A strange new quantum droplet can hold itself together

Researchers at Monash University have predicted an unusual new form of quantum matter that could overturn long-held assumptions about how ultracold particles behave.

Their calculations suggest that, under the right conditions, two fundamentally different classes of quantum particles -- bosons and fermions -- can combine to create stable, self-bound "quantum droplets." Scientists had previously considered such droplets unlikely to form in strongly interacting Bose-Fermi systems.

“One-in-a-million” sea creature fossil preserves soft tissue for 450 million years

More than 450 million years ago, long before dinosaurs appeared and before animals or plants had spread widely across dry land, crinoids were already thriving in some of Earth's earliest coral reefs. These ancient relatives of starfish looked somewhat like flowers growing on stalks beneath the sea.

Ozempic does something unexpected to the brain’s hunger neurons

For decades, medications for obesity typically delivered only modest reductions in body weight. That changed with the arrival of Ozempic and other GLP-1 therapies, which can produce sustained weight loss of 10 to 15% or more. Yet despite their remarkable effectiveness, scientists still do not fully understand what these medications are doing inside the brain.

Pollen has a surprising problem — and honeybees have found a way around it

New research led by the University of Oxford has uncovered an unexpected ability in bees. They can change how much they eat depending on the balance of essential amino acids in their food. This feeding behavior may protect them from consuming excessive amounts of certain amino acids when pollen does not provide the nutritional mix they need.

Planes flying over the Atlantic will be re-routed to avoid contrails | New Scientist

Planes flying across the North Atlantic Ocean later this year will be re-routed to avoid causing condensation trails, in a first-of-a-kind trial to address the global warming impact of contrails across an entire airspace.

How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue? | New Scientist

Summer 2026 is likely to be the warmest on record in the UK, with repeated searing heatwaves and a severe drought affecting much of the country. In southern England in particular, the landscape is parched and crispy, rivers and reservoirs are running low, and trees are shedding their leaves in a stress response to the dry weather. Much of Europe is baking under similar conditions.

Mammal ancestors were giving birth to live young 236 million years ago | New Scientist

Creatures that bridged the gap between reptiles and mammals may have been bearing live young 90 million years earlier than we thought.

From the mine to the grid | New Scientist

As we go about our everyday lives, we’re constantly interacting with things made possible by mining – often without realising it. From the phones in our hands to the cars we drive, almost everything relies on core minerals and commodities that begin their journey in the earth. Along the way, there is a chance that leading heavy equipment manufacturer Komatsu has played a role.

Does shapewear make us less prone to taking risks? Weirdly, maybe yes | New Scientist

Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more

Reshape your mind

One of society’s more intractable problems is unnecessary risk-taking behaviour. People do all kinds of silly things, like gambling on horses/prediction markets (delete according to age), or yelling “I love Coldplay” in a crowded biker bar.

We should decide how AI shapes the future, not tech firms | New Scientist

Leader and

Technology

OpenAI and its competitors want to dictate the role that artificial intelligence will play in our society – it's time to take back control of the narrative