The sun is killing off SpaceX's Starlink satellites 27. May 2025 (16:00) There have never been so many satellites orbiting Earth as there are today, thanks in part to the launch of mega constellations like SpaceX's Starlink internet service - and now we are learning just how the sun's activity can affect them(New Scientist)
How fast you age is dictated by your sex, ethnicity and education 27. May 2025 (14:30) The pace of ageing accelerates as you get older, and it is linked to an individual's sex, ethnicity and level of education, according to studies of US and UK populations(New Scientist)
Cord blood banking is not living up to its promise 26. May 2025 (17:00) Banking a baby’s umbilical cord blood was once seen as a reasonable way to protect their future health, but much of that potential has turned out to be mere hype(New Scientist)
Physicists are waging a cosmic battle over the nature of dark energy 26. May 2025 (14:00) Results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) suggest that dark energy, a mysterious force in the universe, is changing over time. This would completely re-write our understanding of the cosmos - but now other physicists are challenging this view(New Scientist)
A photon caught in two places at once could destroy the multiverse 26. May 2025 (11:00) The idea of a multiverse of universes is derived from a particular interpretation of quantum mechanics, but now a new twist on a classic experiment says it is time to put the idea to bed(New Scientist)
Trump's Golden Dome defence project could spur a space arms race 23. May 2025 (23:00) US President Trump has proposed a Golden Dome defence system that includes missile interceptors in space. But the idea would cost hundreds of billions of dollars – and could accelerate the weaponisation of space(New Scientist)
Breaking encryption with a quantum computer just got 20 times easier 23. May 2025 (17:13) A quantum computer with a million qubits would be able to crack the vital RSA encryption algorithm, and while such machines don't yet exist, that estimate could still fall further(New Scientist)
Why birds decorate their nests with weird and unnatural objects 23. May 2025 (15:00) Puzzlingly, many birds add human-made material to their nests with no obvious function – now there is evidence that these home improvements might ward off predators(New Scientist)
