Frailty can be eased with an infusion of stem cells from young people 27. February 2026 (16:00) Frailty can typically only be lessened through lifestyle changes, but a stem cell therapy seems to target the underlying causes of the condition, boosting the mobility of frail older people(New Scientist)
Human brain cells on a chip learned to play Doom in a week 27. February 2026 (16:00) Neuron-powered computer chips can now be easily programmed to play a first-person shooter game, bringing biological computers a step closer to useful applications(New Scientist)
Ocean geoengineering trial finds no evidence of harm to marine life 27. February 2026 (12:08) Pouring 65,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into the Gulf of Maine removed up to 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere without harming wildlife, according to the researchers behind an ocean alkalinity enhancement test(New Scientist)
How worried should you be about an asteroid smashing into Earth? 27. February 2026 (11:38) The dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid, but does that mean we risk suffering the same fate - and should you be worried about the possibility? Leah Crane sets the matter straight(New Scientist)
'If a drug had the same benefits as the arts, we’d take it every day' 27. February 2026 (10:00) As the New Scientist Book Club embarks on its read for March, Art Cure, author Daisy Fancourt gives a sneak preview into the myriad ways in which the arts can improve our health(New Scientist)
Read an extract from Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt 27. February 2026 (10:00) In this extract from Daisy Fancourt's Art Cure, the March read for the New Scientist Book Club, we learn about how art classes transformed life for Russell after he had a stroke(New Scientist)
We all harbour 9 secrets and they are eating us up inside 27. February 2026 (10:00) Secret-keeping evolved to maintain social harmony, but it can weigh heavily on us when we can’t stop thinking about them. So, what is the best way to deal with things that we don't want anyone else to know?(New Scientist)
Could a niche 80s technology be the key to better quantum computers? 27. February 2026 (10:00) Superconducting computing circuits were briefly heralded as the future of computing in the 1980s. Columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan visits a quantum chip foundry where one company is betting this technology’s second act will revolutionise quantum computers(New Scientist)
Stem cell patch reverses brain damage in fetuses with spina bifida 27. February 2026 (00:30) The congenital condition spina bifida is often treated surgically in the womb, but many children still go on to have mobility issues. The addition of a patch made up of stem cells from donated placentas could improve their long-term outcomes(New Scientist)
