Author: hatman

The New Scientist Book Club has just finished reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. Most of our members enjoyed it, even if the sheer volume of ideas in the book made it a challenging read

In his book The Genius Bat, ecologist Yossi Yovel explains why these mammals are a vital part of ecosystems, pollinating plants and keeping insect populations in check

Premenstrual syndrome and its symptoms is neglected by science, so Sarah Hill’s new book is welcome. But it needs more on genetics, not just lifestyle changes, says Alexandra Thompson

AI tools are being used to design proteins and even viruses, leading to fears these could eventually be used to evade bioweapon controls

Scientists are beginning to understand the sudden loss of sea ice in Antarctica – and there is growing evidence that it represents a permanent shift with potentially catastrophic consequences

Facilities that make particles called B mesons may seem obscure, but they could help explain why there is more matter than antimatter and what dark matter is, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

A free-floating planet has been seen devouring astonishing amounts of matter, hinting that stars and planets are more alike than we thought

Jane Goodall, who chronicled the social lives of chimps, has died, but she leaves a lasting legacy on how we view the natural world

Learning to play an instrument has long been linked to improved reading skills among children, and we may finally understand why

Feedback is amazed to find that the audible vocalisations of the house mouse is all but unstudied in favour of the ultrasonic sounds humans can’t hear. SQUEAK!