Withering monsoon may have doomed past Asian society
The Indian summer monsoon abruptly weakened 4200 years ago, and this may have led to the collapse of the elaborate Indus Valley Civilization
Lasers and radar build a 3D Roman bridge
How do you probe inside an ancient Roman bridge without touching it? Cutting-edge imaging techniques and 3D modelling, that's how
The therapy pill: Forget your phobia in fast forward
Talking cures for phobias or addictions take ages to detrain your brain. What if a memory-boosting drug let you do it in a day? Jessica Hamzelou pops the pill
Formula 1 will spearhead greener cars for us all
Rule changes that force Formula 1 racing cars to burn less fuel will lead to more efficient cars in general
Robot elephant trunk learns motor skills like a baby
Artificial trunks could do all sorts of jobs, but until now only robot experts could instruct them. Now anyone can, thanks to a new hands-on training system
Threatwatch: Chikungunya may explode with rainy season
The chikungunya virus is spreading insidiously around the Caribbean. When the rains return in a month or two, more cases could pop up in surprising places
US-Mexico deal shows how to make water peace, not war
One of the longest-running water disputes has been settled following an historic agreement between the US and Mexico – other nations should take note
Facebook drones alone won't help the offline world
Big tech firms like Facebook and Google want to bring the internet to the poor world, but their high-flying access points can be only part of the solution
Desktop quantum cloud to hunt elusive space-time waves
A tabletop device containing ultra-cold atoms may be more sensitive than detectors spread over kilometres, allowing us to finally prove Einstein right
Is OCD an addiction like drugs or gambling?
People with OCD can make risky judgements when decks of cards are stacked against them – a trait they share with gambling addicts
7 tricks to keep F1 cars fast and fuel-efficient
This year the racing cars in Formula 1 will have engines no bigger than yours, but they'll still hit incredible speeds. How will they do it?
The internet of things needs anti-virus protection
As more and more everyday objects get connected to the internet, there is a pressing need to protect them as we do computers, says Lily Hay Newman
Huge water pulse to bring Colorado river back from dead
A historic US-Mexico deal will see 130 billion litres of water infuse the river's parched delta, leaving an explosion of life in its wake
Time to sterilise farmed salmon to save wild cousins
Escaped farmed salmon can weaken the wild gene pool by cross-breeding, but there is a solution to hand, says an evolutionary ecologist
It's all for one in sky-blue seafaring superorganism
This ethereal award-winning portrait shows a Portuguese man-of-war with more than just a sting in its tail – it's also got job sharing down to a fine art
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.
