A quantum battery has been built within a quantum computer, a first step in determining whether such batteries could play a role in powering future quantum technologies. Conventional batteries store energy because their components undergo electrochemical reactions, but quantum batteries rely on quantum bits, or qubits, which undergo changes in their quantum states. Some studies…
Meditation and a low dose of the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT had very similar effects on a spiritual teacher janiecbros/Getty Images A master meditator has spent 15 years learning to quiet his sense of self – and brain scans suggest he achieved a similarly altered state with a powerful psychedelic. “There seems to be, with that low…
A herd of caribou outside Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, in the spring migration KATIE ORLINSKEY FrostlinesNeil Shea, Picador (UK, 12 February) Ecco Publishing (US, available now) IN SO far as those of us further south consider the Arctic at all, we tend to think of it as a monolith: an expanse of white, with walruses and…
Feedback is New Scientist’s popular sideways look at the latest science and technology news. You can submit items you believe may amuse readers to Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com Caped crusaders It has been some time since Mrs Feedback was pregnant, but she still remembers the bother of trying to get a seat on public transport…
Meditation and a low dose of the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT had very similar effects on a spiritual teacher janiecbros/Getty Images A master meditator has spent 15 years learning to quiet his sense of self – and brain scans suggest he achieved a similarly altered state with a powerful psychedelic. “There seems to be, with that low…
Nasal sprays target flu viruses at their main point of entry into the body Tatiana Maksimova/Getty Images An antibody nasal spray has shown promise for protecting against flu in preliminary human trials, after first being validated in mice and monkeys. It may be useful for combatting future flu pandemics because it seems to neutralise any…
Moltbook is a social network where only AIs can post Cheng Xin/Getty Images A social network solely for AI – no humans allowed – has made headlines around the world. Chatbots are using it to discuss humans’ diary entries, describe existential crises or even plot world domination. It looks like an alarming development in the rise of the…
A SpaceX satellite launch at Kennedy Space Center, Florida Geopix/Alamy We are only a month into 2026, yet it’s already clear what one of the major space stories of the year is going to be: mega-constellations, and the ongoing attempts to launch thousands of satellites into Earth’s orbit. The latest development is that SpaceX has…
The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we dive into fascinating ideas from around the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time here. One of the more absurd things about science is that you can spend years studying and reading about the universe’s deepest mysteries – dark matter,…
Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots tested brain-reading technology in a simulator Alireza Boeini/Alamy Fighter pilots in training are having their brainwaves read by AI as they fly in virtual reality to measure how difficult they find tasks and ramp up the complexity if needed. Experiments show that trainee fighter pilots prefer this adaptive system to…
