life has puzzled philosophers for millennia, but new research suggests it could be as simple as lending a helping hand
About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from
The surprising origins of Britain's Bronze Age immigrants revealed
About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:48 PM
About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from
As Elon Musk and Pete Hegseth talk about wanting to make Star Trek real, long-time fan Chanda Prescod-Weinstein says they've misconstrued the heart of the story
Why Elon Musk has misunderstood the point of Star Trek
As Elon Musk and Pete Hegseth talk about wanting to make Star Trek real, long-time fan Chanda Prescod-Weinstein says they've misconstrued the heart of the story
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:59 PM
As Elon Musk and Pete Hegseth talk about wanting to make Star Trek real, long-time fan Chanda Prescod-Weinstein says they've misconstrued the heart of the story
An antibody that has the power to neutralise any influenza strain could be widely administered in the form of a nasal spray if a flu pandemic emerges
Nasal spray could prevent infections from any flu strain
An antibody that has the power to neutralise any influenza strain could be widely administered in the form of a nasal spray if a flu pandemic emerges
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:14 PM
An antibody that has the power to neutralise any influenza strain could be widely administered in the form of a nasal spray if a flu pandemic emerges
Columnist Michael Le Page delves into a catalogue of hundreds of potentially beneficial gene mutations and variants that is popular with transhumanists
Can we genetically improve humans using George Church’s famous list?
Columnist Michael Le Page delves into a catalogue of hundreds of potentially beneficial gene mutations and variants that is popular with transhumanists
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Columnist Michael Le Page delves into a catalogue of hundreds of potentially beneficial gene mutations and variants that is popular with transhumanists
It's a truism that weeds love poor soil, but is there anything to it? And what is a weed, anyway? James Wong investigates
Do weeds really love poor soil? Not if you look at the science
It's a truism that weeds love poor soil, but is there anything to it? And what is a weed, anyway? James Wong investigates
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM
It's a truism that weeds love poor soil, but is there anything to it? And what is a weed, anyway? James Wong investigates
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
A remarkable book on quantum mechanics reveals a really big idea
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
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM
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
The idea of self-amplifying gene editing is to get cells to pass on packages of CRISPR machinery to their neighbours, boosting the effect
Gene editing that spreads within the body could cure more diseases
The idea of self-amplifying gene editing is to get cells to pass on packages of CRISPR machinery to their neighbours, boosting the effect
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:33 PM
The idea of self-amplifying gene editing is to get cells to pass on packages of CRISPR machinery to their neighbours, boosting the effect
Reposted by New Scientist
A big challenge for CRISPR gene editing 🧬 is altering a high enough proportion of target cells in the body 🧪
So @doudna-lab.bsky.social have developed editors that can amplify themselves by spreading from cell to cell
Comment from @gaetanburgio.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
So @doudna-lab.bsky.social have developed editors that can amplify themselves by spreading from cell to cell
Comment from @gaetanburgio.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
Gene editing that spreads within the body could cure more diseases
The idea of self-amplifying gene editing is to get cells to pass on packages of CRISPR machinery to their neighbours, boosting the effect
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:46 PM
A big challenge for CRISPR gene editing 🧬 is altering a high enough proportion of target cells in the body 🧪
So @doudna-lab.bsky.social have developed editors that can amplify themselves by spreading from cell to cell
Comment from @gaetanburgio.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
So @doudna-lab.bsky.social have developed editors that can amplify themselves by spreading from cell to cell
Comment from @gaetanburgio.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
Can a single particle have a temperature? It may seem impossible with our standard understanding of temperature, but columnist Jacklin Kwan finds that it’s not exactly ruled out in the quantum realm
The weird rules of temperature get even stranger in the quantum realm
Can a single particle have a temperature? It may seem impossible with our standard understanding of temperature, but columnist Jacklin Kwan finds that it’s not exactly ruled out in the quantum realm
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Can a single particle have a temperature? It may seem impossible with our standard understanding of temperature, but columnist Jacklin Kwan finds that it’s not exactly ruled out in the quantum realm
Kanzi, a bonobo with exceptional language skills, took part in a make-believe tea party that demonstrated cognitive abilities never seen before in non-human primates
Bonobo's pretend tea party shows capacity for imagination
Kanzi, a bonobo with exceptional language skills, took part in a make-believe tea party that demonstrated cognitive abilities never seen before in non-human primates
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Kanzi, a bonobo with exceptional language skills, took part in a make-believe tea party that demonstrated cognitive abilities never seen before in non-human primates
Two-year-olds raised in vegan or vegetarian households don't necessarily have restricted growth, according to a study of 1.2 million children
Vegan toddlers can grow at the same rate as omnivores
Two-year-olds raised in vegan or vegetarian households don't necessarily have restricted growth, according to a study of 1.2 million children
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Two-year-olds raised in vegan or vegetarian households don't necessarily have restricted growth, according to a study of 1.2 million children
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 12, 2026 at 2:09 PM
An otherworldly coral, a very cute moth and an intricately beautiful mushroom are among the winners in the prize this year
Nearly 40 years after Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, Sarah Alam Malik's epic exploration of the cosmos reflects a changed landscape around science in the 21st century, finds Alison Flood
A new 'brief history' of the universe paints a wide picture
Nearly 40 years after Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, Sarah Alam Malik's epic exploration of the cosmos reflects a changed landscape around science in the 21st century, finds Alison Flood
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Nearly 40 years after Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, Sarah Alam Malik's epic exploration of the cosmos reflects a changed landscape around science in the 21st century, finds Alison Flood
While snakes and ladders is purely a game of chance, there is a way to add some strategy, says mathematician Peter Rowlett
Bored of snakes and ladders? Some maths can help bring back the fun
While snakes and ladders is purely a game of chance, there is a way to add some strategy, says mathematician Peter Rowlett
www.newscientist.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:04 PM
While snakes and ladders is purely a game of chance, there is a way to add some strategy, says mathematician Peter Rowlett
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 12, 2026 at 12:42 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