Âéśš´ŤĂ˝ - Features / /build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png daily 1 /article/2528456-the-last-ditch-plan-to-save-coral-reefs-from-utter-destruction/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:00:22 +0100 Bleaching has devastated reefs around the world, raising fears of an irreversible shift. Yet new interventions have revealed that corals can be remarkably resilient if we can give them enough help to recover 2528456-the-last-ditch-plan-to-save-coral-reefs-from-utter-destruction|2528456 /article/2527645-what-is-a-normal-memory-slowdown-and-when-should-i-worry/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:00:35 +0100 Lapses in memory are a normal part of ageing but can also be signs of dementia. Here’s how to distinguish between typical brain ageing and cognitive decline 2527645-what-is-a-normal-memory-slowdown-and-when-should-i-worry|2527645 /article/2528588-understanding-anorexias-grip-on-the-brain-could-unlock-new-therapies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:00:41 +0100 One-third of people with anorexia nervosa don’t recover and treatment has remained stagnant for years. Now we’re beginning to understand how the condition takes over the mind 2528588-understanding-anorexias-grip-on-the-brain-could-unlock-new-therapies|2528588 /article/2527353-cerns-new-chief-on-the-gamble-that-could-fix-our-picture-of-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:00:58 +0100 Mark Thomson has taken the reins at CERN just as particle physics confronts some of its deepest unknowns – and faces hard choices about what comes next 2527353-cerns-new-chief-on-the-gamble-that-could-fix-our-picture-of-reality|2527353 /article/2526727-why-you-need-to-future-proof-your-brain-in-middle-age-and-how-to-start/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:00:03 +0100 Ages 40 to 65 see a period of turmoil in the brain that has previously been overlooked. But identifying problems during this time can protect your cognitive health for decades to come 2526727-why-you-need-to-future-proof-your-brain-in-middle-age-and-how-to-start|2526727 /article/2527617-hearing-loss-is-bad-for-the-whole-body-but-new-treatments-are-coming/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:00:31 +0100 From dementia to heart attacks, hearing loss has been linked to a wide range of effects across the body, and the condition is on the rise. Fortunately, we're learning how best to safeguard this crucial sense and how we might be able to reverse the damage 2527617-hearing-loss-is-bad-for-the-whole-body-but-new-treatments-are-coming|2527617 /article/2526650-a-golden-age-of-maths-is-dawning-and-mathematicians-are-freaking-out/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:00:40 +0100 Mathematicians are stunned at the progress AI is making in solving advanced problems, leaving some questioning whether there will still be room for humans 2526650-a-golden-age-of-maths-is-dawning-and-mathematicians-are-freaking-out|2526650 /article/2526959-how-a-radical-new-view-of-life-could-reveal-its-origin-and-aliens/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 26 May 2026 17:00:56 +0100 We've been looking at nature the wrong way, argues Rowan Hooper. If we stop focusing on the individual, we get a whole new picture of how life on Earth – and elsewhere – may have begun 2526959-how-a-radical-new-view-of-life-could-reveal-its-origin-and-aliens|2526959 /article/2527224-embryos-made-without-sperm-or-eggs-reveal-why-many-pregnancies-fail/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 27 May 2026 17:00:58 +0100 Embryo organoids made from stem cells are enabling scientists to recreate early pregnancy in the lab, unlocking treatments for infertility, miscarriage and pre-eclampsia 2527224-embryos-made-without-sperm-or-eggs-reveal-why-many-pregnancies-fail|2527224 /article/2526507-does-gravity-create-reality-a-shocking-path-to-a-theory-of-everything/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 25 May 2026 17:00:47 +0100 A rewrite of quantum mechanics that includes the force of gravity could finally achieve one of physicists’ biggest goals and reveal the ultimate fuzziness of time 2526507-does-gravity-create-reality-a-shocking-path-to-a-theory-of-everything|2526507 /article/2525755-can-we-harness-quantum-effects-to-create-a-new-kind-of-healthcare/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 20 May 2026 19:00:42 +0100 Experiments hint that quantum mechanisms are vital to the machinery of life. Now researchers are exploring if these effects help to explain the success of an array of puzzling health treatments 2525755-can-we-harness-quantum-effects-to-create-a-new-kind-of-healthcare|2525755 /article/2526127-the-distant-world-that-is-our-best-hope-of-finding-alien-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 19 May 2026 17:00:41 +0100 A decade ago, we discovered an exceptionally exciting exoplanet that could be the best candidate for hosting alien life. Now we’re about to find out if it really is 2526127-the-distant-world-that-is-our-best-hope-of-finding-alien-life|2526127 /article/2525646-the-selfish-gene-at-50-why-dawkinss-evolution-classic-still-holds-up/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 20 May 2026 15:00:33 +0100 When Richard Dawkins’s first blockbuster book was published half a century ago, few genes had ever been sequenced or studied in detail. Yet the book’s gene-centred view of evolution still has much to teach us in today’s genetic age 2525646-the-selfish-gene-at-50-why-dawkinss-evolution-classic-still-holds-up|2525646 /article/2526019-how-i-used-psychology-to-come-back-from-the-worst-year-of-my-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 18 May 2026 17:00:16 +0100 Work, illness, divorce: life is riddled with stressors out of your control. But research is revealing new ways to cope with these challenges and find hope instead of despair 2526019-how-i-used-psychology-to-come-back-from-the-worst-year-of-my-life|2526019 /article/2525708-intoxicating-and-astonishing-why-the-selfish-gene-almost-never-was/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 20 May 2026 15:00:25 +0100 Fifty years ago, a draft of Richard Dawkins’s first book landed on book editor Michael Rodgers’s desk – and life was never the same 2525708-intoxicating-and-astonishing-why-the-selfish-gene-almost-never-was|2525708 /article/2525037-why-autism-pioneer-uta-frith-wants-to-dismantle-the-spectrum/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 13 May 2026 17:00:40 +0100 After a career spent grappling with the neural underpinnings of autism, Uta Frith is unwavering in her controversial call to scrap our current view of the condition and start again 2525037-why-autism-pioneer-uta-frith-wants-to-dismantle-the-spectrum|2525037 /article/2524831-can-cloud-seeding-save-us-from-water-bankruptcy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 12 May 2026 17:00:18 +0100 We’ve long tried to control the weather by engineering rainfall. Now such cloud-seeding efforts are escalating, creating conflict between countries and stoking conspiracy theories. But do they work? 2524831-can-cloud-seeding-save-us-from-water-bankruptcy|2524831 /article/2524701-where-did-the-laws-of-physics-come-from-i-think-ive-found-the-answer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 11 May 2026 17:00:51 +0100 The rules governing gravity and other laws of nature seem like eternal truths, but cosmologist JoĂŁo Magueijo has always questioned their origins. Now, he has a bold new proposal 2524701-where-did-the-laws-of-physics-come-from-i-think-ive-found-the-answer|2524701 /article/2526004-the-story-of-the-first-human-tool-the-humble-container/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 11 May 2026 19:00:56 +0100 An analysis of ancient human artefacts finds that the container, a simple but critical tool, may have originated 500,000 years ago. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how slings, ostrich eggs and wooden trays helped our ancestors survive 2526004-the-story-of-the-first-human-tool-the-humble-container|2526004 /article/2523875-red-light-therapy-does-have-health-benefits-but-not-the-ones-you-think/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 06 May 2026 17:00:51 +0100 Red-light therapy promises to treat everything from acne and hair loss to depression and chronic pain. Many of these claims are overhyped, but evidence suggests it can have healing powers 2523875-red-light-therapy-does-have-health-benefits-but-not-the-ones-you-think|2523875 /article/2523438-the-50-year-quest-to-create-a-quantum-spin-liquid-may-finally-be-over/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 05 May 2026 17:00:58 +0100 Creating quantum entanglement inside a solid material is tricky in the lab – but crystals buried in the earth could be growing it naturally. Now one scientist says he has proof he’s found them 2523438-the-50-year-quest-to-create-a-quantum-spin-liquid-may-finally-be-over|2523438 /article/2524042-a-lost-ancient-script-reveals-how-writing-as-we-know-it-really-began/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 04 May 2026 17:00:56 +0100 A long-overlooked writing system from 5000 years ago is still largely undeciphered, but could mark the moment humans first represented their speech with written words 2524042-a-lost-ancient-script-reveals-how-writing-as-we-know-it-really-began|2524042 /article/2522448-why-dinosaurs-lived-much-more-complex-lives-than-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:00:22 +0100 A wave of dinosaur discoveries over the past decade has completely reshaped our understanding of these long-extinct animals. Palaeontologist Dave Hone spills the secrets of how dinosaurs lived, from how social they were to how much they really fought  2522448-why-dinosaurs-lived-much-more-complex-lives-than-we-thought|2522448 /article/2523209-is-consciousness-more-fundamental-to-reality-than-quantum-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:00:05 +0100 The idea that everything that exists can be built from the bottom up has long held sway among physicists. Now, a new kind