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Malcolm Gladwell's miscellany of myths

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Superstar writer Malcolm Gladwell teases out complexities behind the obvious and fun in the mundane in his collection of essays, What the Dog Saw

The music of Life on Earth

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Edward Williams's music for Life on Earth is as atmospheric and innovative as the classic 1979 David Attenborough TV series it was composed for

'Space elevator' wins $900,000 NASA prize

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:37:00 GMT

A laser-powered robot climbed 900 metres up a cable suspended from a helicopter, winning a prize that had gone unclaimed since 2005

Innovation: Can technology persuade us to save energy?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:17:00 GMT

Gadgets and systems designed to steer us towards greener behaviour are under development, and they work – if we'll let them

Today on New Scientist: 6 November 2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Today's stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: how to end the epidemic of short-sightedness, the future of computer graphics, and why human microbes are total NIMBYs

Triple shadows and fake reflections: Future graphics

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:20:48 GMT

See computer graphics research to be presented at the ACM Siggraph Asia conference next month – including an art installation that casts three distinct shadows

Was life founded on cyanide from space crashes?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:55:00 GMT

Comet and asteroid strikes may have seeded Earth with cyanide that prepared the planet for life

Generation specs: Stopping the short-sight epidemic

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:05:00 GMT

Myopia is on the rise all around the world, but there might be a simple way to spare many kids the need for spectacles

This week's top stories [06 November 2009]

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:31 GMT

Our top articles ranked by reader popularity.

Nanoparticle DNA damage study: what you should know

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:54:00 GMT

A study has found some nanoparticles can harm cells without being in contact with them: should you be worried?

Picking up mates at the white shark café

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Great whites roam the oceans to hunt but always touch base at their favourite dangerous dive

How your brain sees virtual you

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:34:00 GMT

The way the brain regards the virtual "you" may help explain why some people spend large chunks of their life online playing immersive games

Pilots' artificial horizon lined up for a revamp

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:30:00 GMT

Conventional instruments can be misread in a crisis – or so says the inventor of what he claims is a more intuitive design

Human microbes are picky about neighbourhoods on body

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:00 GMT

A map of the bacteria living on the human body shows the bugs that call us home have strong preferences about where they settle

Today on New Scientist: 5 November 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Today's stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: how to kill thousands of species with magma and coal, why the digital switchover is good news for astronomers, and a quick and simple way to make a really loud noise

Mass extinction blamed on fiery fountains of coal

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:19:00 GMT

One of Earth's worst-ever mass extinctions may have been caused by carbon dioxide released by exploding mixtures of magma and coal

Sony demos game controller to track motion and emotion

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:57:00 GMT

Sony looks set to be the first major console maker to bring hands-free, full-body game control to the public

TV switch-over triggers rush to see rare stars

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:14:00 GMT

The wavelengths previously used to broadcast analogue TV in the US are now open to radio astronomers – but not for long

Nicky Clayton: Dancing with Darwin

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:26:00 GMT

The bird cognition expert has worked with the Rambert Dance Company on its new evolution-inspired show, now on tour in the UK

Instant Expert: The Copenhagen climate change summit

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:38:03 GMT

The Copenhagen climate change summit is being billed as the meeting that will determine humanity's future. What is all the fuss about? We sift through the science and policy, and tell you all you need to know

Peter Diamandis: the joy of taking risks

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:18:00 GMT

The CEO of the X Prize Foundation wants to use our competitive instincts to make the world a better place

Giant crack in Africa formed in just days

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:17:00 GMT

A crack in the Earth's crust ripped open in just days in 2005, a new study suggests – it could be the forerunner to a new ocean

Virtual crashes and clatters get real

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Sounds like the clash of a cymbal used to take weeks for software to mimic – now they can be synthesised in hours

Tomorrow's weather: Cloudy, with a chance of fractals

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Umbrella or sunscreen? Flood or drought? The secret of flawless weather forecasting turns out to be surprisingly simple

Genes show when a woman's biological clock will stop

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT

A gene test available next year could suggest how long a woman can put off having children