Possible signs of ancient life on Mars are rich in complex carbon 24. June 2026 (21:00) An instrument on the Perseverance rover has identified large, complex carbon compounds alongside unusual patterns on the surface of rocks that resemble traces of microbial activity(New Scientist)
Screwworm could be the first species targeted by an 'extinction drive' 24. June 2026 (20:19) We have developed genetic technologies that could wipe out entire species of pests that are harmful to us. Columnist Michael Le Page says the flesh-eating screwworm is the most likely first target(New Scientist)
Inside Brazil’s vast network of lifesaving free milk banks 24. June 2026 (20:00) These images from photographer Kristin Bethge document Brazil's milk bank system, which provides some of the world's cheapest and safest donated milk to hundreds of thousands of babies(New Scientist)
Hold the onions – and see if they make you cry 24. June 2026 (20:00) Feedback isn't sure what to make of a ground-breaking piece of research into the understudied topic of "subjective individual variability in onion tearing and its relationship to chemosensory sensitivity"(New Scientist)
The 17 best popular science books of 2026 so far 24. June 2026 (20:00) The first six months of the year have brought us popular science reads on everything from consciousness to cosmology. Liz Else rounds up her favourites(New Scientist)
Neuroscience can't tell us the way to govern people's brains 24. June 2026 (20:00) From the age of legal adulthood to the concept of "profound autism", policy-makers are turning to neuroscience to help shape laws and policies, but the science simply isn't ready(New Scientist)
All known Homo naledi skeletons seem to be female 24. June 2026 (18:00) An analysis of tooth proteins suggests all 23 Homo naledi individuals found in the Rising Star cave in South Africa were female, which strengthens the case that they were placed there deliberately(New Scientist)
The lunar botanist with a plan to farm vegetables on the moon 24. June 2026 (18:00) Jessica Atkin knows more than anyone else about what it would take to supply food for a moon base. She reveals how to build a lunar farm and what astronauts can expect to dine on(New Scientist)
Some of the last Neanderthals were surprisingly genetically diverse 24. June 2026 (18:00) Genetic analysis of Neanderthals in north-western Europe reveals that this population was surprisingly genetically diverse, hinting that inbreeding didn’t lead to the species' demise(New Scientist)
