In which I mount my argument that effective altruism is one of the worst ideas the century so far…

The world, the universe and us is LIVE 🚨 @rowhoop.bsky.social, @abbybeall.bsky.social and the team on the 5 worst ideas of the 21st century: 📱 Social media 🪙 Bitcoin 🌳 Carbon off-sets 🙏 Effective altruism ⛽️ Biofuels podfollow.com/the-world-th...

Podcast: the worst ideas* of the 21st century 💥Social media 💥Bitcoin 💥Carbon offsets 💥Effective altruism 💥Alternative fuels *(in science and tech) open.spotify.com/episode/0Kbr...

What's the best idea of the 21st century so far? It's CRISPR, of course! 🧪 Why? It's already making farming less damaging, could save your life and will transform our kid's genomes 🧬 www.newscientist.com/article/2510...

Really excited to share a new story format now live on @newscientist.com for our 21 best ideas of the 21st century special - explore the full issue here www.newscientist.com/article/2511...

This is a shockingly bad piece, doing very little to actually inform readers about the current state of quantum computers. Don't let your economics editor write about cutting-edge science and technology! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Do you hate fad diets, gruelling exercise regimes and unachievable New Year's resolutions? We've found some easy changes you can make to your lifestyle that will still make a big difference to your health. And you'll actually enjoy them.

"It’s probably the most enjoyable health tip you could be told, but the data supporting it has – to date – remained a bizarrely well-kept secret: engage in the arts." www.newscientist.com/article/2506...

Nice to see @newscientist.com stories @mjflepage.bsky.social and I did on Colossal highlighted in this @theguardian.com long read. Biased take, obviously, but nobody cuts through the hype and explains the facts behind new science claims as well as New Scientist. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought of New Year's resolutions, we at @newscientist.com have found some easy, fun and relaxing new habits you can vow to take on instead. And the good news is, they'll have a huge impact on your health.

Christmas Day Yahtzee will never be the same 😁

My end-of-year leader for 2025 is about the need to defend science against the encroaching darkness, not just because it is the best way to make sense of the world, but also because it is an endless source of wonder and whimsy www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

Let's hope for a better 2026!

"Three breaths is all you need to tune into the present moment" - how small bursts of mindfulness practices lasting a minute or less can have unexpected benefits for those with busy lives, by @davidarobson.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2502...

From machine learning to voting, the workings of the world demand randomisation, but true sources of randomness are surprisingly hard to find. Now quantum mechanics has supplied the answer - by @drmichaelbrooks.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

this is a fascinating story by @grahamlawton.bsky.social about one of the most audacious scientific experiments ever attempted - a young physicist's quest to recreate the northern lights on the top of a mountain in northern Finland www.newscientist.com/article/2497...

our bumper holiday double issue hits the newsstands this weekend, which means our Christmas features are starting to come out! 🎅 here's one of my favourites, about the saga of a family of interbreeding polar and grizzly bears www.newscientist.com/article/2496...

I wrote a new book and here it is, out in the wild! a lovely Christmas present, perhaps, for any 7 to 12 year-olds interested in space or the stars... uk.bookshop.org/p/books/an-a...

I wrote about the ocean quahog, aka the Icelandic cyprine

One point to add about fake AI journalists: the people that will suffer most are young newbie journalists. I’ve been writing for years and have an extensive footprint: no editor is going to think I’m AI. But someone new, with few published stories, will necessarily look “less real”.

New Scientist is looking for someone to join our brilliant features team! preferably with expertise in evolution, ecology, human sciences and biology, but applicants with any science specialism are welcome www.dmgmedia.co.uk/careers/jobs...

So, is the US actually going to start testing nuclear weapons? Here's what the experts tell @sparkes.bsky.social and New Scientist www.newscientist.com/article/2502...

Here is our exclusive survey asking leading climate scientists to give their views on solar geoengineering: *66% believe we will see it attempted this century *52% say it will probably be done by a "rogue actor" *81% want an international treaty to manage risk www.newscientist.com/article/2498...

The future of space exploration and habitation: with first Briton in space Helen Sharman, biomedical space engineer Irene di Giulio, and BioOrbit CEO Katie King. Recorded live at the @royalsociety.org, with co-host @abbybeall.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVf_...

