See half a world and you can't reason about the past
People with spatial neglect ignore the left side of their world – and the "left side" of time too, which means they problems reasoning about the past
Breaking relativity: Celestial signals defy Einstein
Strange signals picked up from black holes and distant supernovae suggest there's more to space-time than Einstein believed, says Stuart Clark
ButtonMasher: AI takes on humans to create video game
AI has taken on humans in a contest to build exciting and creative video games – with mixed and unsettling results
Designer plants have vital fish oils in their seeds
Genetically modified Camelina plants have produced two omega-3 fatty acids important for health – the breakthrough could help relieve pressure on fish stocks
GPS satellites suggest Earth is heavy with dark matter
A new analysis of satellite orbits suggest Earth is heavier than expected, perhaps due to a halo of dark matter around its equator
Spray bacteria on the desert to halt its spread
In northern China, seeding sand dunes with bacteria is helping to re-establish the soil crust and hold back the sand
Try mixed reality, where the virtual and real collide
Virtual reality is so 2013 – a new, immersive blending of physical and virtual worlds suggests we could one day live our lives in "mixed reality"
A break from booze, a break from bad habits
Quitting alcohol for short periods seems to bring health benefits – but it also changes your mindset about drinking, and that could be a bigger gain
Forgotten aliens: We should hunt for viruses in space
Viruses outnumber all cellular life forms on Earth at least 10 to 1 – so we can't ignore them in our search for extraterrestrial life, argues astrovirologist Ken Stedman
Pacific coral happy as acidity of the ocean rises
Reefs found thriving in naturally acidified waters give hope that some corals could cope with climate change
Mix of hepatitis and pollen blows hay fever away
Early trials show a new type of vaccine for grass pollen is safe and works after just four jabs
Armpit cheese: The sweeter side of bacteria
Would you eat cheese cultivated from your armpit sweat or toe jam? No? Then you should rethink your prejudices about bacteria
Our liver vacation: Is a dry January really worth it?
Less liver fat, cholesterol and weight – just some of the benefits that New Scientist staff enjoyed in a pioneering study into a month's alcohol abstinence
We don't need to land to find life on Europa
Landing on Jupiter's moon carries the very real risk of contamination with earthly bugs. But we may not need to touch down on Europa to find life
Wired Wild West: Cowpokes chatted on fence-wire phones
Personalised ringtones, chat rooms and online music – 19th-century ranchers pioneered social networking, says Bob Holmes
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