Houseplants play a vital role in enhancing indoor air quality by removing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and releasing oxygen as a beneficial byproduct.
In 1989, NASA researchers conducted groundbreaking studies to explore whether plants could effectively purify the air in confined spaces, such as those within a space station.
During these tests, a variety of houseplants were placed in a small, sealed chamber containing contaminants like carbon monoxide, benzene, and formaldehyde—pollutants commonly found in home environments.
According to NASA findings, the spider plant proved extremely effective, reducing carbon monoxide levels from 130ppm to zero within 24 hours, significantly below the generally regarded safe indoor limit of 9ppm.
Philodendron domesticum, known as the spade leaf, excels at removing high levels of formaldehyde, while Gerbera jamesoni, or Gerbera daisy, effectively targets benzene.
However, it’s essential to recognize that these experiments were conducted in a controlled environment much smaller than typical living spaces. The levels of formaldehyde and benzene detected after 24 hours remained above accepted safe thresholds.
Additionally, homes are not airtight; ventilation through doors and windows influences the ability of plants to purify air, often decreasing their effectiveness in real-world conditions.
Subsequent research indicates that while indoor plants can slightly enhance air quality, the impact is not as significant as NASA’s original findings suggested.
This article addresses the question, “Which houseplants are optimal for improving air quality?” as posed by Eugene Abbott of Northumberland.
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Award-Winning Image: Fractal Forest by Ross Gudgeon
Photo Credits: Ross Gudgeon/CUPOTY
Discover the beauty of nature through unique perspectives captured by top photographers. Check out the Close-up Photographer of the Year contest, showcasing stunning images revealing nature’s hidden wonders.
In the main image above, explore the delicate pink branches of Cauliflower Soft Coral. This stunning underwater photograph by Ross Gudgeon won the underwater category of the contest. Captured in Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait, Gudgeon positioned a small camera within a structure to create this enchanting shot. He carefully threaded through the branches of soft coral to avoid causing any damage.
Artur Tomaszek’s Award-Winning Photograph: “Dinner”
Photo Credits: Artur Tomaszek/CUPOTY
In this thrilling capture, a lynx spider is poised to attack unsuspecting termites. Taken by Artur Tomaszek, winner of the arachnid category, this dramatic image was shot during a downpour at a Hong Kong hot spring, where swarming termites provided an opportune moment for this shot. Tomaszek mentioned the challenge of photographing as thousands of termites were drawn to his camera flash.
Valeria Zvereva’s Winning Photograph: “Mushrooms in Nude Style”
Photo Credits: Valeria Zvereva/CUPOTY
The mesmerizing image captures light filtering through the intricate underside of a layered mushroom cap in Moscow, Russia, taken by Valeria Zvereva, the winner in the fungi and slime mold category.
Below, find a tranquil scene where decaying lotus leaves rest atop dark water, forming a delicate lace-like pattern interwoven with vibrant green ferns. Minghui Yuan, who won the top spot in the plant category for this photo, expressed that discovering the fern amongst the skeleton leaves felt like a representation of rebirth and hope.
Minghui Yuan’s Award-Winning Photograph: “Rebirth from Destruction”
Photo Credits: Minghui Yuan/CUPOTY
In this captivating portrait, Laurent Hessemans captured the big eyes of a charming scale moth in Tinamaste, Costa Rica. He received accolades in the invertebrate portrait category. Hessemans mentioned, “These exceptionally photogenic moths, especially the males with their large eyes and pronounced antennae, give a melancholic essence to their portraits.”
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Mars: The backdrop of two new science fiction novels launching in February
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If you dream of traveling to Mars, an alternate 1939 London, or into the distant future, February’s lineup of science fiction books is sure to excite you. Among the intriguing titles is Forest at the End of Time, which explores the theme of time travel to combat climate change. Another captivating read, All We Have is Time, tells the romantic tale of a time traveler offering solace to a lonely immortal woman. Plus, fans of fungal horror won’t want to miss Vast Pedro. Join the debate about whether these titles truly belong in the science fiction genre!
One of the standout novels is marketed as a time-travel thriller. It follows Echo and Hazel, recruited by a secret organization to alter history and combat climate change. Set in ancient Athens and a dystopian future, their paths converge in a shared dream as they uncover the choices that could save humanity.
Brandon Sanderson’s anticipated new book is coming this month
Provided by: Dragon Steel
Set in the expansive Cosmere universe, Sanderson’s work falls under the science fantasy category. It follows the Twilight Six, a group of supernatural bird trappers known as Avials who must modernize to fend off threatening invaders called the “Things Above.”
The author of Hamajan Rack returns with the story of Maria, the ultimate hacker bored after achieving the coveted Atlas heist. Her ordinary life takes a thrilling turn when she attracts the attention of a dangerous gang on the Kepler space station.
Mark Winters, a dedicated wildlife ranger, grapples with climate change on a remote island, battling a cult that believes in a “psychotropic mushroom-fueled collective dream” as a solution. They think he possesses vital knowledge.
Additionally, five-time Hugo Award winner Michael Swanwick shares a collection of thought-provoking short stories. These tales range from a scientist evading capture for his dangerous fusion of human intelligence and sentient AI to an aging military veteran acquiring a virtual reality robot.
The film adaptation delves into the life of an immortal woman, haunted by love lost to death, who encounters a time traveler in 1605 London. The publisher likens it to Karian Bradley’s remarkable Time Saving, making it a must-read.
Frances Spafford’s latest novel set against the backdrop of an alternate London during the Blitz
Frances Spafford, an award-winning author, presents a tale steeped in fantasy yet laced with science fiction themes, featuring time travel. Set in an alternate London of 1939, ambitious city worker Iris realizes that time can indeed bend and history can be rewritten. As she grapples with the realities of the Blitz, she learns that time-traveling fascists are also on the hunt.
This book is perfect for romantics and fans of STEM-themed romances, reminiscent of works by Ali Hazlewood. In Hannah Blohm’s debut novel, neuroscientist Frances Silverstein faces her past at a prominent conference and finds herself on a fake date with her charming competitor, Lewis North. The intriguing tagline: “For any worthy scientist, falsifying data is out of the question. But what about fake dating?” Sounds like a delightful read!
Sakunja Salazar, a prominent interviewer on Earth, embarks on a journey to Mars while battling her past as an alcoholic. Her mission takes an unexpected turn when she is tasked with documenting the first human encounter with rain on Mars—an enticing prospect for any space enthusiast!
Mars also serves as the backdrop for the adventure of a stowaway girl and a wealthy hunter, stranded amidst a mercenary threat. Clearly targeted at a younger audience, this young adult novel offers a refreshing dive into teen-focused science fiction—a genre that’s often overlooked.
Written by Simon López Trujillo (translated by Robin Myers)
A mysterious fungal disease is ravaging workers on a barren eucalyptus farm in Chile, but one survivor, Pedro, draws attention from local priests and foreign mycologists alike. The publisher suggests it appeals to fans of Jeff VanderMeer, whose work I adore, especially Extinction, making this a must-read for me.
If you’re looking to quit smoking, you’ve likely heard that transitioning to electronic cigarettes (vaping) can be a healthier alternative.
According to a study by researchers at University College London, over 50,000 individuals successfully quit smoking in 2017 thanks to e-cigarette use.
While most harmful compounds associated with smoking-related illnesses are absent in e-cigarettes (as they do not burn tobacco like heated tobacco products), it is essential to highlight that e-cigarettes are not recommended for non-smokers.
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The e-liquids in vaping usually consist of a blend of propylene glycol and glycerin.
Both of these compounds are deemed safe for ingestion, but their inhalation safety has not been definitively proven. A 2020 Clinical Research Review indicated minimal impact on lung function with no significant inflammatory effects.
Synthetic flavors are added to create a variety of options, and regulations require these additives to be safe for food use, although their inhalation safety isn’t guaranteed.
Many e-cigarettes also contain nicotine, which can help users quit smoking by alleviating withdrawal symptoms, but it can also pose addictive risks for newcomers and has been linked to lung cancer in animal studies.
Exploring vape shops reveals hundreds, if not thousands, of flavors—from traditional tobacco and menthol to delightful fruity and baked goods options.
However, research shows that some fruit flavors may be damaging to health. A 2016 study linked strawberry flavor to increased cytotoxicity, indicating potential cell harm.
Moreover, a 2019 study associated fruit flavors with compounds like acrylonitrile and acrolein, known for their carcinogenic potential and ability to induce lung inflammation.
Study findings link strawberry flavoring to high cytotoxicity – Image credit: Robin Boyden
A study published in 2024 discovered that inhaling berry-flavored e-cigarette vapor can severely impair lung immune cells in mice. These mice faced difficulties in combating infections when exposed to harmful bacteria.
Compared to healthy controls, mice exposed to e-cigarettes showed lower survival rates, and those that survived took longer to recover from bacterial infections.
That said, non-fruit flavors are not completely safe, either.
E-liquid chemicals can be unstable; when heated in an e-cigarette to create vapor, they may react and form new harmful compounds.
For instance, aldehydes, commonly used as flavoring in vanilla, cherry, and cinnamon e-liquids, can produce acetals, known respiratory irritants.
Additionally, there may be unidentified chemical interactions between various flavors. Research in this area is still emerging, especially when compared to the extensive knowledge available regarding traditional smoking.
Therefore, while e-cigarettes can assist with smoking cessation, vaping entails specific risks. One thing remains clear: our understanding of vaping’s impact on health is still evolving.
