New Scientist

Instead of using sophisticated sensors to detect their surroundings and navigate safely, drones and robots could listen for reflections of their own mechanical noises

Ecosystems such as forests and peatlands are vital stores for carbon, but less than a quarter of these areas worldwide have protected status

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Questions that are just as enigmatic now as when we first asked them

The end-Permian mass extinction 252 million years ago might have begun when eruptions triggered a volcanic winter

An mRNA vaccine that causes a red, itchy skin rash in response to bites by ticks may allow them to be removed before they transmit Lyme disease-causing bacteria

In theory, genomes shared anonymously could be linked to people on social media because the DNA can be used to predict facial features, but the risk is vanishingly small

The desire to make exciting scientific news easy to understand spurred the foundation of New Scientist. That motivation is as strong today as it ever was

Dig down, and evolution by natural selection is just about spontaneous, sustained accumulation of complexity – if life elsewhere exists, it’s likely to develop in the same way

The humble oyster inspires passion in many, fear in some. Sam Wong explores their biology, weighs up their risks and offers a scientifically sensational combo meal

We have made huge progress in understanding some bits of the cosmos, but we’ve hit a brick wall with things like quantum theory and our own minds. Is there a way round?

Nothing in the cosmos can travel faster than light speed. By distinguishing cause and effect and stopping everything happening in a jumbled mess, our existence depends on it

Myths and stories trump rational reasoning when it comes to analysing distant threats like climate change. But we have tools to combat that – and it’s a myth irrationality is on the rise

A combination of base-building, strategy and hoards of reptilian beasties makes The Riftbreaker a whole lot of fun, says Jacob Aron

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence has been going on for 60 years without success. Given the hurdles to interstellar communication, that's just a blink of an eye

New Scientist's weekly round-up of the best books, films, TV series, games and more that you shouldn’t miss

Dazzling photos of the world above and below the ocean waterline, showcased in David Doubilet's book Two Worlds: Above and below the sea, reveal Earth’s rich duality

Combining a Hollywood favourite with a comedy robot and a dog isn’t enough to make the film Finch more than the sum of its parts, says Gregory Wakeman

Physicists have long speculated why our universe seems “just right” for life. The most complex answer might be the simplest – that every other universe also exists

The debilitating pain we sometimes feel at the loss of those we love is an evolutionary mystery. It could all come down to what happens in our childhoods