of science is under construction that centres conscious experience – and might unravel the universe’s biggest mysteries 2523209-is-consciousness-more-fundamental-to-reality-than-quantum-physics|2523209 /article/2523421-why-the-keto-diet-could-be-a-revolutionary-way-to-treat-mental-illness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:00:03 +0100 You may think of the high-fat, low-carb eating plan as a faddish way to lose weight. But the keto diet is now being used to tackle conditions from severe depression to bipolar disorder and anorexia, with transformative results 2523421-why-the-keto-diet-could-be-a-revolutionary-way-to-treat-mental-illness|2523421 /article/2521854-we-need-more-radioactive-drugs-can-we-make-them-from-nuclear-waste/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:00:58 +0100 The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That's why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste 2521854-we-need-more-radioactive-drugs-can-we-make-them-from-nuclear-waste|2521854 /article/2522362-why-the-right-kind-of-stress-is-crucial-for-your-health-and-happiness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:47 +0100 Stress is linked to many of our biggest killers, but a growing body of research suggests that certain types can sharpen the mind and strengthen the body. Here’s how to find your perfect dose 2522362-why-the-right-kind-of-stress-is-crucial-for-your-health-and-happiness|2522362 /article/2521354-the-monstrous-number-sequences-that-break-the-rules-of-mathematics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:00:07 +0100 Some seemingly simple sequences of multiplication and addition grow so quickly that they question the very foundations of mathematics. In doing so, they demand a whole new level of logic 2521354-the-monstrous-number-sequences-that-break-the-rules-of-mathematics|2521354 /article/2522501-can-we-vaccinate-ourselves-against-stress/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:59 +0100 A traditional vaccine primes the immune system to build better defences. Researchers think we can do something similar to increase our resilience to the pressures and worries of life 2522501-can-we-vaccinate-ourselves-against-stress|2522501 /article/2522498-can-you-determine-your-personalised-stress-score/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0100 “I’m stressed” is a phrase that many of us use, but now there are ways to shed light on how stressed you actually are 2522498-can-you-determine-your-personalised-stress-score|2522498 /article/2522111-beef-is-making-a-comeback-does-it-fit-into-a-healthy-diet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:41:02 +0100 The protein craze is in full swing and beef consumption is on the rise, particularly in the US, where health agencies are promoting red meat as part of an optimum diet. So, how much beef should we really be eating, and how does it impact our well-being? 2522111-beef-is-making-a-comeback-does-it-fit-into-a-healthy-diet|2522111 /article/2521774-how-autoimmune-conditions-can-unexpectedly-drive-mental-illness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:00:08 +0100 Antibodies mistakenly attacking the brain are linked with conditions including schizophrenia, dementia and OCD, prompting a revolution in how we think about mental health conditions 2521774-how-autoimmune-conditions-can-unexpectedly-drive-mental-illness|2521774 /article/2520367-exclusive-report-inside-chernobyl-40-years-after-nuclear-disaster/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:01 +0100 Âéśš´ŤĂ˝ reporter Matthew Sparkes secured unrivalled access to Chernobyl's most crucial scientific sites, where researchers are fighting to protect the area and ensure it remains safe amid the constant threat of attack from Russia 2520367-exclusive-report-inside-chernobyl-40-years-after-nuclear-disaster|2520367 /article/2520451-my-life-as-a-meteorologist-in-chernobyl-under-russian-occupation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:05 +0100 When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Chernobyl lay on the path to the capital Kyiv. When the plant was occupied by Russian troops, meteorologist Lyudmila Dyblenko fearlessly continued taking vital measurements to monitor the nuclear exclusion zone 2520451-my-life-as-a-meteorologist-in-chernobyl-under-russian-occupation|2520451 /article/2520435-the-man-who-crawls-into-the-perilous-heart-of-the-chernobyl-reactor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:24 +0100 Ever since the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in 1986, scientists have needed to monitor radioactive conditions inside. That job currently falls to Anatoly Doroshenko, who explains the dangers and importance of his work to Âéśš´ŤĂ˝ 2520435-the-man-who-crawls-into-the-perilous-heart-of-the-chernobyl-reactor|2520435 /article/2520573-were-solving-the-fundamental-mystery-of-how-reality-is-glued-together/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:00:03 +0100 For decades, scientists have tried and failed to explain how the