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New Scientist - Home
New Scientist - Home
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US government defunds research on misinformation
The US National Science Foundation cancelled funding for research on misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated deepfakes, even as misleading information runs rampant on social media
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Chatbots can hide secret messages in seemingly normal conversations
Text-generating AIs such as ChatGPT can be used to hide encrypted messages inside fake conversations, which could help people living under oppressive regimes communicate secretly
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Ancient supervolcano eruption had surprisingly mild impact on climate
Rather than a volcanic winter, the Toba eruption 74,000 years ago resulted in several years of warm and dry weather, geochemical evidence from India suggests
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Hackers could 'vandalise' quantum computers without people noticing
Hackers may be able to garble the output of programs running on quantum computers, leaving other people with unknowingly incorrect results - but thankfully, there is a fix
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First ever 'black hole bomb' created in the lab
A black hole bomb – an idea first proposed in 1969 – has now been realised in the lab as a toy model made from a rotating cylinder and magnetic coils. Studying the bomb could help us better understand real black holes.
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Ancient camp shows how humans adapted to extreme cold in Europe
An Austrian site occupied by humans from around 24,000 to 20,000 years ago documents a switch towards hunting reindeer for their fur, which may have helped people to endure harsh winters during the last glacial period
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'Bone collector' caterpillar wears dead insect body parts as disguise
A carnivorous caterpillar species camouflages itself with dead insects so it can live safely alongside spiders, stalking their webs and stealing their prey
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Signs of alien life on exoplanet K2-18b may just be statistical noise
Last week astronomers reported hints of biological activity on a distant planet, but a re-analysis of their data suggests the claimed molecules may not be there at all
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Oldest ant fossil ever found shows how ants took over the world
A fossilised 113-million-year-old hell ant from Brazil adds to the evidence that the first ants evolved in the southern hemisphere before moving north – and beyond
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Reading for pleasure has plummeted over the past 20 years
People in the US are reading for pleasure less and less, despite it being linked to better sleep, improved mental health and even a longer life