Jets of high-energy plasma shooting away from supermassive black holes resemble bell-bottom pants — starting out narrow but ending with a flare. The shape can help astrophysicists tease out how such jets are launched and reveal details of their black holes, researchers report in the July Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. “From studying […] More
New Scientist’s weekly round-up of the best books, films, TV series, games and more that you shouldn’t miss Humans 17 June 2020 Watch Dark, a German-language Netflix thriller about disappearing children, releases its mind-bending final season on 27 June. Next to this difficult but rewarding dish, Stranger Things is a mere dessert. Read The Origins […] More
Playing as a murderous shark on a rampage isn’t nearly as fun as being a horrible goose terrorising a village, finds Jacob Aron Humans 17 June 2020 Maneater Tripwire Interactive PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Untitled Goose Game House House PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch STEVEN SPIELBERG has a lot to answer for. […] More
A man buried at the heart of the 5000-year-old Newgrange passage tomb in Ireland was born from an incestuous union, DNA sequencing has revealed. The discovery suggests that the ruling elite in Stone Age Ireland married within their family, like some ancient Egyptian dynasties. Daniel Bradley and Lara Cassidy at Trinity College Dublin have been […] More
Thousands of scientists participated in a strike against racism in science and academia on 10 June, with prominent academic institutions and scientific journals pledging their support. While these statements have been welcomed, many are keen for institutions to go further. “People are tired of seeing organisations that have released statements, but with no action plan […] More
A tiny carving of a bird discovered in what is now modern China is one of the oldest known sculptures unearthed there. The find suggests sculpture was invented separately in Europe and Asia. “It’s quite possible that it is a tradition that originated in China or east Asia,” says Francesco d’Errico at the University of […] More
Rutger Bregman’s new book Humankind argues that people are innately good, and that if we assume this to be true, the whole world could benefit Humans 10 June 2020 Humankind: A hopeful history Rutger Bregman Bloomsbury IN 1651, English philosopher Thomas Hobbes startled the world with Leviathan, an account of the good and evil lurking […] More
Greg Daniels’s new show Upload is fizzing with interesting ideas, but the characters may not be strong enough to keep you interested, writes Emily Wilson Humans 10 June 2020 TV Upload Greg Daniels On Amazon Prime Video UPLOAD is the latest creation of Greg Daniels, a TV showrunner with an amazing CV that includes the […] More