force that binds the heart of atoms together really works. But new mathematical tools are finally prising the problem open 2520573-were-solving-the-fundamental-mystery-of-how-reality-is-glued-together|2520573 /article/2519999-the-invisibility-cloak-inventor-now-has-better-tricks-up-his-sleeve/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:00:26 +0100 John Pendry is known for creating an invisibility cloak. Twenty years on, he has used the same principles to fashion an even more powerful kind of metamaterial that can teach us about the wild frontiers of physics 2519999-the-invisibility-cloak-inventor-now-has-better-tricks-up-his-sleeve|2519999 /article/2520604-i-dont-see-images-in-my-head-can-training-give-me-a-minds-eye/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:00:25 +0100 Training programmes for people with aphantasia – the inability to create mental images – are challenging neuroscientists' understanding of how we create thoughts 2520604-i-dont-see-images-in-my-head-can-training-give-me-a-minds-eye|2520604 /article/2519611-oceans-are-darkening-all-over-the-planet-whats-going-on/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:00:58 +0100 In a shift that is reshaping entire ecosystems, the open oceans are letting less light in. We don't fully understand the consequences yet, but there is still hope, says oceanographer Tim Smyth 2519611-oceans-are-darkening-all-over-the-planet-whats-going-on|2519611 /article/2519026-a-once-fantastical-collider-could-answer-physics-biggest-mysteries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:00:50 +0100 The muon collider was once dismissed as impossible, but is now gaining steam as the successor to the Large Hadron Collider. If built, it could offer a new window to reality  2519026-a-once-fantastical-collider-could-answer-physics-biggest-mysteries|2519026 /article/2519667-the-profound-effect-the-heart-brain-connection-has-on-your-health/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:00:47 +0100 Cognitive decline, mental health and heart disease are all shaped by the deep links between heart and brain – with major implications for diagnoses and treatment 2519667-the-profound-effect-the-heart-brain-connection-has-on-your-health|2519667 /article/2519666-how-working-out-like-an-astronaut-can-reduce-back-pain-and-slow-ageing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:00:33 +0000 The same principles that help astronauts stay strong in microgravity can help us all resist the slow collapse of ageing – and it’s not all about hitting the gym more 2519666-how-working-out-like-an-astronaut-can-reduce-back-pain-and-slow-ageing|2519666 /article/2519003-the-shocking-fossils-that-show-t-rex-wasnt-the-king-of-the-dinosaurs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:00:41 +0000 We've always thought that Tyrannosaurus rex was an unchallenged apex predator during the dying days of the dinosaurs. But a fresh look at controversial fossils has prompted palaeontology’s biggest-ever U-turn 2519003-the-shocking-fossils-that-show-t-rex-wasnt-the-king-of-the-dinosaurs|2519003 /article/2519288-the-simple-questions-cracking-the-hard-problem-of-consciousness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:00:19 +0000 Do we all see the same red? Or feel joy and sadness alike? Mapping how our inner experiences relate to one another could finally reveal how physical processes in the brain give rise to consciousness 2519288-the-simple-questions-cracking-the-hard-problem-of-consciousness|2519288 /article/2517138-this-neuroscientist-says-some-psychopaths-wish-they-were-nicer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:00:08 +0000 Abigail Marsh has found that many psychopaths don’t want to be cruel and uncaring, and argues that they deserve support to help them get there 2517138-this-neuroscientist-says-some-psychopaths-wish-they-were-nicer|2517138 /article/2517880-a-very-serious-guide-to-buying-your-own-humanoid-robot-butler/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:00:48 +0000 You can now buy a humanoid robot housekeeper for less than the price of a second-hand car. But before splashing out, there’s something you need to know 2517880-a-very-serious-guide-to-buying-your-own-humanoid-robot-butler|2517880 /article/2518470-forget-the-multiverse-in-the-pluriverse-we-create-reality-together/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:00:20 +0000 A radical idea that resolves many quantum paradoxes suggests there is no objective view of reality. How can the cosmos be stitched together from interlocking perspectives? 