Filming the universe’s biggest dramas: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Astronomers used to rely on chance to catch a glimpse of fleeting explosions in space. A fresh approach to watching these flashes has completely transformed astronomy(New Scientist)
The invention of net zero: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Net zero wasn’t always the target – the consensus used to be that we could continue releasing greenhouse gases and maintain global temperatures. How did that change?(New Scientist)
A revolution in how we do chemistry: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) From finding new antibiotic candidates to studying the insides of cells, snapping molecules together "like Lego" has completely overhauled chemistry, and biology too(New Scientist)
Why a tool-using cow could change how we see farm animals 19. January 2026 (17:00) A pet cow has learned to scratch herself with a broom, showing creative problem-solving skills that make it harder to ignore the fact that these animals have minds, says Marta Halina(New Scientist)
There’s no such thing as a normal brain: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Neurodiversity research has reshaped how we think about autism and ADHD, revealing that a “normal” brain doesn’t exist – and that unusual brains also come with unique strengths(New Scientist)
The one innovation that supercharged AI: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) The most powerful artificial intelligence tools all have one thing in common. Whether they are writing poetry or predicting protein structures, they rely on the "transformer" architecture(New Scientist)
The one diet that’s good for everything: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Time and time again, scientists have found that one diet beats all others when it comes to our health. Fortunately, it's delicious – and also good for the planet(New Scientist)
The immense interconnectivity of the brain: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) How discovering that different parts of the brain work together as networks has transformed our understanding of everything from daydreaming and emotions to planning and memory(New Scientist)
The hidden power of epigenetics: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Following the surprising discovery that our genetic blueprint is much simpler than expected, we’ve rapidly learned that we have epigenetics to thank for our extraordinary complexity(New Scientist)
End-to-end encryption: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) How end-to-end encryption is the wall that keeps our digital secrets safe – and why modern life would be unimaginable without it(New Scientist)
