Maths quiz helps paralysed people talk with their eyes
The automatic dilation of pupils that happens when you attempt a hard sum can help doctors to communicate with people who cannot move
Quantum weirdness: The battle for the basis of reality
Reality, relativity, causality or free will? Take quantum theory at face value and at least one of them is an illusion – but which, asks Michael Brooks
Pterosaurs deserve a place in the sun
The first animals to evolve powered flight have long been eclipsed by our insatiable appetite for dinosaurs. Let's hear it for Mark P. Witton's Pterosaurs
Solar furnace to keep race for hydrogen running hot
Is this a peek at the future of energy? A giant solar water-splitting array could help fuel a hydrogen revolution more efficiently than rival systems
Zoologger: Quail whip up a lovely sperm meringue
Male quail produce a strange foam that appears to help their sperm outcompete that of their rivals
Making medicine as ubiquitous as Coke in rural Africa
To get vital medicines to children in need throughout Zambia, one entrepreneur started taking cues from Coca-Cola
Apocalypse soon, if we keep on cutting science
Radical budget cuts are threatening not just US science, but its way of life
Cells that help you find your way identified in humans
The first direct evidence of human grid cells used to form a mental map could lead to treatments for the navigation issues associated with Alzheimer's
More girls born in Japan after quake skews sex ratio
Fewer boys than girls were born in the wake of the huge earthquake that struck Japan in March 2011
Was thalidomide cause of Brazil baby birth defects?
Birth defects in 100 Brazilian babies have been blamed on the use of thalidomide to treat leprosy in pregnant women, but the finding is controversial
Become the star of your own personalised manga comic
A Kinect system turns a user's poses into action-packed Japanese manga comics – with you as the star
Arabian flights: Early humans diverged in 150 years
Most detailed analysis yet of Y chromosomes reveals how rapidly humans split into three groups in Arabia after emerging from Africa
Uruguay vote moves the country towards legal cannabis
Uruguay looks set to become the first country to set up a legal market for cannabis, with laws described as a "cutting-edge experiment"
Radar gun spots vehicles with illegal GPS jammers
The next time you see a police officer wielding a speed gun, take a closer look. They might be seeking out satnav jammers
Steer me sideways: icebreaker attacks pack ice side-on
A new breed of icebreaker will accelerate the development of global shipping lanes in the Arctic
Medicine hunter of the Brazilian Amazon
Adrian Pohlit is investigating the medicinal properties of Amazonia's plants, and says the next big antimalarial drug may be growing right under our noses
Dances with molecules
Quantum chemistry shows you the dancing atoms you share the world with
Feedback: How to unwind your DNA
Paying for open-access, impersonating websites, gravity-defying beds, and more
Bradley Manning and "hacker madness" scare tactic
Technophobia may have played a role in the conviction of Bradley Manning for handing information to WikiLeaks, says an internet law specialist
Online gamers harnessed to help disaster response
Adding quests to tag damage in a virtual recreation of a stricken city means online gamers could help in the aftermath of a disaster – without leaving a game
Science in a photo: New Scientist Eureka prize winners
A charred elephant carcass and an egg-carrying sea dragon are among the top entries in this year's photography competition sponsored by New Scientist
Climate change may make civil wars much more common
The world could soon be a more violent place, according to research that pools existing studies on climate and conflict, but its conclusion is contentious
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Have your say
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.







