Don't let internet companies hoard the wealth of big data
Personal information is worth something, as Twitter's huge valuation suggests. Perhaps we should rethink how freely we give our data away
World's largest cancer database launched
The online resource contains 1.7 billion experimental results relating to genes and clinical trials, highlighting promising targets for cancer-fighting drugs
Can a computer virus communicate via your speakers?
A cyber-security expert says that his "air-gapped" computers have exchanged malware through ultrasound. If he's right, we'd better watch out
Primeval planet: What if humans had never existed?
What was the planet like before Homo sapiens, and would it still be that way if we had never gone global? We rewind time, erase our ancestors, and hit play
When a rubber tongue becomes your own
Imagine having your tongue cut off… All is not what it seems, discovers Sandrine Ceurstemont during a visit to the Experimental Food Society's exhibition
Sugary drinks tinker with vital proteins in the brain
Rats that drank sugary drinks rather than water showed changes to proteins in the brain – some of which are implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer's
Cosmic graffiti carved in space by stellar winds
The glowing gas cloud that spawned a litter of stars has been sculpted into amazing shapes by the powerful radiation from its offspring
Exercise in pregnancy boosts baby brain development
Babies born to women who exercised during pregnancy have more mature brains, suggesting that staying active may be good for all concerned
Air pollution blights London life
In almost half of London boroughs, the proportion of deaths from air pollution rose between 2010 and 2011, probably because of diesel-fuelled vehicles
Why string is one of the greatest inventions
The first string-maker was one of the greatest technological pioneers – and there's no end in sight for its modern twists
Unmask Wikipedia sock puppets by the way they write
Multiple accounts run by the same person is a problem plaguing Wikipedia, but software that analyses their writing style can sniff them out
Musical mind-reading can name that tune
Different brain cells respond to different musical notes, so patterns of brain activity can show what song you are listening to
How open data empowers citizens of poorer nations
From Ghana to India, citizens are using online open data to hold governments to account – with great success
All in the mind: hone movement skills just by thinking
Imagining playing the piano or running around can improve your manual dexterity. This could help people think their way back to health after a stroke
Get off the carbon train soon or the world is stuffed
Runaway warming beckons – if levels of carbon dioxide keep rising, the climate will become ever more sensitive to each extra tonne
Natural disasters don't have to be human disasters
We need to take more decisive action to move people out of harm's way before disaster strikes
Hacked Google Glass recognises finger gestures
Strap a camera to your wrist and start typing in mid-air – it's just one of the projects creating a gestural interface for the Google Glass
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.
