New Scientist - News

1. Most effective migraine drugs revealed by review of trial data
   A meta-analysis of 137 clinical trials finds triptan drugs are among the most effective for treating migraines, while newer ditan and gepant drugs were rated less highly
2. Giant rats trained to sniff out illegal wildlife trade
   African giant pouched rats proved adept at detecting four commonly trafficked products derived from endangered species including rhino horn and elephant ivory
3. The cactus family’s surprising evolutionary journey
   We are finally untangling the ancient history of the cactus family, revealing some surprising forces that shaped these plants – ­­­­­­and prompting concern for their future
4. Strange binary star system has three Earth-sized exoplanets
   Exoplanets in binary star systems usually orbit both stars, but astronomers have now spotted three planets orbiting one or the other star in a pair
5. Bird flu virus that infected a person in Missouri had a rare mutation
   Genetic analysis of a bird flu virus detected in a person in Missouri who didn’t previously have contact with animals offers more details on the case, but experts say there isn’t substantial evidence to suggest human-to-human transmission is happening
6. Light has been seen leaving an atom cloud before it entered
   Particles of light can spend "negative time" passing through a cloud of extremely cold atoms – without breaking the laws of physics
7. Current laws cannot protect civilians in space if something goes wrong
   As the space industry evolves, we need a new set of international regulations to decide who is responsible for safety, the number of satellites in space, and more
8. Tiny nuclear-powered battery could work for decades in space or at sea
   A new design for a nuclear battery that generates electricity from the radioactive decay of americium is unprecedentedly efficient
9. Black hole’s jets are so huge that they may shake up cosmology
   Spanning 23 million light years, or 220 Milky Way galaxies, a set of giant, newly discovered black hole jets known as Porphyrion may change our understanding of black holes and the structure of the universe
10. Freak waves may be more dangerous than we thought possible
    Experiments in a state-of-the-art wave tank suggest we have underestimated the potential size and power of rogue waves and the risk they pose to offshore infrastructure