New Scientist

Some Polynesian people carry genes from Native Americans, which they acquired around AD 1200 – suggesting an epic journey across the Pacific Ocean

Making precise changes to the genomes of mitochondria within our cells could lead to treatments for disorders that can result in muscle weakness or even death in early childhood

People who lose loved ones to covid-19 may be more at risk of developing prolonged grief disorder because of the unique circumstances surrounding the death

We long assumed particles carrying the force of gravity couldn't have mass. That's wrong – and it may mean gravity travels at different speeds across the cosmos.

Mosquitoes carrying Zika virus are infectious when temperatures are 19°C or higher – climate change may increase the virus’s range into southern and eastern Europe and the northern US

The UK’s “unresponsive and defensive” healthcare system has failed women who developed life-changing conditions after pelvic mesh surgery, concludes a review into the treatment

Over 200 scientists have signed a letter calling for the world to recognise the potential for the coronavirus to be transmitted through small airborne droplets, and to take steps to protect against them

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

Scientists have repeatedly warned of a second surge of covid-19 infections as restrictions ease in the UK, but it hasn’t happened – were they wrong or is it still to come?

The European Commission is set to announce a new strategy to turn the universe’s most abundant element into a way for the EU to decarbonise polluting industries and transport

Hundreds of distinctive flint objects from a Stone Age village in Jordan seem to have been a form of symbolic communication – perhaps even figurines of people

Sound waves can be shaped into tweezers that can drag small objects around inside the body and potentially remove kidney stones

Scientists have urged people to eat less meat and dairy after finding livestock farming singlehandedly exceeds “planetary boundaries” for nitrogen pollution

The biggest ever science expedition to the Arctic found sea ice that was so unusually thin that it could threaten future efforts to study the effects of climate change in the region

Analysing the hormones in blood can help establish how many eggs a woman has left – but the hormones in hair might provide a more accurate picture of fertility

The Americas have become the biggest covid-19 hotspot with almost half of all the world's cases, but some countries in the region have found strategies to buck the trend

Rats fed a sugar syrup early in life develop an unusual gut microbiome that seems to worsen the rodents’ memories by changing the way their brains work

Queen Anne’s Revenge, the flagship of the notorious pirate Blackbeard, ran aground in 1718 and was abandoned by its crew. A new analysis says this may have been done on purpose

Astronomers have discovered four circles of radio waves in space, but have no explanation for their origin. We don't even know how big or far away they are

The gut bacteria in some people have acquired genes for digesting seaweed fibres in a transfer from marine bacteria. We don't know what effect this has on health, but it could be harmful