2518470-forget-the-multiverse-in-the-pluriverse-we-create-reality-together|2518470 /article/2516419-frailty-sets-in-far-earlier-than-youd-expect-but-you-can-reverse-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:00:48 +0000 We’re learning that frailty can quietly arrive decades before old age, with some people in their 30s or 40s unknowingly in a pre-frail state. There are surprising ways to stay strong – and it’s not all about weight training 2516419-frailty-sets-in-far-earlier-than-youd-expect-but-you-can-reverse-it|2516419 /article/2517730-why-a-peruvian-mountain-is-becoming-an-impossible-particle-detector/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:00:16 +0000 Deep canyons in the Andes are the perfect location to catch the most energetic particles in the universe. Carlos ArgĂźelles-Delgado reveals how these intergalactic envoys could help prove the quantum nature of gravity 2517730-why-a-peruvian-mountain-is-becoming-an-impossible-particle-detector|2517730 /article/2516629-the-real-reasons-birth-rates-are-declining-worldwide/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:00:52 +0000 From the cost of childcare to the housing crisis, there’s no shortage of explanations for the dramatic global fall in the number of babies being born. These analyses, though, are all missing something, says cognitive and evolutionary anthropologist Paula Sheppard 2516629-the-real-reasons-birth-rates-are-declining-worldwide|2516629 /article/2516720-how-our-ancestors-used-mushrooms-to-change-the-course-of-human-history/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Mushrooms have been used by ancient humans for millennia, but archaeologists have only just uncovered their pivotal role in shaping civilisation 2516720-how-our-ancestors-used-mushrooms-to-change-the-course-of-human-history|2516720 /article/2515689-a-bizarre-type-of-black-hole-could-solve-three-cosmic-mysteries-in-one/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:27 +0000 Black holes that turn matter into energy could explain dark energy and answer two other cosmic questions. Now, the challenge is to find them 2515689-a-bizarre-type-of-black-hole-could-solve-three-cosmic-mysteries-in-one|2515689 /article/2515631-a-crisis-in-cosmology-may-mean-hidden-dimensions-really-exist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:49 +0000 Physicists are scrambling to understand why dark energy is weakening. In a surprising twist, we must now reconsider the possibility that our reality contains extra dimensions 2515631-a-crisis-in-cosmology-may-mean-hidden-dimensions-really-exist|2515631 /article/2515195-the-bombshell-results-that-demand-a-new-theory-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:29 +0000 Last year, our most detailed map of the universe yet suggested our understanding of dark energy has been wrong for decades. The shock result is reigniting the search for a better cosmic story 2515195-the-bombshell-results-that-demand-a-new-theory-of-the-universe|2515195 /article/2516974-crisis-in-cosmology-if-weve-got-dark-energy-wrong-what-could-it-be/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:25 +0000 This is a Âéśš´ŤĂ˝Â special package about shock results that have upended cosmology. What do they mean for our models of the universe, and what are the alternative explanations? 2516974-crisis-in-cosmology-if-weve-got-dark-energy-wrong-what-could-it-be|2516974 /article/2514410-the-worlds-most-elusive-colour-is-worth-billions-if-we-can-find-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:00:05 +0000 The discovery of bright yet stable pigments is vanishingly rare, making them hugely valuable. Now chemist Mas Subramanian is unpicking the atomic code of colour and homing in on our most-wanted hue 2514410-the-worlds-most-elusive-colour-is-worth-billions-if-we-can-find-it|2514410 /article/2514976-how-ukraine-became-a-drone-factory-and-invented-the-future-of-war/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Ukraine has responded to a war it didn’t start by creating an industry it doesn’t want, but could the nation's drone expertise help it rebuild? To learn more, Âéśš´ŤĂ˝ gained exclusive access to the research labs, factories and military training schools behind Ukraine’s drones 2514976-how-ukraine-became-a-drone-factory-and-invented-the-future-of-war|2514976 /article/2515266-its-your-perception-of-sleep-thats-making-you-feel-tired-all-day/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:00:53 +0000 How we feel about a night’s sleep can have a bigger impact on mood and grogginess than actual hours of rest. Here’s how to change your mindset to feel more energised 2515266-its-your-perception-of-sleep-thats-making-you-feel-tired-all-day|2515266 /article/2514293-weve-glimpsed-before-the-big-bang-and-its-not-what-we-expected/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:00:10 +0000 The big bang wasn’t the start of everything, but it has been impossible to see what came before. Now a new kind of cosmology is lifting the veil on the beginning of time 2514293-weve-glimpsed-before-the-big-bang-and-its-not-what-we-expected|2514293 /article/2514431-the-untold-story-of-our-remarkable-hands-and-how-they-made-us-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:00:24 +0000 The evolution of human hands is one of the most important – and overlooked – stories of our origin. Now, new fossil evidence is revealing their pivotal role 2514431-the-untold-story-of-our-remarkable-hands-and-how-they-made-us-human|2514431 /article/2513596-your-bmi-cant-tell-you-much-about-your-health-heres-what-can/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:05 +0000 People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them 2513596-your-bmi-cant-tell-you-much-about-your-health-heres-what-can|2513596 /article/2511141-nobel-prizewinner-omar-yaghi-says-his-invention-will-change-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:26 +0000 Chemist Omar Yaghi invented materials called MOFs, a few grams of which have the surface area of a football field. He explains why he thinks these super-sponges will define the next century 2511141-nobel-prizewinner-omar-yaghi-says-his-invention-will-change-the-world|2511141 /article/2509117-what-if-the-idea-of-the-autism-spectrum-is-completely-wrong/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:10:03 +0000 For years, we've thought of autism as lying on a spectrum, but emerging evidence suggests that it comes in several distinct types. The implications for how we support autistic people could be profound 2509117-what-if-the-idea-of-the-autism-spectrum-is-completely-wrong|2509117 /article/2514484-postpartum-depression-in-dads-is-common-we-can-now-spot-and-treat-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:00:20 +0000 Fathers may get postpartum depression at a similar rate to mothers, but it’s often overlooked. At last, the way we diagnose and treat it is improving, for the good of the whole family 2514484-postpartum-depression-in-dads-is-common-we-can-now-spot-and-treat-it|2514484 /article/2513274-putting-a-price-tag-on-nature-failed-can-radical-tactics-save-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:48 +0000 Biologists have long thought that speaking to nature’s economic value would persuade boardrooms it was worth saving. It hasn’t worked – so what, if anything, will? 2513274-putting-a-price-tag-on-nature-failed-can-radical-tactics-save-it|2513274 /article/2513815-how-teaching-molecules-to-think-is-revealing-what-a-mind-really-is/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:00:17 +0000 Networks of molecules in our body behave as though they have goals and desires. Understanding this phenomenon could solve the origins of life and mind in one fell swoop 2513815-how-teaching-molecules-to-think-is-revealing-what-a-mind-really-is|2513815 /article/2512675-why-is-childbirth-so-hard-for-humans-and-is-it-getting-even-harder/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:55 +0000 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 2512675-why-is-childbirth-so-hard-for-humans-and-is-it-getting-even-harder|2512675 /article/2513239-nobel-laureate-says-hell-build-worlds-most-powerful-quantum-computer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:00:11 +0000 John Martinis has already revolutionised quantum computing twice. Now, he is working on another radical rethink of the technology that could deliver machines with unrivalled capabilities 2513239-nobel-laureate-says-hell-build-worlds-most-powerful-quantum-computer|2513239 /article/2513188-the-secret-signals-our-organs-send-to-repair-tissues-and-slow-ageing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:00:09 +0000 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 2513188-the-secret-signals-our-organs-send-to-repair-tissues-and-slow-ageing|2513188 /article/2511681-ancient-humans-were-seafaring-far-earlier-than-we-realised/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:23 +0000 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? 2511681-ancient-humans-were-seafaring-far-earlier-than-we-realised|2511681 /article/2511723-the-daring-idea-that-time-is-an-illusion-and-how-we-could-prove-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:00:33 +0000 The way time ticks forward in our universe has long stumped physicists. Now, a new set of tools from entangled atoms to black holes promises to reveal time’s true nature 2511723-the-daring-idea-that-time-is-an-illusion-and-how-we-could-prove-it|2511723 /article/2508422-realising-the-importance-of-our-microbiome-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:01 +0000 Humans have been inadvertently using microbes to influence our health for thousands of years. But only recently has the microbiome rocketed to the forefront of healthcare 2508422-realising-the-importance-of-our-microbiome-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508422 /article/2508838-embracing-quantum-spookiness-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:59 +0000 The strange principle of quantum entanglement baffled Albert Einstein. Yet finally putting quantum weirdness to the ultimate test, and embracing the results, turned out to be a revolutionary idea 2508838-embracing-quantum-spookiness-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508838 /article/2510765-crowdsourcing-wikipedias-encyclopedia-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:07 +0000 The internet is typically defined by conflict. Yet a crowdsourced encyclopedia, open for anyone to edit, has transformed into one of the world's most essential knowledge hubs 