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.
A complete cop out • The annual UN climate summits are no longer fit for purpose
New Scientist
Grasshopper looks pretty in pink
COP30 staggers to the finish line • The 194 states taking part in UN climate negotiations reaffirmed the Paris Agreement following the US withdrawal, even if they agreed on little else, finds Alec Luhn
Why is climate action stalling as Earth gets hotter? • You might expect countries to step up their climate initiatives, but we’re actually seeing the opposite, says Michael Le Page
Bacteria linked to common form of IBD • Ulcerative colitis is one of the two main kinds of inflammatory bowel disease, and we may now have a better idea of its causes and how to treat it, finds Michael Le Page
Sperm’s beginnings go all the way back to before multicellular animals
Ancient tracks might be record of a sea turtle stampede
Loss of Y affects lung cancer outcomes • Tumour cells without Y chromosomes may have mixed effects on the condition’s progression
We may have found proof of the biggest stars ever seen
Storm-like vortices of water threaten Antarctic ice shelves
Mouse ‘midwives’ help mothers give birth
Vast Bronze Age city discovered on the plains of Kazakhstan
Tablets could one day replace weigh-tloss injections
Twist on 1845 experiment rewrites link between light and magnetism
Neanderthals may not have had a nose for the cold after all
Kissing may be millions of years old • Neanderthals and other hominins probably kissed, perhaps to promote bonding or assess mates
Mosquito mouthpart could help us make better 3D printers
Moss spores survive space exposure
Arctic Ocean is now warming from below
More of us are living in urban areas than we first thought
Strange structure found at the edge of the solar system
Recycling qubits gets results • Reusing the basic components of quantum computers makes them more reliable
Ancient figurine may show goose mating with a woman
(Re)making memories • Memory manipulation might sound like dystopian science fiction, but it could be one of humanity’s healthiest ideas, says Steve Ramirez
Field notes from space-time • A trip to the dark side We can’t see dark matter directly, so studying it pushes the boundaries of our creativity as scientists. How exciting, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Rescue mission • The Nature Conservancy 2025 Oceania Photo Contest
Reading the highlights • Women’s hidden extra work, positive tipping points and new thinking on autism – there’s much to chew on in this year’s best reads, says Liz Else
Out of this world • From drowned worlds to virtual utopias via deep space, wild ideas abound in Emily H. Wilson’s picks for her favourite sci-fi reads of 2025
Your letters
Fixing quantum theory’s fatal flaw • A new take on quantum cause and effect could bridge the gap between quantum theory and our experience of reality, says physicist Ciarán Gilligan-Lee
The meaning of quantum theory
Heroes in disguise • The long-overlooked hoverfly could help offset the decline of bees and save our crops, discovers Marta Zaraska
Uncharted territory • A revolutionary new way of mapping disease in intricate detail is leading to treatments for deadly conditions, finds Michael Marshall
Festive...