Atmospheric pollution caused by space junk could be a huge problem 19. February 2026 (17:00) After a Falcon 9 rocket stage burned up in the atmosphere, vaporised lithium and other metals drifted over Europe. This growing type of pollution could destroy ozone and form climate-warming clouds(New Scientist)
Is our galaxy’s black hole actually made of dark matter? 19. February 2026 (13:00) An exotic type of dark matter could explain some of the characteristics of our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, but many cosmologists are leery of the idea(New Scientist)
Microbe with the smallest genome yet pushes the boundaries of life 19. February 2026 (10:00) Symbiotic bacteria living inside insect cells have lost much of their DNA over hundreds of millions of years, much like the ancient microbes that evolved into mitochondria(New Scientist)
More dog breeds found to have high risk of breathing condition 18. February 2026 (20:00) An assessment of nearly 900 dogs has identified 12 breeds prone to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which can affect dogs' ability to sleep and exercise(New Scientist)
Paediatricians’ blood used to make new treatments for RSV and colds 18. February 2026 (20:00) Antibodies harvested from the blood of paediatricians are up to 25 times better at protecting against the common respiratory infection RSV than existing antibody therapies, and are now being developed as preventative treatments(New Scientist)
Hannah Fry: 'AI can do some superhuman things – but so can forklifts' 18. February 2026 (19:00) Mathematician Hannah Fry travels to the front lines of AI in her new BBC documentary AI Confidential with Hannah Fry. She talks to Bethan Ackerley about what the technology is doing to us – for better and for worse(New Scientist)
Weird and wonderful fungi should be so much more than sci-fi villains 18. February 2026 (19:00) Fungi have become Hollywood’s go-to bad guys. But as yet another story focuses on Cordyceps, Nick Crumpton says we are missing a chance to broaden our fictional horizons(New Scientist)
Why it's high time we stopped anthropomorphising ants 18. February 2026 (19:00) We have long drawn parallels between ants and humans. Now we are comparing the insects to computers. It is time to stop using ants as analogues for ourselves and our machines, says Annalee Newitz(New Scientist)
Artists gaze into space in stunning new exhibition 18. February 2026 (19:00) A new show at the Royal West of England Academy brings together a series of works that interweave art and science(New Scientist)
