New Scientist

A species of tarantula seems to live exclusively inside hollow bamboo stems, which no other tarantula is known to do

US telecoms companies plan to turn on 5G networks across the US, but airline bosses warn that potential interference with planes could cause a "catastrophic" crisis

Bacteria-killing viruses can be used to treat antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and the approach has been tried in more than 100 people in Belgium since a 2019 change in regulations

For some, the phrase “living with covid” means removing all restrictions. But the actions we take now will determine how many more people die of covid – and whether we’re doomed to keep chasing new variants

Most quantum computers are based on superconductors or trapped ions, but an alternative approach using ordinary atoms may have advantages

The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic

A fresh approach to generating images based on text descriptions with AI, called a diffusion model, effectively un-destroys new images into existence

A model based on Earth’s oceans and atmosphere explains how Mars could have been cold and wet 3 billion years ago

Unfamiliar voices seem to put the sleeping brain on alert in a way that familiar voices don’t

Rising levels of ground-level ozone in China and nearby countries are having a big effect on the yields of staple crops such as wheat, rice and maize

Plastic straws are increasingly being avoided for both health and environmental reasons, but the alternatives all have their downsides – until now

The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic

The underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption has already triggered a tsunami, a sonic boom and thousands of lightning bolts, and could now lead to acid rain

Early Bronze Age people in Syria crossed donkeys with wild asses to make prized horse-like hybrids, demonstrating advanced understanding of animal breeding

Lidar uses lasers to create 3D images, but these can be hard to interpret because they are black and white. A new scanner adds cameras to make colour images that could be useful for infrastructure inspection or robot vision

Evidence shows that getting a flu jab during pregnancy provides substantial protection to young babies, but uptake in many countries is still concerningly low

A new milestone this week points to how these environmental levies are more likely the solution, not the problem, when it comes to avoiding energy price shocks

Reassuring findings from the UK and South Africa suggest that omicron isn't more severe in kids. Record numbers of hospitalisations probably reflect sheer number of cases and lack of vaccination

The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic

By placing a marimo, a naturally forming ball of algae, inside a plastic shell, researchers have created a robot that can move through water powered only by photosynthesis