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New Scientist - Home
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Fig trees may benefit climate by turning carbon dioxide into stone
Some carbon dioxide absorbed by fig trees gets turned into calcium carbonate within the wood and the surrounding soil, ensuring that the carbon is kept out of the air for longer
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Ancient mass extinction shows how Earth turned into a super-greenhouse
A study of fossils from the Permian-Triassic extinction event 252 million years ago shows that forests in many parts of the world were wiped out, disrupting the carbon cycle and ensuring that Earth remained hot for millions of years
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Cyberattacks could exploit home solar panels to disrupt power grids
The growth of domestic solar installations opens the possibility of hackers targeting their smart inverter devices as a way to cause widespread power-system failures
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We finally understand why quasicrystals can exist
Not quite crystals and not quite a glass, quasicrystals are an oddity whose properties are not well understood – but now we know how they can remain stable
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Quantum-enhanced supercomputers are starting to do chemistry
Working in tandem, a quantum computer and a supercomputer modelled the behaviour of several molecules, paving the way for useful applications in chemistry and pharmaceutical research
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Meteorite causes rethink of how and when our solar system formed
Rocky bodies called protoplanets were thought to have formed slightly earlier in the inner solar system than those beyond the asteroid belt, but now a meteorite from the outer solar system is rewriting that view
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Carbon-offset schemes aren't prepared for forests to burn
Forest-based carbon-offset projects need a buffer to guarantee their climate benefits will last – but they may not have nearly enough in reserve
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The 14 best science and tech documentaries of 2025 so far
From David Attenborough to Hannah Fry via Bryan Johnson, our TV columnist Bethan Ackerley selects her favourite science and technology documentaries of the year to date
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Energy drinks could cause less dental damage with a simple addition
The acidity of drinks like Red Bull can erode dental enamel, but a lab experiment suggests this could be avoided via calcium fortification
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3D printing could enable a long-term treatment for type 1 diabetes
Small, 3D-printed devices, designed to be implanted directly under the skin, could allow people with type 1 diabetes to produce their own insulin