New Scientist covers the latest developments in science and technology that will impact your world. New Scientist employs and commissions the best writers in their fields from all over the world. Our editorial team provide cutting-edge news, award-winning features and reports, written in concise and clear language that puts discoveries and advances in the context of everyday life today and in the future.
Christmas & New Year special
Wonders never cease • In a bad year for science, there are still plenty of marvels and whimsy to be found
New Scientist
Meta’s top dog gets a new look
Quantum test settles an old score • By bringing to life an experiment devised by Albert Einstein, researchers may have ended a row over the true nature of quantum mechanics, reports Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
Vaccine could offer year-long protection against allergic attacks
Tigers bouncing back in remote Sumatran jungle
The effect of tattoos on the body is more than skin deep
Volcanic eruption could have led Black Death to Europe
Is this how the moon was really made? • The moon is thought to have formed during one big impact, but it could actually have been three
Pet pooches’ microbes may make us more caring
Coral reefs caused historical warming • Periods when coral reef growth has peaked have coincided with big rises in sea temperatures
Satellite trails could spoil Hubble Space Telescope images
Asteroid Bennu carries everything you need for life
We may know how exercise fights cancer
What would Russia’s inability to launch crewed missions mean for the ISS? • Damage to a crucial Russian launch site means NASA may have to invest more money to keep the ISS going, or the space station could meet an early end, says Matthew Sparkes
Man unexpectedly free of HIV after stem cell transplant
Ancient artefacts found near caves in the Arabian desert
A year when US science was on the chopping block • The Trump administration has targeted everything from public health to space missions, reports Chelsea Whyte
Surprises from the animal kingdom • From a mouse giving first aid to cuckoo confrontations, here are a few of the best animal pictures from the past 12 months
We uncovered the true potential of GLP-1s • Drugs like Ozempic were shown to treat addiction and even slow ageing
De-extinction didn’t live up to the hype • Biologists poured cold water on Colossal Biosciences’ claim to have brought the dire wolf back
People saw a new colour for the first time
China’s emissions may have finally peaked • The world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide is on the cusp of a major turning point
A turning point • China’s carbon dioxide emissions are flatlining after rising for years
An asteroid threatened to hit Earth, then the moon
New twists in our human story • Here’s a selection of some of the most incredible archaeological discoveries of the year
AI firms felt the wrath of copyright holders • How media companies tried to wrestle back control of their characters from AI models
Diving back into 2025 • From ancient humans to AI slop, and from comets to cold-water exposure, our columnists look back on the year we’ve just had
What is it?
Catching up on the greats • Bored of the festivities? Sick of your relatives? Now’s the perfect time to get up to speed with some under-recognised cultural gems, as picked by New Scientist
Your letters
SEASONAL DELIGHTS • Over the next 32 pages, we have an array of enchanting treats to tickle your fancy…
Colour in the year
Slaying physics demons • Three “demons” have haunted physicists for centuries, and vanquishing them hasn’t been easy,...