New Scientist - News

1. Hair conditioner made from wood is black and smelly, but eco-friendly
   Hair conditioner made using lignin, a polymer found in wood and bark, works just as well as a commercial product - as long as you don't mind the smell
2. How one farm is testing multiple carbon-capture tricks all at once
   Rock dust, compost and biochar can all help capture carbon dioxide and boost crop yields when spread on soil – but researchers are discovering they may be even more effective when used in combination
3. US stops sharing flu data with WHO amidst one of its worst flu seasons
   The US withdrawal from the World Health Organization formally takes one year, but the country has already stopped sharing influenza surveillance with the international body, which could impact the efficacy of the next flu vaccine
4. The bold plan to bring back Tasmanian devils across mainland Australia
   Tasmanian devils are already being released inside predator-proof sanctuaries in New South Wales, and rewilding advocates believe they could suppress feral cats and foxes across the continent
5. Time can move both forwards and backwards at the quantum scale
   Physicists use mathematical assumptions in many situations that forbid time from moving backwards – but that isn’t necessarily a reflection of quantum reality
6. Mini-brains have been fused to resemble that of a 40-day-old fetus
   By fusing different human organoids, researchers have created “mini-brains” containing most of the cell types found in fetal brains
7. Asteroid 2024 YR4 will now almost certainly miss Earth in 2032
   New observations have dramatically reduced the chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032, lowering the risk to minimal levels, but its extraordinarily close approach will offer astronomers the chance to examine it in detail
8. AI can decode digital data stored in DNA in minutes instead of days
   A new AI-based method can accurately recover digital data from DNA strands nearly 90 times faster than older techniques, raising the possibility of practical DNA storage for computing
9. NOAA scientists refuse to link warming weather to climate change
   In a monthly reporting call on global climate, researchers from the US government’s climate and weather agency avoided mentioning rising levels of greenhouse gases
10. Mice seen giving 'first aid' to unconscious companions
    Young mice seemingly attempt to revive an anaesthetised cage mate by grooming and biting it and will even pull aside the tongue to clear its airway