2510765-crowdsourcing-wikipedias-encyclopedia-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510765 /article/2508417-the-totemic-1-5c-climate-target-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:17 +0000 Although we’re on course to cross 1.5°C of warming, the alliance of small island nations that revised our goal down from the 2°C threshold transformed global climate policy 2508417-the-totemic-1-5c-climate-target-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508417 /article/2510350-we-can-block-the-spread-of-hiv-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:13 +0000 The “enormous revelation” that drugs can be used to prevent catching HIV has benefitted millions and helped slash transmission rates 2510350-we-can-block-the-spread-of-hiv-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510350 /article/2511326-new-scientists-guide-to-the-21-best-ideas-of-the-21st-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:07 +0000 A quarter of a century in, this is our definitive pick of the ideas in science and technology that are already transforming the world 2511326-new-scientists-guide-to-the-21-best-ideas-of-the-21st-century|2511326 /article/2510424-we-can-rewrite-our-genetic-code-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Our genomes are filled with errors that were once impossible to correct. But in CRISPR, we finally found an extraordinarily powerful tool for treating genetic disease – and perhaps making better versions of ourselves 2510424-we-can-rewrite-our-genetic-code-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510424 /article/2508303-the-one-diet-thats-good-for-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:35 +0000 Time and time again, scientists have found that one diet beats all others when it comes to our health. Fortunately, it's delicious – and also good for the planet 2508303-the-one-diet-thats-good-for-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508303 /article/2510618-the-electrification-of-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable power is crucial. The opening of Tesla's first "gigafactory", which used economies of scale to electrify our transport and energy systems, marked a turning point in this endeavour 2510618-the-electrification-of-everything-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510618 /article/2508561-our-solar-system-is-extremely-weird-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:08 +0000 Realising that our solar system isn’t like most others out there has helped astronomers rewrite the story of how it formed 2508561-our-solar-system-is-extremely-weird-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508561 /article/2510623-smartphones-yes-really-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:06 +0000 Some might say smartphones have caused more harm than good. Here’s why putting a powerful computer into every pocket was a good idea 2510623-smartphones-yes-really-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510623 /article/2508875-the-hidden-power-of-epigenetics-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:28 +0000 Following the surprising discovery that our genetic blueprint is much simpler than expected, we’ve rapidly learned that we have epigenetics to thank for our extraordinary complexity 2508875-the-hidden-power-of-epigenetics-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508875 /article/2510768-end-to-end-encryption-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:26 +0000 How end-to-end encryption is the wall that keeps our digital secrets safe – and why modern life would be unimaginable without it 2510768-end-to-end-encryption-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510768 /article/2508854-revealing-the-epic-story-of-ancient-humans-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:25 +0000 Since the turn of the millennium, our understanding of our ancestors and extended cousins has shifted dramatically, thanks to a swathe of surprising archaeological discoveries 2508854-revealing-the-epic-story-of-ancient-humans-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508854 /article/2508890-how-fear-drastically-shapes-ecosystems-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:15 +0000 Understanding the “landscape of fear” that predators create in their environments has helped us uncover just how drastically humans have upended the natural world 2508890-how-fear-drastically-shapes-ecosystems-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508890 /article/2510604-the-one-innovation-that-supercharged-ai-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:42 +0000 The most powerful artificial intelligence tools all have one thing in common. Whether they are writing poetry or predicting protein structures, they rely on the "transformer" architecture 2510604-the-one-innovation-that-supercharged-ai-best-ideas-of-the-century|2510604 /article/2508317-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-normal-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:46 +0000 Neurodiversity research has reshaped how