Josie Ford Feedback is New Scientist’s popular sideways look at the latest science and technology news. You can submit items you believe may amuse readers to Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com A Swift botany lesson We never miss a beat, so Feedback, prompted by assistant news editor and Swiftie Alexandra Thompson, has been taking a close…
“Refuting the idea of rigid personality types could make us all happier” Simone Rotella There is a meme in modern therapy culture saying that you shouldn’t try to change – you are perfectly imperfect, and that the right people will accommodate your every idiosyncrasy. Relatedly, personality has traditionally been defined as a pretty stable collection…
Brugmansia suaveolens Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White From ayahuasca and cannabis to psilocybin mushrooms and tobacco, people have been using mind-altering plants and fungi in spiritual rituals and ceremonies for thousands of years to filter and change their view of the world. Justicia pectoralis Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White Now the lens has…
A Javan slow loris reacts while receiving treat at Ujung Kulon National Park Garry Lotulung These photos tell an unusual rescue story – the release of Javan slow lorises into Ujung Kulon National Park on Java Island, Indonesia, last month. Photojournalist Garry Lotulung joined a team from the Indonesian branch of International Animal Rescue, the…
A sofa is one of the biggest investments you can make in home decor, and the last thing you want is to make the wrong choice. A good couch will be with you for a decade, and it should not only be comfortable and look great, it should also have the versatility to adapt to…
Apple’s 2025 iPhones are here, and things are quite different for the first time in a while. The base iPhone 17 will still feel familiar, but the iPhone 17 Pro models have a completely new look, and there’s a brand-new model called the iPhone Air. The “Air” branding has been somewhat diluted of late—the current-gen…
In the context of age verification laws, however, VPNs are effective. Prominent services like Bluesky and Pornhub have, publicly and reluctantly, withdrawn access in locations with these laws, so it’s hard to imagine that they’ll block access from known VPN servers. However, some organizations, such as the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA), have pushed for…
Russia says it downed 221 Ukrainian drones launched on its territory overnight, in one of the largest aerial assaults since May. More than half of the drones were intercepted over the Bryansk and Smolensk regions, south-west of Moscow, where Lukoil facilities were reportedly targeted, the defence ministry said. Authorities in the Leningrad region said 28…
Compare the Top 8 Espresso Machines Other Machines We Like Photograph: Matthew Korfhage Meraki Espreso Machine for $2,000: Meraki is a young Hong Kong–based company. Last year it was still Kickstarting funds for its debut Meraki Espresso Machine. But the company started off with a bang, with a premium semiautomatic double-boiler machine offering features you…
3 hours ago Jean MackenzieSeoul correspondent KCNA via EPA Life under Kim Jong Un’s rule has become tougher and people are more afraid, the report claims The North Korean government is increasingly implementing the death penalty, including for people caught watching and sharing foreign films and TV dramas, a major UN report has found. The…