“The results were surprising, even for me,” says Llavero Pasquina. “I knew they were playing a very little role in the energy transition. I knew it was only for show. It was only for dressing their narrative. But I didn’t expect this low number.” www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

What a panel! ❤️

does this paper...make sense to anyone? "women’s menstrual cycles recorded before the introduction of LEDs in 2010 and the extensive use of smart phones significantly synchronized with the Moon, while those after 2010 coupled to the Moon mostly in January" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

We analyse the LIFE ON MARS data... with comment from Janice Bishop of @setiinstitute.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzMW...

in a few weeks I'll be hosting a special live episode of our @newscientist.com podcast "The world, the universe and us" at @royalsociety.org. it's going to be all about spaceflight and the human body, with some amazing guests! sign up here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-world-...

there's a total lunar eclipse this weekend! www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

How to build a telescope the size of the moon, a 🧵 Very-long baseline interferometry (VLBI) is a clever way astronomers combine inputs from radio telescopes to make a giant network of telescopes. It's how the Event Horizon Telescope imaged the black hole at the centre of our galaxy 1/5

excited to share that I will be starting in a new role when I come back to work @newscientist.com next month, as Specials Editor. I've had a lovely year with my tiny human but I am very excited to get back to editing and commissioning, with a focus on our special issue packages!

An astonishing headline reporting on new observations from a team led to Nikku Madhusudhan claims they’ve found ‘hints of life’ on a planet orbiting a dwarf star some 124 light years away. What’s going on? (1/n) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 🔭 🧪

Ah yes, April Fool's day on arXiv. Enjoyed this one. arxiv.org/abs/2503.22795

1/ Some things to keep in mind about the “planetary parade” that news reports breathlessly say is happening today: (1) The planets mostly move pretty slowly from day to day, so today's sky is pretty similar to a few days ago or a few days from now — except for Mercury (cont'd)

The FEP is one of those ideas everyone and no one seems to understand. I tried to wrap my head around it for New Scientist, but I feel like I barely even *found* the surface , let alone scratched it. For those of you who enjoy tying your brain in knots: shorturl.at/9wakH

Jonathan McDowell has painstakingly amassed one of the world's largest collections on the space industry 🚀 @planet4589.bsky.social is now retiring, after four decades, and considering the future of his collection. We spoke all things space for @newscientist www.newscientist.com/article/2468...

There will be an extra 2.3 million temperature-related deaths in Europe's main cities by 2099 without more action to limit further warming and adapt to it, researchers predict - but colder countries like the UK will see fewer temperature-related deaths overall. www.newscientist.com/article/2465...

Hey science nerds! Try your hand at these science-themed riddles @newscientist.bsky.social, written by yours truly: www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

it’s time for the new scientist holiday puzzle! hint - i was involved in coming up with some of the hidden words (88 of them) 💫 www.newscientist.com/article/2458...

Tomorrow, Dec. 12, at 4:15 UTC, the Lucy spacecraft will make its closest approach during its 2nd Earth Gravity Assist (EGA), just 350 km above the surface. If you are in the Hawaiian Islands, Atlantic Islands, or West Africa, you might be able to see the spacecraft. 1/7 🧵 #planetsci #scicomm 🧪

a lovely surprise to turn on the tv and see a familiar face! @seismatters.bsky.social

Reports of a bright, blue-green fireball over the UK tonight around 7:30pm. Sightings from Aberdeenshire down to Surrey. If you saw or recorded something please submit a report/footage to: ukmon.imo.net/members/imo/.... @ukfall.org.uk

“We’re thankful for zero gravity, it’s amazing” #thanksgiving on the ISS ❤️

Female astronaut goes to space but can’t escape online sexism by ‘small men’

There’s more to rainbows than the human eye can see: here’s how a rainbow extends into the infrared and ultraviolet. Photos: 1. Infrared 2. Visible (obviously) 3. Ultraviolet, and 4. A composite showing how UV is beyond the violet in a rainbow, and IR beyond the red end. 🧪 #photography

ScienceWrite, a UK scheme for aspiring STEM writers from minoritised backgrounds, is open for 2025 applications! The 3rd year @romatheengineer.bsky.social & I are running this, with support from @royalsociety.bsky.social & I am SO EXCITED Deadline 3rd Jan #SciComm 🧪 www.sciencewrite.co.uk

a snowy beach walk to start the day 🥶

Greetings new followers! Keep in mind that most stars that will ever be born already have been; the last red dwarf will exhaust its fuel in 10^15 years; and the last black hole will evaporate in 10^100 years. After that, nothing but cold, desolate, empty space, for all eternity.

I had so much fun working on my latest book, The Universe, for DK. full of lovely illustrations and aimed at 7-10 year olds, out now! 💫