we think about autism and ADHD, revealing that a “normal” brain doesn’t exist – and that unusual brains also come with unique strengths 2508317-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-normal-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508317 /article/2508569-filming-the-universes-biggest-dramas-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:52 +0000 Astronomers used to rely on chance to catch a glimpse of fleeting explosions in space. A fresh approach to watching these flashes has completely transformed astronomy 2508569-filming-the-universes-biggest-dramas-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508569 /article/2508420-a-revolution-in-how-we-do-chemistry-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:50 +0000 From finding new antibiotic candidates to studying the insides of cells, snapping molecules together "like Lego" has completely overhauled chemistry, and biology too 2508420-a-revolution-in-how-we-do-chemistry-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508420 /article/2508819-pinning-extreme-weather-on-climate-change-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:57 +0000 It never used to be possible to attribute individual weather events to climate change and map their full consequences. Thanks to the work of two pioneering climate scientists, it is now 2508819-pinning-extreme-weather-on-climate-change-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508819 /article/2508813-the-invention-of-net-zero-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:51 +0000 Net zero wasn’t always the target – the consensus used to be that we could continue releasing greenhouse gases and maintain global temperatures. How did that change? 2508813-the-invention-of-net-zero-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508813 /article/2508321-the-immense-interconnectivity-of-the-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:32 +0000 How discovering that different parts of the brain work together as networks has transformed our understanding of everything from daydreaming and emotions to planning and memory 2508321-the-immense-interconnectivity-of-the-brain-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508321 /article/2511248-the-5-worst-ideas-of-the-21st-century-and-how-they-went-wrong/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:06 +0000 They offered so much promise, but ultimately turned sour. These are the most disappointing ideas since the turn of the millennium 2511248-the-5-worst-ideas-of-the-21st-century-and-how-they-went-wrong|2511248 /article/2509966-psychiatry-has-finally-found-an-objective-way-to-spot-mental-illness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:00:14 +0000 A decades-long push to identify clear biomarkers for anxiety and depression is at last achieving results 2509966-psychiatry-has-finally-found-an-objective-way-to-spot-mental-illness|2509966 /article/2510000-three-ways-to-become-calmer-this-new-year-that-you-havent-tried-yet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:00:41 +0000 Easing stress is one of the healthiest pursuits you can embark on this January. Here are some evidence-backed ways to ground yourself in 2026 2510000-three-ways-to-become-calmer-this-new-year-that-you-havent-tried-yet|2510000 /article/2509948-the-pacific-islanders-fighting-to-save-their-homes-from-catastrophe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 13 Jan 2026 16:00:05 +0000 Some of climate change's sharpest realities are being felt on small island nations, where extreme weather is claiming homes and triggering displacement. Those able to stay are spearheading inventive adaptation techniques in a bid to secure their future 2509948-the-pacific-islanders-fighting-to-save-their-homes-from-catastrophe|2509948 /article/2509985-our-elegant-universe-rethinking-natures-deepest-principle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:00:44 +0000 For centuries, the principle of symmetry has guided physicists towards more fundamental truths, but now a slew of shocking findings suggest a far stranger idea from quantum theory could be a deeper driving force 2509985-our-elegant-universe-rethinking-natures-deepest-principle|2509985 /article/2509450-how-rethinking-your-relationship-with-time-could-give-you-more-of-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:13 +0000 You might feel like the days and weeks are slipping by. Here is how one psychologist says you can shift your experience of time 2509450-how-rethinking-your-relationship-with-time-could-give-you-more-of-it|2509450 /article/2508956-the-secret-weapon-that-could-finally-force-climate-action/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=features Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:00:29 +0000 An ambitious form of climate modelling aims to pin the blame for disasters – from floods to heatwaves – on specific companies. Is this the tool we need to effectively prosecute the world’s biggest carbon emitters? 2508956-the-secret-weapon-that-could-finally-force-climate-action|2508956