Are Trump's cuts to science the end of the endless frontier? 28. March 2025 (22:39) Since the second world war, US economic prosperity and major technological developments have hinged upon the government’s commitment to funding scientific research. The Trump administration is ending that(New Scientist)
Asteroid 2024 YR4 could still hit the moon, JWST observations reveal 28. March 2025 (16:21) Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe asteroid 2024 YR4, which earlier this year seemed to be at risk of hitting Earth in 2032. Earth is now safe, but astronomers are cheering on a possible collision with the moon(New Scientist)
Could a new kind of carbon budget ensure top emitters pay their dues? 28. March 2025 (12:00) Some researchers propose that countries should start to rack up a carbon debt once they exceed their carbon budget, obliging them to do more to draw down carbon dioxide, but the idea is unlikely to form part of international climate agreements(New Scientist)
Distracted by your phone? Putting it out of reach may not help 28. March 2025 (06:00) When researchers asked people to work on a computer with their phones 1.5 metres away, the amount of time they spent on their phone went down – but they just scrolled social media on their laptop instead(New Scientist)
Flourishing microalgae could offset emissions as the planet heats up 27. March 2025 (16:00) Photosynthesising microbes in soil may increase their activity as temperatures rise, offsetting some of the carbon emissions expected to be released from peatland and permafrost(New Scientist)
We've spotted auroras on Neptune for the first time 27. March 2025 (14:40) After 34 years of searching, astronomers have finally confirmed Neptune has auroras, thanks to data from the James Webb Space Telescope(New Scientist)
Quantum computers are on track to solve knotty mathematical problems 27. March 2025 (12:30) A quantum algorithm for solving mathematical problems related to knots could give us the first example of a quantum computer tackling a genuinely useful problem that would otherwise be impossible for a classical computer(New Scientist)
