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: The secret signals our organs send to repair tissues, Nobel laureate says he'll build world’s most powerful quantum computer and the doctor on the hunt for first-rate faeces.
Grab a copy in shops now or download our app for digital editions. www.newscientist.com/issue/3581/
Grab a copy in shops now or download our app for digital editions. www.newscientist.com/issue/3581/
South Australia is proving to the world that relying largely on wind and solar energy with battery back-up is incredibly cheap, with electricity prices tumbling by 30 per cent in a year and sometimes going negative
This state’s power prices are plummeting as it nears 100% renewables
South Australia is proving to the world that relying largely on wind and solar energy with battery back-up is incredibly cheap, with electricity prices tumbling by 30 per cent in a year and sometimes going negative
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:17 PM
South Australia is proving to the world that relying largely on wind and solar energy with battery back-up is incredibly cheap, with electricity prices tumbling by 30 per cent in a year and sometimes going negative
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 11, 2026 at 2:18 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
Reposted by New Scientist
EV performance declines once batteries degrade to ~80% capacity. But those batteries are still good for storing excess renewable energy from the grid.
A startup in Nevada is already doing this, & China could meet 2/3 of its grid storage needs by 2050 this way www.newscientist.com/article/2515...
A startup in Nevada is already doing this, & China could meet 2/3 of its grid storage needs by 2050 this way www.newscientist.com/article/2515...
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 gene...
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:29 PM
EV performance declines once batteries degrade to ~80% capacity. But those batteries are still good for storing excess renewable energy from the grid.
A startup in Nevada is already doing this, & China could meet 2/3 of its grid storage needs by 2050 this way www.newscientist.com/article/2515...
A startup in Nevada is already doing this, & China could meet 2/3 of its grid storage needs by 2050 this way www.newscientist.com/article/2515...
Companies are happy to sell you personalised tracking of your biomarkers or a tailored nutrition plan, but truly personalised medicine should be able to tackle the vast differences some people have in response to the same diseases
Personalised medicine is yet to deliver, but that must start to change
Companies are happy to sell you personalised tracking of your biomarkers or a tailored nutrition plan, but truly personalised medicine should be able to tackle the vast differences some people have in response to the same diseases
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Companies are happy to sell you personalised tracking of your biomarkers or a tailored nutrition plan, but truly personalised medicine should be able to tackle the vast differences some people have in response to the same diseases
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 11, 2026 at 12:58 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
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 11, 2026 at 12:20 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
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 11, 2026 at 11:54 AM
While snakes and ladders is purely a game of chance, there is a way to add some strategy, says mathematician Peter Rowlett
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 11, 2026 at 11:26 AM
An otherworldly coral, a very cute moth and an intricately beautiful mushroom are among the winners in the prize this year
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 11, 2026 at 11:09 AM
It's a truism that weeds love poor soil, but is there anything to it? And what is a weed, anyway? James Wong investigates
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 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
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
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 11, 2026 at 9:53 AM
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
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 11, 2026 at 9:28 AM
Two-year-olds raised in vegan or vegetarian households don't necessarily have restricted growth, according to a study of 1.2 million children
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 11, 2026 at 8:49 AM
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
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 11, 2026 at 8:05 AM
The late photographer's work depicting some of the world's coldest places is collected in his new book Genesis
An experiment with superconducting qubits opens the door to determining whether quantum devices could be less energetically costly if they are powered by quantum batteries
Fast-charging quantum battery built inside a quantum computer
An experiment with superconducting qubits opens the door to determining whether quantum devices could be less energetically costly if they are powered by quantum batteries
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:09 AM
An experiment with superconducting qubits opens the door to determining whether quantum devices could be less energetically costly if they are powered by quantum batteries
Many species of fungus across the world produce psilocybin, a chemical with psychedelic effects in humans, but its evolutionary purpose may be to deter mushroom-munching insects
Why did magic mushrooms evolve? We may finally have the answer
Many species of fungus across the world produce psilocybin, a chemical with psychedelic effects in humans, but its evolutionary purpose may be to deter mushroom-munching insects
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:53 AM
Many species of fungus across the world produce psilocybin, a chemical with psychedelic effects in humans, but its evolutionary purpose may be to deter mushroom-munching insects
Your organs are constantly talking to each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Tapping into these communication networks is opening up radical new ways to boost health
The secret signals our organs send to repair tissues and slow ageing
Your organs are constantly talking to each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Tapping into these communication networks is opening up radical new ways to boost health
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:15 AM
Your organs are constantly talking to each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Tapping into these communication networks is opening up radical new ways to boost health
An evolution-inspired framework for how quantum fuzziness gives rise to our classical world shows that even imperfect observers can eventually agree on an objective reality
We have a new way to explain why we agree on the nature of reality
An evolution-inspired framework for how quantum fuzziness gives rise to our classical world shows that even imperfect observers can eventually agree on an objective reality
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:44 AM
An evolution-inspired framework for how quantum fuzziness gives rise to our classical world shows that even imperfect observers can eventually agree on an objective reality
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 11, 2026 at 5:07 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
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 11, 2026 at 4:51 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
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 11, 2026 at 4:27 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
A review of the evidence suggests that statins are no more likely than a placebo to cause most of the side effects listed on their labels
Statins don't cause most of the side effects listed on their labels
A review of the evidence suggests that statins are no more likely than a placebo to cause most of the side effects listed on their labels
www.newscientist.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:50 AM
A review of the evidence suggests that statins are no more likely than a placebo to cause most of the side effects listed on their labels
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 11, 2026 at 3:14 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
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 11, 2026 at 2:57 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
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 11, 2026 at 2:08 AM
When we exercise more, our bodies may compensate by using less energy for other things – especially if we eat less too