Keeping pets seems to be fairly recent behaviour in the timeline of human evolution. Columnist Michael Marshall turns to the ...

Since the 2000s, our light exposure has changed drastically as we make our buildings more energy-efficient. Now, we’re discovering how this may mess with our mitochondria, contributing to diabetes, de ...

There are measurable changes in the way we run when we are short of sleep, which give us a clearer picture of how a lack of ...

A salt-loving microorganism found in places like the Dead Sea can not just survive but actively grow in conditions close to ...

In an election, how can you make sure that everyone's votes are counted but also kept entirely secret? Quantum mechanics may ...

Jonathan R. Goodman is a social scientist based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Cambridge Public Health. He is interested in how insights from the evolutionary sciences can help to solve pressing ...

We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers. The takeover of East German science: One Germany, one scientific community – at least, that’s the theory. In practice, scie ...

A small trial suggests a supplement containing dead bacteria could offer a cheaper alternative to weight-loss drugs such as ...

Researchers are investigating whether artificially thickening ice blockages between Canada and Greenland could prevent huge ...

High temperatures and low water levels have forced several countries to shut down nuclear reactors just as citizens turn up ...

Why are we so susceptible to clickbait? Columnist Jacob Aron traces it to a surprising source: a mathematical framework that ...

Even during a solar eclipse, it isn’t safe to look directly at the sun, but with a proper solar filter or a simple pinhole ...