This article addresses the question posed by Huey Robbins via email: “Which e-cig flavor is the worst for you?”
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What distinguishes a groundbreaking idea from a mediocre one? This is often a challenging distinction to make. Take the example of vaccination: collecting pus from a cowpox-infected individual and injecting it into an eight-year-old boy may seem utterly reckless. Yet, 18th-century physician Edward Jenner’s daring action ultimately led to the eradication of smallpox, a disease that plagued humanity.
With the benefit of hindsight, we recognize that Jenner’s innovation was monumental. This principle of vaccination continues to save millions of lives today. As we progress through the 21st century, we feel it’s essential to reflect on and celebrate transformative ideas from the past 25 years that are reshaping our perspectives, actions, and understanding of the world around us.
Compiling our list of the 21 most impactful ideas of the 21st century involved rigorous discussions among our editorial team. One of our initial challenges was determining if the first quarter of this century would conclude at the beginning or end of 2025. For clarity, we opted for the latter. We navigated debates on various ideas, dedicating particular attention to concepts like the microbiome—establishing it as a legitimate 21st-century notion—and scrutinizing the role of social media, which after much discussion, we deemed largely negative. Ultimately, we recognize that the quality of ideas is subjective.
We developed a robust set of criteria for our selection. To qualify for this list, a concept must already demonstrate a significant impact on our self-understanding, health, or broader universe. Additionally, it should be grounded in scientific discovery, with a strong idea underpinning it. Lastly, the development must have occurred within the last 25 years.
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Rather than trying to predict the future, it’s important to take the time to reflect on the past. “
While the last criterion may appear straightforward, we encountered numerous proposals that remain unrealized. The discovery of gravitational waves in the 21st century opened new cosmic vistas, but their prediction dates back a century to Albert Einstein. Similarly, ideas like weight loss medications, personalized medicine, and mRNA vaccines show promise, but their full potential has yet to be achieved—perhaps these will make the list in 2050.
During our selection process, we couldn’t disregard ideas that initially seemed appealing but faltered. Therefore, we also crafted a list of the five most disappointing ideas of the century thus far. The line between success and failure can sometimes blur, leading to controversial choices in our best ideas list. For instance, while many would advocate for the removal of smartphones, we ultimately view them as largely beneficial. Likewise, the ambitious global warming target of 1.5°C can be seen as a failure, especially as new reports indicate that average global temperatures have surpassed this benchmark for the first time. Nonetheless, we argue that striving to reduce the threshold from 2°C remains one of the century’s monumental ideas, setting a standard for global climate ambition.
Advancing away from fossil fuels is undoubtedly crucial, and prominently featured in this effort is Elon Musk. In 2016, before Musk ventured into social media and politics, his company Tesla launched its first Gigafactory in Nevada, marking a pivotal moment in the transition to renewable energy by utilizing economies of scale to transform transportation and energy systems. Conversely, other approaches to fighting climate change, such as alternative fuels and carbon offsets, appear more harmful than beneficial.
One significant takeaway from our selection process is that revolutionary ideas often arise by chance. For many, a working outlet can be the catalyst for a few minutes of smartphone scrolling during a lengthy commute. However, for two physicists in 2005, their discovery altered the global decarbonization strategy. This breakthrough also unveiled the foundations of our complex thought processes, illustrating that brain regions don’t operate in isolation but are interwoven into a robust network. This understanding has revolutionized our approach to diagnosing and treating neurological issues.
Looking back over the past quarter-century, it’s evident that the world has transformed considerably. We successfully dodged the Millennium Bug, the human genome’s first draft was completed, and the International Space Station welcomed its first crew. Concepts like “Denisovans” and “microbiomes” were unknown to us. In our pages, we celebrated innovations like wireless communication and marveled at miniaturized computer chips driving these technologies. “At its core is a device known as a Bluetooth chip,” we stated, positing it as the next big thing—a prediction that, in hindsight, was flawed, since truly transformative technologies extend beyond mere convenience.
This experience highlights the folly of predictions, as they can often be overlooked in the rush for the next trending innovation. Thus, rather than striving to foresee the future, we ought to invest time in contemplating the past. The advancements we’ve witnessed in health, technology, and environmental conservation suggest that this century has made the world a better place. Let’s hope, without necessarily predicting, that this momentum continues into the future.
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Oona Chaplin as Varang in Avatar: Fire and Ash
Image credit: 20th Century Studio, 2025. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
Bethan Ackerley Deputy Editor, London
No one crafts blockbusters quite like James Cameron. Avatar: Fire and Ash, the highly anticipated third installment set on the enchanting moon of Pandora, is both spectacular and visually stunning. The narrative unfolds with captivating themes ranging from interspecies conflicts to deep family dynamics.
Around 15 years after the ex-Marine Jake Sully was embraced by the Na’vi, he now resides on Pandora with his partner Neytiri and their children, having played a crucial role in defeating the human invaders and merging with their Na’vi bodies.
However, they now face the heart-wrenching loss of their eldest son, Neteyam. Their arch-nemesis, Colonel Quaritch, has allied himself with an influential Na’vi tribe that inhabits a volcano and is led by the formidable Varan (as depicted above).
Shakespeare may not measure up (the dialogue is rather crude, to say the least), but the allure of this intricately designed universe is undeniable.
Prepare to be mesmerized by the breathtaking visuals and the story of Payakan, a member of the sentient whale-like species known as the Tulukun, who serves as the emotional core of the film.
In the 1920s, renowned physicist Albert Einstein believed he had identified a fundamental flaw within quantum physics. This led to extensive investigations revealing a pivotal aspect of quantum theory, one of its most perplexing features.
This intriguing property, known as Bell nonlocality, describes how quantum objects exhibit cooperative behavior over vast distances, challenging our intuitions. I’ve accepted this understanding for over 21 years—a remarkable insight for the 21st century.
To illustrate this phenomenon, consider two hypothetical experimenters, Alice and Bob, each possessing a pair of “entangled” particles. Entanglement enables particles to correlate, even when separated by distances that prevent any signal from transmitting between them. Yet, these correlations become apparent only through the interaction of each experimenter with their respective particles. Do these particles “know” about their correlation beforehand, or is some mysterious connection at play?
Einstein, alongside Nathan Rosen and Boris Podolsky, sought to refute this eerie connection. They proposed that certain “local hidden variables” could explain how particles understand their correlated state, making quantum physics more relatable to everyday experiences, where interactions happen at close range.
In the 1960s, physicist John Stewart Bell devised a method to empirically test these concepts. After numerous attempts, groundbreaking experiments in 2015 provided rigorous verification of Bell’s theories, earning three physicists the 2022 Nobel Prize. “This was the final nail in the coffin for these ideas,” says Marek Zhukowski from the University of Gdańsk. Researchers concluded that hidden variables could not maintain the locality of quantum physics. Jacob Valandez at Harvard University adds, “We cannot escape from non-locality.”
Embracing delocality offers substantial advantages, as noted by Ronald Hanson from Delft University of Technology, who led one of the groundbreaking experiments. For him, the focus was never on the oddities of quantum mechanics; rather, he viewed the results as a demonstration of “quantum supremacy” beyond conventional computational capabilities. This intuition proved accurate. The technology developed for the Bell Test has become a foundation for highly secure quantum cryptography.
Currently, Hanson is pioneering quantum communication networks, utilizing entangled particles to forge a near-unhackable internet of the future. Similarly, quantum computing researchers exploit entangled particles to optimize calculations. Although the implications of entanglement remain partially understood, the practical application of entangling quantum objects has transformed into a valuable technological asset, marking a significant evolution for a leading figure in discussions about the quantum nature of reality.
As a cognitive psychoanalyst and former NHS mental health leader, Owen O’Kane presents a fresh perspective in his books, How to Become Your Own Therapist and Addiction to Anxiety. Instead of viewing anxiety as an enemy to conquer, he emphasizes the importance of embracing it. O’Kane challenges the prevalent brain-focused solutions circulating on social media, suggesting that we should begin with our bodies. Here are three practical approaches to transform your relationship with anxiety for better mental health.
1. Understand Anxiety – It’s Your Ally!
Traditional anxiety research tends to focus on “switching off” certain brain functions or reducing hormones. O’Kane argues that we should first develop a healthier relationship with anxiety, acknowledging its presence rather than merely trying to suppress it. Recognize that when anxiety arises, it signals fears that need attention; this protective mechanism may be trying to keep you safe.
If you perceive anxiety as a prompt from a supportive friend rather than an adversary, you can leverage its insights. For instance, if you’re anxious about a presentation, it’s your mind’s way of urging you to prepare and perform well!
However, treating anxiety as an enemy only amplifies your fear and may lead to missed opportunities. By acknowledging anxiety’s intention to safeguard you, you pave the way for more constructive coping mechanisms.
Ultimately, building a rapport with your anxiety and understanding its role is critical. Accept that while it may be uncomfortable, it exists for good reason, and rejecting it leads only to temporary relief but not genuine resolution.
2. Shift Your Focus to the Body, Not the Brain.
Many mental health professionals tend to concentrate on altering thought patterns, but O’Kane places emphasis on physical sensations. Anxiety often manifests physically; when your body feels tense, it signals to your brain that something is amiss, which can lead to irrational thoughts.
When you notice your body responding to stress, engage in activities that release that pent-up energy—be it through deep breathing, exercise, or even cold exposure. The goal is not to eliminate anxiety but to send calming signals back to your brain, allowing your rational mind to re-engage.
3. Document Your Thoughts to Tackle Uncertainty.
Research indicates that the average person has thousands of thoughts daily, many of which are negative or anxiety-inducing. When we experience anxiety, we tend to treat these thoughts as facts, perpetuating an anxiety cycle.
After acknowledging anxiety’s protective role and regulating your body, start actively documenting anxious thoughts. List the worries and evaluate their likelihood of happening. This process fosters rational thinking and diminishes the grip of anxiety over time.
Understand that uncertainty is inherent in life. O’Kane suggests embracing uncertainty rather than fearing it. Each time you adapt your response to anxiety, you forge new neural pathways, ultimately increasing your comfort level with anxiety.
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Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) in Fallout Season 2
Amazon MGM Studios
As the new year unfolds, it brings exciting opportunities for change and reinvention. This is the perfect time to explore the best sci-fi and science-related television shows set to premiere in 2026, showcasing groundbreaking series that launched last year. Notably, the second season of Fallout on Amazon Prime Video, airing mid-December, stands out as a must-watch.
Set against a retro-futuristic America, the series dives into a world where generations of humanity live in radiation-resistant bunkers designed by the shadowy Vault-Tec corporation. In the previous season, former vault dweller Lucy (inhabited by Ella Purnell) navigates the surface in search of her missing father, encountering unexpected allies and adversaries. This season, she embarks on a new adventure accompanied by Ghoul (played by Walton Goggins), a visually striking radioactive gunman. What could be more entertaining?
The critically acclaimed Fallout is just one of many bunker-based dramas slated for 2026. On February 23, Hulu/Disney+ will launch the second season of Paradise, featuring Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent residing in an underground city built to safeguard the elite from impending apocalypse. After solving the murder of U.S. President Cal Bradford and discovering survivors, he sets off on a journey back to Chicago in search of his estranged wife.
Later this year, the much-anticipated third season of Silo (Apple TV+) will air, which delves into the dark mysteries surrounding the toxic surface world, leaving viewers wanting more. If you enjoy gripping and conspiratorial narratives, this series is not to be missed.
Another intriguing dystopian tale is Dreamland (BBC iPlayer). Set in 2039, it follows Chance, a resident of the British seaside town of Margate, who turns to crime amidst widespread climate change and social inequality. When her community becomes entangled in a government rejuvenation initiative, Chance finds herself in love with Frankie, a woman with connections to the powers that be, revealing a deeper conspiracy.
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In Star City, engineers and intelligence professionals work tirelessly to achieve the historic landing of the first humans on the moon. “
Fans can look forward to the highly anticipated television adaptation of The Testaments (Hulu/Disney+), a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, also penned by Margaret Atwood. Premiering in April, it follows a new generation of women navigating freedom while being trained by Gilead’s elite.
In addition to dramatic narratives, the sci-fi genre offers exciting new adventures. Premiering on January 15th, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Paramount+) takes us into the 32nd century, chronicling the experiences of a group of Starfleet cadets as they develop friendships and rivalries while training to become future officers. Featuring a talented Gen Z cast alongside stars like Holly Hunter, Tatiana Maslany, and Paul Giamatti, this series promises to be fun for families. Moreover, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to return for its penultimate fourth season early this year.
Following the success of Andor, which set high standards for live-action Star Wars storytelling, fans anticipate the release of season 2 of Star Wars: Ahsoka on Disney+. Though unconfirmed, more animated adventures will soon unfold, such as Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, focusing on the Sith Lord as he rebuilds his crime syndicate following events from The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi, continuing the journey of Jedi Ethan and Kara.
For Marvel enthusiasts, while Vision Quest is rumored to premiere at the end of 2026, the series will feature the resurrected android superhero Vision, aiming to regain his memory post-WandaVision, alongside familiar faces like Ultron.
If you prefer small-scale robot dramas, be sure to look for Ann Droid (BBC iPlayer), a comedy by Diane Morgan, where she portrays Linda, a social robot designed to partner with the elderly in healthcare. Unexpected friendships blossom as Linda helps solve problems for her reluctant companion, Sue (Sue Johnston). With an impressive cast, this series is expected in 2026.
Fans of sci-fi comedy will also eagerly await the second season of Murderbot (Apple TV+), anticipated to premiere by year-end.
Delving into different realms of artificial intelligence, the adaptation of William Gibson’s seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer (Apple TV+) is set to captivate audiences. Following hacker Case (Callum Turner) as he navigates a dangerous futuristic Tokyo after losing his ability to access the virtual reality world, the series is positioned to explore high-stakes conspiracies.
Neuromancer is one of two Cyberpunk-themed series on the horizon, the other being Blade Runner 2099 (Amazon Prime Video). While details remain scarce, we know that Michelle Yeoh will star as a replicant nearing the end of her life in this highly anticipated series.
For technology enthusiasts, check out Altruists and Boldness. Altruists (Netflix) is a limited series due in late 2026 that chronicles the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX alongside the complicated romance between its founder Sam Bankman-Fried and partner Caroline Ellison, while Boldness (AMC) follows CEO Duncan (Billy Magnussen) battling power struggles in Silicon Valley without any real-world parallels.
Let’s venture beyond Earth, with excitement building for Star City (Apple TV+), a spin-off of the acclaimed alternate history series For All Mankind, which returns for its fifth season in 2026. This new series will spotlight the Soviet perspective during the space race, depicting the efforts of astronauts, engineers, and secret agents striving to land the first Russians on the moon.
Other space-centric highlights include the potential launch of the second season of Doctor Who in December and Three-Body Problem, an ambitious adaptation of Cixin Liu’s epic series about humanity’s preparation for an alien invasion set 400 years in the future.
For those who seek gripping narratives, Beauty (FX/Disney+) features FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) as they become engrossed in the world of high fashion while investigating tragic deaths of supermodels. The series grapples with themes of transformation, premiering on January 22nd—a significant moment for physical reinvention.
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Welcome to January, the perfect month to dive into a captivating book. Thanks to Peter F. Hamilton, science fiction enthusiasts can escape reality with immersive tales, from a mysterious power-generating ship to Solitaire Townsend’s alternate version of Earth ruled by the Roman Empire in God Storm. Enjoy time-loop mysteries, UFO romances, and eco-horror this month!
A generational ship seeking a new home in Peter F. Hamilton’s latest sci-fi novel.
Panther Media Global / Alamy
In the gripping tale, Peter F. Hamilton explores life aboard a power-generating ship, where inhabitants can live only until the age of 65 to preserve resources. Young Hazel discovers shocking truths after her brother’s untimely death. This exciting story is the first installment in a trilogy, with subsequent releases planned for this year.
While science fiction columnist Emily H. Wilson remarks that this isn’t strictly sci-fi, she notes it delves into climate fiction as it narrates the demise of oil tycoon K.J. Boone facing his reckoning on his deathbed.
The last zoo of the world is situated on Alcatraz, the “Island of Last Things.”
Miles Duskfield/Shutterstock
Imagine a world where the last zoo resides on Alcatraz Island, as nature around it collapses. Follow Camille, a dedicated zookeeper caring for chimpanzees and jaguars, as she learns about a secret sanctuary where wild animals roam free. This novel was previously published in the US and Australia but is set to release in the UK this month.
Police officer Ryan Crane embarks on a groundbreaking two-year mission to Titan, earning enough to secure his disabled son’s care. However, upon returning to Earth, he finds a drastically changed world, with mysterious figures chasing him and his team.
This thought-provoking alternate history imagines a world where the Roman Empire never fell, driven by oil-fueled advances that facilitate global conquest. Acclaimed author Kim Stanley Robinson describes this lively adventure as an allegory for contemporary struggles. A must-read!
Is a massive asteroid careening towards Earth, or is it a colossal alien craft landing near Little Springs, Nebraska, becoming the infamous Giant? Sheriff David Blunt must navigate a town now filled with conspiracy theorists as he hunts a murderer and grapples with dreams of a chaotic universe.
As Rosi and his smuggler crew traverse the Romanian mountains, they intercept alarming radio signals predicting doom. With the world plunged into darkness, they embark on a mission to rescue isolated survivors in a post-apocalyptic landscape. While classified as horror or science fiction, the narrative piques interest.
This literary dystopia takes you on a remarkable journey through time and space, with a young philosopher seeking the president of the Lost Things Society, ending up on a quest that traverses early civilizations to artificial intelligence.
Elle, a social media influencer in Los Angeles, captures footage of an unidentified flying object, attracting the attention of Agent Carter Brody, who has witnessed extraterrestrial life. This intriguing blend of romance and UFO adventure makes a delightful January read!
Alison Mick’s eco-horror novel set in California’s redwood forests
Jamie Pham/Alamy Stock Photo
Often described as “Jordan Peele meets Jeff VanderMeer,” this eco-horror novel The Overstory by Alison Mick takes place in the haunting redwood forests of Northern California. Follow Jasmine, a mental health nurse, as she returns to her grandfather’s logging town, unveiling dark secrets hidden in the forest, with beings of petrified bark and flesh seeking revenge.
Also worth mentioning is this gripping murder mystery involving a time loop (because physics!). Vivian has to face her family’s disdain during a gathering where she is ultimately killed—only to wake up and repeat the cycle. Can she unravel the mystery with the help of a waiter eager to finish his shift?
Set in a ravaged future of 2082, this concluding book in the Compulsion trilogy follows a 16-year-old girl and her uncle as they strive to conceal the last remaining book in a secret library while navigating a world controlled by those responsible for climate change.
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Adrian Tchaikovsky’s *Children of Strife* Will Be a March Highlight
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<p>2026 is poised to be an exceptional year for <strong>science fiction</strong>, with exciting new releases every month. Recent announcements have already made it clear that there’s plenty to look forward to in this vibrant genre.</p>
<p>January kicks off with new releases from notable authors. Peter F. Hamilton's <a href="https://tantor.com/a-hole-in-the-sky-peter-f-hamilton.html"><b><i>Empty Hole</i></b></a>, the first book in the *Ark Trilogy*, marks a fresh approach for the prolific writer. Aimed at younger readers, this novel features a teenage girl's perspective, offering a straightforward narrative different from Hamilton’s usual complex stories.</p>
<p>All three books in the series are set for publication this year— the second in June and the third in December— creating anticipation among fans.</p>
<p>The other major release is <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/vigil-9781526624307/"><b><i>Stay Up All Night</i></b></a> by George Saunders, whose acclaimed work *Lincoln in the Bardo* won the 2017 Booker Prize. Although not traditional science fiction, this novel, categorized as climate change fiction, revolves around the death of an oil tycoon and promises intriguing themes.</p>
<p>February will bring several interesting titles, including <a href="https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-forest-on-the-edge-of-time/?isbn=9781250376831&format=hardback"><b><i>Forest at the End of Time</i></b></a>, by Jasmine Kirkbride, labeled as a “time-travel climate novel.” Readers can also look for Matthew Cressel's <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250392442/therainseekers/"><b><i>Rain Seekers</i></b></a>, which explores the first rain on Mars.</p>
<p>Additionally, Edward Ashton’s latest, <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250375650/afterthefall/"><b><i>After Autumn</i></b></a>, promises a mix of alien invasion, buddy comedy, and workplace satire.</p>
<p>March’s highlight is Adrian Tchaikovsky’s fourth installment in the *Children of Time* series, <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/adrian-tchaikovsky/children-of-strife/9781035057788"><b><i>Children of Conflict</i></b></a>, bringing back fan-favorite elements like the formidable mantis shrimp.</p>
<p>Other noteworthy March releases include <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/library-of-traumatic-memory-9781035923304/"><b><i>Library of Traumatic Memories</i></b></a>, Neil Jordan's first science-fiction novel, and <a href="https://titanbooks.com/72675-jitterbug/"><b><i>Jitterbug</i></b></a> by Gareth L. Powell, described as an action-packed adventure in a devastated solar system, featuring a crew of bounty hunters.</p>
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<p>In April, expect <a href="https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-subtle-art-of-folding-space/?isbn=9781250425409&format=hardback"><i>The Delicate Art of Folding Space</i></a> by Jon Chu, who has gained accolades for his short stories. Additionally, <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/search/books/_/N-/Ntt-The+Photonic+Effect"><i>Photonic Effect</i></a> by Mike Chen is anticipated, touted as a "page-turning space opera" amidst the Galactic Civil War.</p>
<p>Other anticipated titles for April include <b><i>The Radiant Dark</i></b> by Alexandra Oliva, the intriguing <b><i>Language of Liars</i></b> by SL Huang, and <b><i>Ode to the Half-Broken</i></b> by Suzanne Palmer, which promises to deliver "hopeful punk science fiction."</p>
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<p>May’s standout is <a href="https://torpublishinggroup.com/we-burned-so-bright/?isbn=9781250881236&format=hardback"><b><i>We Burned So Bright</i></b></a> by TJ Klune, which follows an older gay couple on a poignant road trip as the world faces impending doom.</p>
<p>The month also features Anne Leckie’s latest in her Imperial Radoch universe, <a href="https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/ann-leckie/radiant-star/9780356517964/"><b><i>Radiant Star</i></b></a>, alongside Martha Wells’ <a href="https://torpublishinggroup.com/platform-decay/?isbn=9781250827005&format=hardback"><b><i>Platform Decline</i></b></a>, another addition to the *Murderbot* series.</p>
<p>June brings exciting prospects as well, including <a href="https://torpublishinggroup.com/sublimation/?isbn=9781250376794&format=hardback"><b><i>Sublimation</i></b></a>, an immigrant story by Isabel J. Kim, and <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/joseph-eckert/the-traveler/9781035084074"><b><i>The Traveler</i></b></a>, about a reluctant time traveler and his son.</p>
<p>Later in the year, look for <a href="https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-infinite-state/?isbn=9781250386229&format=hardback"><b><i>State of Infinity</i></b></a> by Richard Swann, luring readers into a thrilling survival story set in a sci-fi epic.</p>
<p>Exciting times await in the realm of science fiction!</p>
<p><i><b>Emily H. Wilson</b>, author of the *Sumerian* Trilogy, is presently focused on crafting her debut science fiction novel.</i></p>
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While the internet buzzed with diss tracks, explored high-profile jewelry heists, and followed love bus journeys, groundbreaking scientific advancements quietly transformed our world.
For better or worse, here are the top 7 game-changing events and breakthroughs of 2025. (Spoiler: Katy Perry’s space journey isn’t on this list).
1. Introducing the World’s Fastest Supercomputer
In January, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California unveiled the world’s fastest supercomputer, El Capitan. This marvel became the third computer ever to achieve exascale computing speeds, boasting a peak performance of 2.79 exaFLOPS (equivalent to 2.79 quintillion floating-point operations per second). El Capitan will be pivotal in organizing the United States’ nuclear arsenal and exploring advanced nuclear designs. Its construction, which began in May 2023, cost around $600 million.
2. Significant Planetary Changes
According to a recent study, 2024 marked the first year on record when global average temperatures soared to 1.6°C (2.8°F) above pre-industrial levels. This troubling statistic emerged nearly a decade after 195 nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
In June, scientists reported that ocean acidification has surpassed tolerable limits for Earth, marking the seventh of nine “planetary boundaries” crossed since 2009. Exceeding all nine could result in severe environmental collapse.
Ocean acidification, often termed “marine osteoporosis,” weakens the calcareous structures of marine species like crabs and corals. – Photo credit: Getty
3. Groundbreaking HIV Research
In May, researchers from Melbourne, Australia, made a significant breakthrough in the quest for an HIV cure by unveiling a method to extract the virus from human cells. This landmark discovery addressed a major challenge in HIV treatment, where the virus hides within white blood cells, awaiting reactivation.
Utilizing advanced mRNA technology, the researchers achieved what was once considered impossible. Approximately 40 million people globally live with HIV, requiring ongoing medication to suppress the virus and prevent infection. Researchers believe these insights may also pave the way for treatments of other diseases linked to white blood cells, including cancer. Learn more about this breakthrough.
4. Evidence of Life on Mars
In September, NASA’s acting administrator, Sean Duffy, declared that a detailed analysis of unique “leopard spot” patterns in Martian rocks revealed compelling evidence of past life on Mars. Discovered by NASA’s Perseverance spacecraft in July 2024 in Jezero Crater, the rock is estimated to be about 3.5 billion years old.
Scientists theorize that these distinctive patterns may result from ancient Martian microbes. Perseverance has preserved the rock fragments, which will eventually be returned to Earth for in-depth examination.
Initial discovery of the rock in 2024 gave us a unique chance to study its intriguing markings. – Credit: NASA
5. Observable Neutrino Scattering
After 50 years of research, July brought a thrilling observation: the detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS). This phenomenon, first proposed in 1974, involves neutrinos scattering coherently against nuclei within a nuclear reactor, yielding small nuclear recoils.
Scientist describe measuring CEvNS as akin to tracking a ping-pong ball’s trajectory after bouncing it off a moving car. The Swiss detector has captured CEvNS events with unprecedented clarity, potentially heralding a new era of neutrino detectors with applications in discovering new forces and particles that interact solely with neutrinos. Explore this groundbreaking research.
6. First Human Fetus Video
September also witnessed a historic moment as scientists successfully captured video footage of a human fetus implanting in an artificial womb for the first time. The visual documentation provides unique insights into critical stages of human development.
Since implantation failures account for 60% of miscarriages, the researchers aim for these images to enhance our understanding of the process, potentially improving natural conception and IVF outcomes.
Video footage of implantation in mouse embryos (left) and human embryos (right).
7. The Universe’s Expansion Slows
Research published in March confirmed that while the universe is indeed expanding, its rate of acceleration appears to be gradually slowing. In June, findings from the Supernova Cosmology Project provided further evidence supporting this theory. Explore the data and implications.
If the universe’s expansion slows, profound implications for our understanding of particle physics may arise. Scientists could be compelled to revisit established models, with potential consequences such as a dramatic “big crunch” scenario, where expansion reverses and the universe collapses back on itself.
feedback A weekly column filled with strange stories, unbelievable advertising claims, and puzzling instructions.
An amazing year
To be new scientist Readers know that yearly summaries are prepared weeks beforehand. This specific recap was written on December 1st, just as Feedback was gearing up to avoid hearing Wham’s last christmas for 24 days. I’m also trying to persuade Feedback Junior to choose his main present. Any absurd events that occurred after that date will have to wait until the next year.
Indeed, 2025 offered a wealth of topics that intrigued Feedback. We encountered ludicrous ideas, such as the proposition to detonate the ocean floor to combat climate change, which went directly into our “not recommended” list. There were also endeavors to create particularly annoying robots, including an electric arm that faked handing you an ice cream cone, only for it to vanish in various amusing ways at the last moment. Unsurprisingly, people were distrustful.
To impose some structure on this chaos, we are introducing the 2025 End of Year Awards for Feedback. We will name it Backseas unless someone provides a better suggestion. The judges (that’s us) selected the categories and winners through a highly rigorous process that did not involve post-its or darts.
Best Scientific Acronyms
Feedback dreams of seeing a study that investigates the amount of time and resources societies dedicate to crafting imaginative or forced abbreviations. This could rival two seasons of influenza and a World Cup for global productivity.
After discovering a “machine learning model that can predict the taste of chemicals based on their molecular structure” labeled Flavor Analysis and Recognition Transformer (FART), Feedback invited contributions on similar topics. We were taken aback by the flood of acronyms that followed, from a hydrographic research project called Management of River Discharges to the Marine Domain (MORDOR) to two instruments on NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance called Raman and Luminescence Scanning of Habitable Environments for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) and another pair known as Wide Angle Terrain Sensor for Operations and Engineering (WATSON). However, one may be pushing the envelope.
Regardless, the judges (us) unanimously awarded the prize to a geneticist who devised “a method for estimating mutation rates and recent demographic history from very large samples.” They termed it “diffusion of rare elements in large variation inventories,” or DR EVIL. Quite clever.
The Best Old and New Technology
One persistent issue in today’s society is people who believe they’ve invented something novel when they’ve merely rebranded something existing. Here, there was a clear winner. Ugmonk has developed a “minimalist, paper-based to-do manager.” This product is designed to take the place of your online task management system, allowing you to work offline free from social media distractions. It consists of a few index cards placed atop a wooden block.
Best Extrapolation
Uncontested: Demographers David Swanson and Jeff Tyman produced a paper that noted a slight decrease in human fertility between 2019 and 2024 before extrapolating it all the way to human extinction by 2339 (or 2415 if they obtain an additional year of data).
Maximizing AI’s Potential
The challenge here was variety. An overwhelming amount of choices. We almost awarded this to Anthropic, which had the AI Claude operate a vending machine in their office. Claude first requested customers to deposit money into a fictitious bank account. Then it pretended to be a human in a blue blazer and red tie. However, since it was an in-house trial, it was disqualified.
Instead, this award goes to AI music. The most renowned fake AI band, Velvet Sundown, resembles the uncanny offspring of Coldplay and the Eagles. There’s an indescribable quality to this. After training on nearly all recorded music, the AI generates the most unremarkable form of music imaginable.
And Finally…
I’ll conclude with a silly and somewhat inappropriate tale. Time and again in 2025, Feedback found itself grappling with the Scunthorpe issue, which refers to how many innocent words can contain character strings that are offensive in certain contexts, causing complications for online moderation systems.
This realization began when we learned that Virgin Money’s chatbot objected to the term ‘virgin’. From there, we heard of a student who couldn’t create an email account due to his last name, Peacock, along with an incident that hindered researchers studying sperm whales.
However, our favorite story involved a bank’s computer server refusing to interact with a French-language server named after the Asterix character Petitsuitx because it contained the word “tits.” We appreciated this anecdote because a reader, Nick Brown, shared it with us, suggesting that banks utilizing such poorly constructed servers were likely headed for insolvency.
Have a story for Feedback?
You can send your article to Feedback at feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week’s and previous feedback can be found on our website.
In “Common Side Effects” Marshall makes an important discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery
2025 has brought many captivating sci-fi shows showcasing themes of chaos, intrigue, and resistance. This unrest may mirror our world’s current state, but it certainly has led to some incredible television. Here are six series you should consider adding to your watch list.
Two of the standout shows have returned with new seasons. Initially, when Andor (Disney+) premiered in 2022, it felt somewhat unreal. Was it just a fun ride for both loyal fans and newcomers? A prequel focusing on Rebel Alliance spy Cassian Andor, written and performed with Shakespearean intensity? The question lingered in my mind.
However, it truly is fantastic. Remarkably, the second and final season (sadly) of Andor is even better than the first. Now centered on the battle against the Galactic Empire, Cassian, under the direction of a shadowy spymaster Lusen, steals a ship to rescue operatives, amidst a larger conflict. A timely and beautifully narrated tale amidst an era of rising authoritarianism, Andor undoubtedly stands out as the year’s finest show.
Another worthy contender from 2022 is Severance (Apple TV), which presents a starkly different set of rebels. Nestled within the enigmatic Lumon Industries, it showcases employees who opt for “separation.” Their professional memories are cut off from their true selves, generating a new entity known as “innie,” who knows nothing outside their work existence.
“
The instability present in numerous 2025 sci-fi series negatively portrays our reality, yet translates into remarkable television. “
These innies endure relentless horrors orchestrated by Lumon’s middle management, while the “outies” who cast them into this predicament remain blissfully unaware. Their only escape? Resigning to death. The second season takes a spine-chilling turn, unveiling deeper aspects of Lumon’s bizarre operations. Severance is a thoroughly satisfying mystery, intelligently unraveling its plot while adequately addressing the intricacies behind it.
James Marsden as President Cal Bradford in Paradise
Disney Copyright: Disney/Brian Roedel
Now, let’s talk about shows that may seem ordinary at first glance. New Scientist suggests Paradise (Disney+/Hulu), which skyrocketed to popularity in January. Initially a standard political thriller, the casting of Sterling K. Brown as U.S. secret agent Xavier Collins and James Marsden as Cal Bradford, a suspected presidential murderer, proves clever. Their on-screen chemistry is outstanding, and the fast-paced plot keeps viewers guessing.
What seemed like a light binge-watch took a captivating turn towards sci-fi by the end of an unforgettable first episode. Paradise brilliantly transitions from mere entertainment to something truly engaging. Without giving away spoilers, it casts an eerie shadow over the investigation, preventing the narrative from spiraling into absurdity. Absurdity is present—many pivotal moments are underscored with airy renditions of 1980s power ballads—but it’s just the right touch.
Every year, numerous end-of-the-world narratives unfold on screens, but inevitably, some stand out more than others. Among the top shows of 2025 is El Eternaut (Netflix), which breathes life into the classic comic by Héctor Germán Oesterheld.
As heavy snow descends upon Buenos Aires, former soldier Juan Salvo dons a gas mask and waders, venturing out to locate his family. It quickly becomes clear that the snowfall is just the tip of the iceberg. Juan and other survivors must unravel the mystery of what’s happening and how to thwart it.
Delve into the grim historical backdrop of Argentina’s late 1970s military dictatorship and the assassination of Oesterheld. El Eternaut pays appropriate homage to its source material, crafting a haunting series. One of the standout scenes this year takes place in a confined apartment where survivors must huddle together and strip Juan’s clothing, realizing their survival relies on outside elements.
If you lean towards warmer dystopian narratives, consider Pluribus (Apple TV), written by Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan. Set against the backdrop of sunny New Mexico, it follows the tale of jaded romance novelist Carol Starka, who is anything but a hero. In a world where most of humanity becomes overwhelmed by a sudden wave of happiness, everyone clamors to serve Carol, one of the few unaffected individuals.
What if a utopia existed, but not all could bask in its light? Carol is uninterested in participating in this enforced joy, yet discovering a path to normalcy proves challenging, especially considering how lovely a world free of conflict and selfishness can be.
Pluribus exhibits excruciating confidence and leads you through unexpected twists, anchored by an impressive central performance.
Surprises Await
Let’s shift to a more uplifting topic about joy. Common Side Effects (Channel 4/Cartoon Network) has been the biggest surprise for me this year, not just for its quality—thanks to co-creator Joe Bennett, known for the remarkable Scavenger’s Rain—but because it garnered enough viewers to warrant a second season.
This animated series follows fungi expert Marshall, who stumbles upon a shocking finding—a mushroom that seems to possess the power to cure various ailments. Unsurprisingly, this mushroom, dubbed Blue Angel, quickly becomes a sought-after commodity that nefariously falls into the hands of Leutical Pharmaceuticals, a company whose newest employee is Frances, a childhood friend recently reconnected with Marshall.
With enemies in pursuit, the show transcends mere conspiracy thriller tropes or critiques of Big Pharma. Common Side Effects weaves a thoughtful, engaging narrative about envisioning a brighter future. Let’s take inspiration from this for 2026.
TThe greatest gift for your mom this holiday season is an opportunity to unwind. A day free from obligations, where someone else handles cooking, cleaning, and chores. She can take a break, enjoy brunch with friends, or indulge in shopping. However, don’t forget to have something beautifully wrapped and waiting for her under the tree.
Having been a technology critic for over ten years and a mother myself, I particularly enjoy unwrapping gadgets. That said, you don’t need to be a tech enthusiast to value the practicality and luxury of well-thought-out devices. I consulted numerous moms across various price ranges to gather insights on their tech wish lists this holiday season.
All prices are accurate as of the publication date.
Tech gifts for mom under $50
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Apple AirTag
$17.97 on Amazon
$17.97 at Walmart
Parents can often feel overwhelmed, anxious, and forgetful. I absolutely love Apple AirTags. You can attach it to your car keys or keep it in your wallet for peace of mind. When my car keys get lost within the cushions of the couch or my wallet is left in another bag, the iPhone’s precision search acts like a homing device to locate my keys. When outside Bluetooth range, AirTags can relay location information via nearby iPhone users, helping you find misplaced items like luggage. I’ve relied on AirTag more times than I’d care to admit, including attaching it to my 13-year-old’s house keys to help him find it after losing it repeatedly.
Photo: Provided by Scosh
Scosche MagStack USB-C Cable
$29.99 at Crutchfield
I’ve come to realize that I can never have enough cables. Nowadays, every device operates on USB-C, and while many come with additional cables included, it’s inevitable that someone in my family will borrow mine, leaving me without it.
I admire these cables for their durability and the convenience of being able to neatly coil them for travel, thanks to their magnetic jacket. They also enable speedy data transfers and quick charging when connected to compatible devices and power adapters. A chic cable with various stylish colors and a sleek design; I doubt any mother would say, “No, thank you.”
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Coffee Warming Tray
$32.99 on Amazon
All moms, particularly those like me who work from home, understand the frustration of pouring a fresh cup of coffee, setting it aside, and diving into work—only to discover an hour later that it has gone cold.
This mug warmer changes that. Just place the mug on the heating plate, and your coffee, tea, or any other hot beverage stays hot for hours. No more waste, and mom will be thrilled. You can savor your morning in peace. “I’m specific about coffee mugs,” Marta shared. That’s why she prefers a mug warmer like this over heated mugs that require charging and hand washing.
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Breathing Pal Kyle Mindfulness Breathing Light
$21.89 on Amazon
This charming light serves dual purposes: it can be a night light or a calming meditation aid to alleviate anxiety. It offers three breathing exercises, including simple box breathing, to help moms collect themselves after a stressful day. The light cues guide mom, and you can even change the colors to match her mood.
Plus, its adorable design (which comes in koala, rabbit, and ball shapes) is sure to bring a smile. Carla, 46, noted: “I had read about the benefits of guided breathing, but I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic. Seeing this cute koala could motivate me to stick with it.”
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Yukosphone Tripod
$29.99 on Amazon
Moms always find themselves behind the camera, but seldom in front of it. Capture her essence by using a tripod for her phone. This model features extendable legs that collapse to the size of a handheld selfie stick, inclusive of a remote control that allows you to snap a picture when everyone is beaming.
Active moms will appreciate being able to set up their phones and tripods to document the action, ensuring they don’t miss a memorable goal or home run. Blair, 40, expressed: “I want a small tripod to have beside me while playing. I dislike holding my phone, and can’t clap or cheer while playing, so I miss recording it.”
As someone who frequently works from home but also at local coffee shops and travels for work, I find this privacy screen invaluable. It stops nosy onlookers from peeking at my screen.
Designed specifically for MacBooks (but available for other computers as well), it adheres magnetically to the screen without adhesives. When viewed directly, it doesn’t obstruct your sight, but when you shift your angle, nothing can be seen. It also cuts down on blue light, thereby reducing eye strain, making it excellent for long hours in front of screens.
Photo: Provided by Hyper
Hyper Hyper Pack Backpack
$67.49 at Hyper
I’ve been utilizing this backpack over the last few months for remote work and travels. At first glance, it doesn’t seem big enough to hold everything I need, yet it surprisingly accommodates more than expected. During a recent lengthy flight to Spain, I managed to fit all of my essentials: laptop, headphones, compact camera case, smartphone, battery pack, sunglasses, toiletries, house keys, wipes, cables, and chargers.
Having been caught in the rain multiple times, the water-resistant fabric and zippers ensure that everything inside remains dry. Plus, it’s made from recycled plastic bottles!
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Monster AC601 Earphones
$89.99 on Amazon
My best friend absolutely adores these earbuds. She “borrowed” them a few years back and still uses them daily, especially during workouts and walks. Not only are they very affordable, but they also feature Bluetooth 6.0 for a reliable connection to your device, complete with real-time translation capabilities. The included charging case provides a whopping 32 hours of battery life, reducing the hassle of daily charging. “I love the purple Monster earphones,” Marta, 46, said, “I have oddly shaped ears, and these don’t irritate me like typical earphones do. They fit perfectly and I don’t have to adjust them constantly.”
I won’t leave the house without these chargers. Their slim profile fits nicely into any bag and provides extra power when needed, whether it’s to get an Uber or catch an exciting moment at your kids’ game. Thanks to Apple’s MagSafe technology, it attaches effortlessly to the back of your iPhone, allowing wireless charging without the hassle of tangled cords. Although wireless charging is slower than wired, the latest 15-watt Qi2 standard is fast enough.
Tech gifts for mom over $100
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Panasonic Technics Wireless Earphones EAH-AZ100
$222.99 on Amazon
$249.99 at Technics
These are my absolute favorite earphones. I wear them during walks, commutes, working at coffee shops, and even while traveling. The noise cancellation capabilities are top-notch, effectively blocking out sounds—even on airplanes. I’ve been using them for a year and am extremely impressed by their fit, sound quality, and noise reduction features.
The Bluetooth multipoint feature allows them to connect with both your phone and laptop, automatically shifting audio as you switch between devices. I own the classic black version but would highly suggest the new champagne gold finish so she can feel extra special wearing them.
Photo: Provided by Walmart
JBL Flip 7 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
$104.90 at Walmart
$109.95 at JBL
At just over $100, the JBL Flip 7 offers sound quality that competes with portable Bluetooth speakers priced at twice its cost. I’ve used it at home, on a beach vacation in Mexico, and it has proven to be a hit among teenagers. You get a fantastic battery life of up to 16 hours per charge, excellent sound quality, plus Auracast, which allows pairing with two speakers for a richer audio experience.
The IP68 rating ensures its safety, even if accidentally submerged in water. Moms will appreciate the PushLock system, which accommodates interchangeable accessories like wrist straps and carabiner clips, both included in the package. At this price, why not get two?
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Oura Ring 4 Smart Ring
$249 on Amazon
$349 at Oura
The Oura Ring 4 is ideal for moms to monitor important metrics such as sleep, heart rate, physical activity, and blood oxygen levels. Additionally, it includes tracking features for pregnancy, menopause, and perimenopause symptoms. Personally, I appreciate the organized app that provides feedback on stress levels, readiness throughout the day, as well as daily snapshots.
It’s comfortable to wear, stylish (especially the new ceramic model), and boasts a week-long battery life on a single charge. One caveat is that to access the full range of features, a $5.99 monthly subscription is required. However, for the insights it offers, she likely won’t mind trading a fancy latte once a month.
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Apple Watch Series 11 Smart Watch
$329 on Amazon
$329 at Walmart
I adore the Apple Watch Series 11, and many mothers I know are keen on it as well. The upgrades from previous versions include a smoother, more resilient screen, improved battery life (a common issue with the Apple Watch), and real-time translation features.
Busy moms will appreciate the new wrist gestures that make it easy to dismiss notifications and answer calls when their hands are occupied. “If you’re seeking a premium gift for your mom, I bought the Apple Watch Series 11 to upgrade from my Series 7. I love it for tracking my workouts, but also appreciate the Find My Phone function since my memory isn’t what it used to be,” Marta shared.
Photo: courtesy of Skaff
Customized SCUF Valor Pro Wireless Game Controller
$209.99 at Scarf
Moms can be gamers too! Sometimes they find themselves sharing gear with their little gamers. A personalized game controller makes for a thoughtful and unique gift. You can customize colors for the faceplate, thumbsticks, rings, D-pad, and even bumpers and triggers. Just like that, mom has her very own controller!
This will be her pride and joy, ensuring the kids won’t be borrowing it. More importantly, she’ll appreciate knowing it was made with love. “I’m a gamer, and what I really want is a customized SCUF Valor Pro Wireless controller,” says Dayna, 35. “I share my system with my children. It would be wonderful to have something special just for me.”
Photo: Provided by Amazon
TheraGun Prime Massage Gun
$259.99 on Amazon
$259.99 at Therabody
For moms who enjoy morning runs, afternoon walks, home workouts, and yoga classes, muscle soreness can become a reality with age. While some high-end massage guns can be pricey, entry-level options provide much-needed relief. “I’ve been wanting a massage gun, but it’s something I wouldn’t buy for myself. I take a bike class regularly, and my legs ache by day’s end, especially while managing small children at home. Having a massage gun for evening relief would be amazing,” shares Melissa, 30.
FUnderstanding today’s tweens, particularly around the holiday season, can feel like solving a puzzle. With trends like viral challenges and quirky memes dominating their world, finding gift ideas for kids aged 9 to 12 can be a real challenge.
To simplify your gifting process, we consulted with 20 tweens to uncover their top holiday wishes. From stylish skincare to adorable plush toys, here are 47 fantastic gift options for young boys and girls.
Prices listed are accurate at the time of publishing.
For the Trendy Fashionista
Ugg Classic Mini Boots
Photo: Provided by Zappos
Super cute, incredibly comfy, and versatile enough for any outfit. Easy to wear even when you’re active. Caroline, 11 years old
$129.95 at Zappos $129.95 at Nordstrom
Lululemon Apparel
Photo: Courtesy of Lululemon
This dress is really pretty. Plus, I’ve heard wonderful things about their clothes, and everyone seems to wear them. Lizzie, 9 years old
Claire North’s ‘Slow Gods’ tracks deep space pilots
Shutterstock/Vadim Sadovski
If you aim to stay updated on the fresh wave of science fiction hitting bookstores this November, you’ll need to be quick. New Scientist columnist Emily H. Wilson emphasizes the necessity of reading Claire North’s Slow Gods, and I’m inclined to trust her judgment (look for her review in next week’s edition). Additionally, I’m bracing myself for Rebecca Thorne’s chilling tale of a zombie-like virus aboard a submarine (talk about claustrophobia!). Grace Walker’s Merge has a central theme that terrifies me. This feels like a spooky month in the sci-fi realm. Yet, I also anticipate a poignant read about the extinct Great Sea Cow titled Sea Beasts, described as heart-wrenching and beautiful, devoid of any supernatural terror.
Emily H. Wilson has expressed her strong appreciation for this sci-fi novel. In my experience, it’s rare to encounter a science fiction columnist advocate for a book so passionately. This story illustrates the death and rebirth of deep space pilot Maukana na Vdnadze, exploring a supernova that “obliterated planets and devastated civilizations.” As Emily notes in her upcoming column, “Read this book. If you enjoy science fiction, it’s essential.” She consistently emphasizes value, and so do I.
Sea Beasts Written by Iida Turpeinen, translated by David Huxton
While not precisely science fiction, this tale delves into fictional interpretations of science. My fascination with sea cows began in childhood through Willard Price’s Adventure. The narrative kicks off in 1741, with naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller embarking on an expedition to identify a sea route between Asia and America, where he discovers the Steller’s sea cow. Then, in 1859, the governor of Alaska dispatched men to unearth the skeleton of a massive marine mammal that vanished a century earlier, with restoration efforts beginning in 1952.
Illustration of an extinct giant sea cow
FLPA/Alamy
Though it may seem to tiptoe into the realm of fantasy, the publisher has likened it to a novel by Karian Bradley known for its time travel elements. The narrative unfolds within a library named “Jikoku,” filled with books containing the memories of individuals traversing the timelines between the post-war and Cold War periods in the U.S. At just 11, Lisavette finds herself trapped there, maturing into a world learned solely through the memories of the deceased. It becomes clear that government agents are infiltrating these times to eradicate memories that counter the official narrative…
We previously covered this novel during its self-publication in 2022, when our then-sci-fi columnist Sally Addie expressed enjoyment. Now endorsed by a major publisher, it seems laden with thrilling prospects and just the right amount of scare for the Halloween season, prompting me to finally dive in. A force known as the Anti-Meme preys on the book’s characters’ most treasured memories, covertly robbing them of their experiences while they remain unaware of the looming conflict.
Ice Written by Jacek Dukaj, translated by Ursula Phillips
Following the asteroid Tunguska’s 1908 impact, Russia unravels in a deadly winter. As the land succumbs to freezing temperatures, inhabitants flock to cities for survival. This extreme cold catalyzes a transformation of natural elements into bizarre new forms, spawning unique laws of physics.
Frozen Lake Baikal in Siberia
Shutterstock/Mura Tart
Amelia’s mother, Laurie, is battling Alzheimer’s disease. As her condition deteriorates, Amelia opts into the world’s first experimental fusion treatment designed for Alzheimer’s patients. Laurie’s consciousness merges with Amelia’s, creating a singular identity. Together with other participants, they are placed in a luxurious rehabilitation facility known as The Village…yet all is not as it appears. Frankly, the notion of treatment options alone is unsettling.
Featuring themes of zombies, submarines, and maritime horror, Nix and Kessandra delve into a massacre in an underwater city. As they descend, Kessandra unveils the truth: a disease has triggered the massacre, transforming individuals into mindless killers, and it’s on the rise…
Within this narrative lies an interdimensional conflict described as “one of the most savage the multiverse has confronted” (and it indeed is brutal). We follow Beth, a teacher-turned-rebel, alongside a keen gun-slinging hero, Wakeful Slim. Unlike prior tales in Pandominion’s universe, this story stands alone, crafted by the author of The Girl with All the Gifts (a must-read zombie novel).
An extradimensional war is occurring on Outlaw Planet by MR Carey
Shutterstock/Framestock footage
This monumental sci-fi narrative, Sun Eater, follows Hadrian Marlowe as he navigates life on the run from the Extrasolarians and the Soran Empire, whom he betrayed.
While not a new release, this 10th anniversary edition of humanity’s struggle for survival on a terraformed planet includes a special short story by Tchaikovsky, providing both enjoyment for fans and a perfect refresher for those new to the tale.
Described as an online cult phenomenon, this marks its inaugural English print edition. The narrative examines “the potential and pitfalls of human evolution,” delving into the author’s insights on genetic manipulation and the effect of colonizing Mars, accompanied by illustrations from Kosemen. Tchaikovsky himself described it as “a remarkable blend of scientific acumen and creativity.” Quite intriguing.
This thrilling high-concept story promises excitement. In a world governed by AI, everything comes to a halt right after your loved ones reveal their darkest secrets.
This compilation of Shusterman’s short stories boasts a stunningly surreal cover and introduces readers to a realm where bats block the sun and a glacial life force resurrects the dead.
Oil corporations are making minimal investments in wind energy.
Associated Press/Alamy
Significant oil and gas firms hold under 1.5 percent of the global renewable electricity capacity, raising concerns about their dedication to green energy transition, despite their public assertions.
Marcel Llabero Pasquina and Antonio Bontempi, researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, analyzed ownership data of over 53,000 renewable energy projects—including wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal—tracked by the NGO Global Energy Monitor. They compiled this information to determine the proportion of these projects owned by the 250 largest oil and gas companies, which together dominate 88% of global hydrocarbon production.
As the world shifts away from fossil fuels, many chief energy companies have committed to investing in renewables, yet findings indicated that these top firms own merely 1.42% of operational renewable energy capacity worldwide. Notably, more than half (around 54%) of this capacity was acquired rather than developed by these companies. Their analysis of total energy output showed that just 0.13% of energy produced by these companies comes from renewable electricity.
“The findings were astonishing even to me,” remarks Llabero-Pasquina. “We understood they played a limited role in the energy transition. We thought it was merely for appearances. Yet, the numbers are even lower than we anticipated.”
Llavero Pasquina and Bontempi are associated with Environmental Justice, a collective dedicated to researching and advancing the global environmental justice movement. Llabero-Pasquina believes that the campaign’s stance bolsters his research. “It is crucial for us to maintain high rigor in our work so that we can effectively persuade others and demonstrate the truth.”
It is not surprising that major energy corporations, renowned for their oil and gas ventures, do not hold substantial stakes in renewable energy, says Thierry Bros from the Institute of Sciences in Paris. “Ultimately, [the energy transition] must be disruptive and not play into the hands of these companies.”
However, Bros argues that big energy firms are misleadingly portraying their efforts towards energy transition. “They represent themselves as incorporating methods like carbon capture for emissions from fossil fuels. Yet, I believe their actual engagement leans more towards carbon capture and sequestration, which may extend beyond their genuine expertise,” he states.
Offshore Energies UK, representing the UK’s offshore energy sector, including oil, gas, wind, carbon capture, and hydrogen, refrained from commenting directly on these findings. Nevertheless, it highlighted a previous statement from CEO David Whitehouse: “Rather than being in conflict, oil and gas, wind, and emerging low-carbon technologies form a unified system. The expertise of our workforce, the same individuals who developed the North Sea, is instrumental for achieving this transition,” he remarked.
A prominent technology investor in the UK has labeled companies in the artificial intelligence sector as “confusing,” raising alarms about a potential AI stock market bubble.
James Anderson, known for his early investments in Tesla, Amazon, and China’s Tencent and Alibaba, which yielded significant returns for Bailey Gifford’s flagship fund, now serves at Ringott, an Italian investment firm. He noted that he had not observed any signs of an investment bubble until recently, particularly following large valuations announced by OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and its competitor, Humanity.
“In the last few months, what surprised me was the lack of bubble indicators [in AI],” he told the Financial Times.
OpenAI is reportedly in talks for a stock sale that would value the company at $500 billion (£370 billion), a significant increase from its previous valuations of $300 million in April and $157 billion last October. Meanwhile, Humanity has recently seen its valuation nearly triple, reaching $170 billion last month, up from $60 billion in March.
“These rapid valuation increases should raise some questions. Something like Humanity was generating concerns among those looking to invest in OpenAI,” he remarked.
Anderson also expressed unease about Nvidia’s investment of up to $100 billion in OpenAI. Nvidia, a major player in AI infrastructure and the manufacturer of computer chips essential for training AI models, has seen its market valuation soar to $4.5 trillion. According to the agreement, OpenAI pays Nvidia in cash for services, while Nvidia invests in OpenAI with equity.
There has been ongoing commentary on this transaction that likens it to vendor financing, where companies offer financial support to purchasers of their products.
Anderson described himself as a “huge admirer” of Nvidia but indicated that the OpenAI agreement “has caused more concerns than before.”
Citing similar practices during the Dotcom bubble when telecom equipment manufacturers lent money to clients, he noted:
“There weren’t many telecom suppliers from 1999 to 2000, but there’s a familiar pattern. I don’t feel entirely at ease regarding this situation.”
Anderson is currently the managing partner of Lingott’s Innovation Strategy Fund, which is owned by the Agnelli family, known for their control over Ferrari and Juventus FC.
Nvidia and OpenAI were contacted for comments.
Many investors share concerns that stock market valuations may be on the verge of becoming bubbly due to the excitement surrounding AI.
Wolf von Rotberg, a stock strategist at J Safra Sarasin Sustainable Asset Management, cautioned on Tuesday that US stocks were becoming “increasingly absurd” after Donald Trump’s initiation of a trade war.
“Much of the rebound has been fueled by the highly favorable narrative surrounding AI and the surge in investment. While there’s no clear indication of a bubble, it might mirror the exuberance of previous periods.”
“Current valuations are not far from the peaks of the Dot-Com era in the early 2000s. Likewise, the credit market has traded at historically low-risk spreads over the past 25 years,” Von Rotberg stated.
City Consultant Capital Economics remarked that the market rally needs to deliver more. “With the S&P 500 reaching record highs, it’s no surprise that discussions of a stock market bubble in the US are resurfacing.”
“That said, as enthusiasm for AI continues to escalate, we wouldn’t be shocked if this year’s indices surpass the current forecast of 6,750.”
According to Deutsche Bank Research Institute, searches for “AI Bubble” on Google Trends have declined significantly over the past month.
“One AI bubble has already burst, and that is the notion that there is a bubble,” it concluded.
Like many others, Ursula K. Le Guin is undoubtedly one of my beloved sci-fi authors. I’m thrilled about this month’s compilation of maps that I plan to use as inspiration for my story. Especially after enjoying It Was Confiscated. Join the New Scientist Book Club: Do Do Do Do and Jo, and share your insights on this classic with fellow readers!
This month not only brings back science fiction, but I eagerly anticipate it. Ken Liu will introduce a thriller based in the near future. I’m particularly interested in the tale of flooded Kolkata and the challenges faced by the mother, Megamajumdal. Additionally, there’s a story from astronaut Chris Hadfield and a new offering from author Mark Z. Danielewski, titled Leaf House.
Le Guin will venture into her great stories, promoting the Earthsea series (I recall the archipelago mentioned in those books) and I Always Go Home. This new collection features these maps alongside interviews, poetry, recipes, and contributions from various writers. It seems like a true treasure trove for fans like me of Le Guin.
Set in the not-so-distant future, this sci-fi thriller revolves around hacker Julia, who is tasked with rescuing a “dream artist” while uncovering the mysteries of virtual reality. This is the first in the Julia Z series, which has received the Hugo Award.
Reynolds once wrote fantastic sci-fi short stories for New Scientist. In one, we follow Yuri Gagarin, a private investigator observing a death aboard a spacecraft, weaving a tale through the vastness of space.
I’m not sure how far this fits within the realm of science fiction, but I believe there are many overlaps between sci-fi enthusiasts and those who adore Danielwski’s inventive works, particularly Leaf House. In fact, my colleague Jacob Aron selected it as one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever written. Therefore, I imagine quite a few people, myself included, are eager to hear about Danielewski’s latest novel this month. It ostensibly follows two friends who are trying to escape a massacre in a small town in Utah called Orbop, though I suspect there’s much more to it than that.
This dystopian narrative unfolds in a setting where a mysterious illness has stripped people of their memories, challenging how they interact and live. However, as “fragments of memory” start resurfacing, they threaten the center’s rigid structure, prompting students to question their reality. I love how they occupy their free time, watching old tapes and embodying characters like Chandler and Gunther, Maria and Chino!
Drawing comparisons to The Hunger Games, this story takes place in a dystopian world where individuals are evaluated based on their ability to fit in, centering on a woman caught in a love triangle. It highlights the perils of social and genetic engineering.
In Cold Eternity, a fugitive takes refuge on an abandoned spaceship
roman3dart/Getty Images
This slice of space horror is perfect for the Halloween season. Halley embarks on an adventure after uncovering an interplanetary conspiracy. She takes refuge in the Elysian Field, a drifting space vessel once believed to be a sanctuary by the wealthy until its inhabitants succumbed to death. After being abandoned for over a century, Halley now senses something amiss aboard…
Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Cold War thriller is set in the 1970s during a space race involving the US, Soviet Union, and China. The narrative follows a new Apollo mission as it ventures into orbit. This marks the third entry in Hadfield’s series, following Apollo Murder and Exile.
This tale strikes me as a must-read. It unfolds in present-day Kolkata, where climate change and food scarcity have led to flooding and hunger. MA teams up with her husband in Michigan, bringing their 2-year-old daughter and elderly father. Just as they prepare to depart, MA realizes her immigration documents have been stolen. What ensues is a frantic one-week search for the thief. Meanwhile, the offender, Bulba, grapples with escalating crimes while trying to provide for his family. As disaster looms, what lengths will each individual go to protect their children?
European grey wolf (Canis Lupus) hunting in the forest
Arndt Sven-Erik / Arterra Picture Library / Alamy
Lucy, whose earliest memories date back to the Covid-19 pandemic, is now striving to restore lost species. Hester was born on the day of the Chernobyl disaster. In the words of Kim Stanley Robinson, this is “enduring” and “unforgettable.”
We receive two stories in one with this doubleheader. The first presents crime-laden narratives set in a futuristic scientific cosmos. Mirrors Red Star Hustle follows the adventures of a high-end escort entangled with a “noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch,” a unique blend that intrigues me. Kowal’s Anxiety also unfolds a tale of a grandmother whose grandchild is tempted into a terrorist group, all while a new planet harbors new challenges and possibilities.
If you enjoy Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, then Zenith (or Nadile) reimagines Jane Austen. This is an inventive remix of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein, depicting the lesser-known sister, Mary Bennett, as a brilliant scientist aspiring to revive the dead in search of her husband. But then she meets a remarkable young woman, leading her to reconsider her true desires.
The fitness technology scene is thriving like never before, offering numerous ways to monitor and analyze every run, ride, or workout session. From high-tech carbon-plated running shoes to innovative foam floats for the pool, the latest wave of fitness gear aims to help you break records, win races, and enhance your athletic performance.
Not all devices, wearables, or training tools align with your fitness goals, so it’s crucial to know where to invest your hard-earned money. To sift through marketing hype, I consulted various sports experts to pinpoint technologies that truly make a difference. Surprisingly, the most effective options aren’t always the latest or most expensive models—some are quite simple.
Transitioning to clipless pedals enhances your cycling by allowing more efficient circular movements instead of a rigid push-down motion. This also secures your feet in place for greater comfort during long rides, minimizing chain issues when dismounting.
For an accessible entry into clipless pedals, consider mountain bike pedals, which work on both sides, making entry and exit easier than road bike pedals that only clip in from one side. These pedals often come with simple, removable shoe cleats for easy walking.
Rock Rider Mountain Bike Shoes
£79.99 at Decathlon
Shimano Clipless Cycling Pedal
£27.99 at Halfords£28.62 on Amazon
Turbo Trainer and Third-Party Training Software
For beginners, a turbo trainer can transform your bike into an effective indoor training tool. Advancements in technology have made these trainers more user-friendly. Hales notes, “The main advantage of a turbo trainer is environmental control, eliminating distractions from traffic or road conditions, allowing you to focus on your specific training sessions.”
Today, turbo trainers come equipped with engaging software like Zwift or Rouvy, making indoor training more exciting than ever before.
A GPS watch is invaluable for runners, offering the ability to record distance and speed while tracking progress. This functionality serves as great motivation.
Following a training plan becomes easier, guiding when to increase pace or slow down. The data collected allows for assessment of the runner’s efforts.
Choose a reliable running watch; the Apple Watch is sleek but may lack in data accuracy. The Garmin Forerunner series is known for its dependability.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music
£249 at John Lewis£289.99 on Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 570
£459.99 on Garmin£459.99 at Runners
Carbon Running Shoes
Shoes featuring carbon plates enhance running efficiency. Research indicates that each step in these shoes requires less oxygen compared to traditional options, as they function like springs, providing significant propulsion.
Evidence shows they can benefit runners across skill levels, not just elite athletes (supported by both scientific findings and anecdotal evidence from marathon finish times).
It’s important to try various models for comfort. High-performing options include Nike AlphaFly and Vaporfly, ASICS METASPEED, and Saucony Endorphin Pro, with some models proving more durable than others. Generally, Nike models are rated for a lifespan of 100-200 miles, influenced by running conditions and individual forces.
The latest PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite3 has also shown outstanding performance in recent studies, though it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with race-day shoes during training sessions to maintain their efficacy. Balance usage with other shoes to ensure they’re in top condition for race days.
For those new to fitness, pace is all that matters at first. Yet as you aim for greater performance, understanding your heart rate becomes crucial in gauging your exertion. Many factors influence pace, including terrain and footwear.
It’s common for runners to overestimate their exertion level; knowing your heart rate can help you find the right training zones. This data can then inform your workouts, ensuring you’re not pushing too hard on easy days.
Although GPS watches have improved, they may still provide unreliable heart rate readings while running. Hence, a strap-based monitor can offer better accuracy. Arm-based monitors, such as those from Coros, can be particularly effective for women, as they can be less cumbersome than chest straps.
Most adults haven’t swum competitively from a young age. Using equipment like a pull buoy can help these “newer swimmers” achieve better body position and feel for the water.
A pull buoy is positioned between the thighs to elevate the body into a neutral position in the water, mitigating the need for kicking. Without it, many may find their hips sinking, making proper stroke initiation difficult.
Not all pull buoys are created equal; their size and buoyancy vary greatly. Many believe that using a pull buoy is akin to cheating, but in reality, it simplifies swimming. Without it, the struggle intensifies and can lead to fatigue, which is why less frequent swimmers may not cover much distance.
Toy Buoy 4
£17.99 at Sports Shoes
Smart Goggles
I tend to prefer traditional methods at the pool, but smart goggles have significantly improved swimming experiences. They automatically track your time and laps, eliminating the need to touch any buttons.
Additionally, these goggles can help analyze your body position in real time, providing feedback on head positioning and breathing, which can enhance swim performance.
For years, tennis lagged in tech adoption, but this is changing with tools like SwingVision, which brings smart analytics to your device, offering real-time shot tracking, line calls, and match stats.
SwingVision provides a free tier for two hours of recorded analysis monthly, making it user-friendly and accessible without any permanent infrastructure.
Running shoes propel you forward, but wearing them in the gym can hinder movement patterns. For example, during squats, executing the movement with your toes leads is crucial.
For functional training, