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Updated: 8 min 30 sec ago

Briefing: How bad is the new Gulf oil rig fire?

1 hour 29 min ago
Less than five months after the largest oil spill in US history, another fire has occurred on an oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico

Physicists divided over life extension for US collider

4 hours 46 min ago
A panel of physicists recommends keeping Fermilab's Tevatron collider alive for an extra three years, but others worry about collateral damage

Ancient bacteria could improve anti-ageing cosmetics

9 hours 50 min ago
Cyanobacteria survived strong UV exposure for a billion years – the secret to their success could be key to new sunscreens and "anti-ageing" products

Instant Expert: The unseen universe

10 hours 34 min ago
There is much more to the cosmos than meets the eye. Astrophysicist Michael Rowan-Robinson explores what invisible rays from radio to gamma have shown us

Space ribbon deployed to surf Earth's magnetic field

10 hours 41 min ago
Future spacecraft could change their orbits simply by unfurling electrically conducting tethers – Japan has now tested one in a suborbital mission

Today on New Scientist: 2 September 2010

10 hours 50 min ago
All today's stories on NewScientist.com including: the flaws in criminal profiling, a birds-eye view of hurricane Earl and weird water inside planets

A birds-eye view of hurricane Earl

11 hours 50 min ago
An astronaut on the International Space Station has captured a serene-looking view of hurricane Earl – but things aren't so calm down below

Smart USB speakers pump up the volume from laptops

12 hours 5 min ago
By storing power for when it's needed most, speakers that plug into a USB port can produce high-quality sound without the need for mains power

Hawking hasn't changed his mind about God

12 hours 14 min ago
Stephen Hawking's new book is the biggest science news story of the day. Has he suddenly given up a religious belief, asks Roger Highfield

Can US Congress overturn stem-cell funding freeze?

13 hours 23 min ago
Congress could find a way around the shock court ruling that has frozen US government support for work on human embryonic stem cells

Stephen Hawking says there's no theory of everything

13 hours 49 min ago
In his new book, The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking argues that there is no single theory of reality because there is no single reality

Weird water lurking inside giant planets

13 hours 59 min ago
A form of water deep within Uranus and Neptune may behave like a liquid and a solid simultaneously, explaining the planets' bizarre magnetic fields

Photo competition: Science in motion

14 hours 31 min ago
Throughout September New Scientist is running a photo competition – we want your photos on the theme of movement and science

Laser-powered helicopter hovers for hours

15 hours 52 min ago
Lasers can bring down remote-piloted aircraft – but a new demo shows they can also keep the craft airborne

Swine flu drug in narcolepsy probe

16 hours 16 min ago
Fifteen children in Finland were diagnosed with narcolepsy after receiving swine flu vaccine – but it could have occurred by chance

Ultimate eclipse photo: The film has been developed

16 hours 30 min ago
In the last of his posts about photographing the eclipse, Dan Falk compares his analogue and digital images. But which does he think is best?

'Medical marijuana' hits the small screen

16 hours 38 min ago
The first advert for medicinal cannabis was aired on television this week in California. Is this a sign of things to come, asks Catherine de Lange

Is criminal profiling flawed and disorderly?

17 hours 27 min ago
It's a staple of cop shows, but the jury's still out on claims that a criminal's identity can be deduced from their modus operandi

'Brain training' may just hide symptoms of dementia

September 1, 2010 - 1:00pm
People who engage in mental challenges may stave off symptoms of Alzheimer's, but decline more quickly if subsequently diagnosed

Psychoactive drugs: From recreation to medication

September 1, 2010 - 10:00am
With trials showing positive results from the treatment of cancer to alcohol addiction, could illegal drugs be heading for the medical mainstream?