New Scientist - Home
New Scientist - Home
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Fossil snake discovered in India may have been the largest ever
The vertebrae of Vasuki indicus, a snake that lived 47 million years ago, suggest it could have been as long as 15 metres
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Jupiter's moon Io has been a volcanic inferno for billions of years
Measurements of sulphur isotopes in Io’s atmosphere show that the moon may have been volcanically active for its entire lifetime
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Quantum-proof encryption may not actually stop quantum hackers
Cryptographers are scrambling to understand an algorithm that could undermine the mathematics behind next-generation encryption methods, which are intended to protect against quantum computers
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Particles move in beautiful patterns when they have ‘spatial memory’
A mathematical model of a particle that remembers its past so that it never travels the same path twice produces stunningly complex patterns
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Ancient Maya burned their dead rulers to mark a new dynasty
In the foundations of a Maya temple, researchers found the charred bones of royal individuals – possibly evidence of a fiery ritual to mark the end of one dynasty and the beginning of another
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What is cloud seeding and did it cause the floods in Dubai?
Cloud seeding almost certainly did not play a significant role in the flooding on the Arabian peninsula this week – but the heavy rains may have been exacerbated by climate change
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Ancient marine reptile found on UK beach may be the largest ever
The jawbone of an ichthyosaur uncovered in south-west England has been identified as a new species, and researchers estimate that the whole animal was 20 to 25 metres long
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Ancient humans lived inside a lava tube in the Arabian desert
Underground tunnels created by lava flows provided humans with shelter for thousands of years beneath the hot desert landscape of Saudi Arabia
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Does the future of boxing lie in humans versus robots? Possibly
Feedback pores over new research that suggests "robot-human boxing" would reduce brain injuries by reducing the number of live opponents involved
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A Body Made of Glass review: A very personal history of hypochondria
Millions of people experience symptoms many doctors dismiss as imaginary, but why? Caroline Crampton's moving first-person account is very revealing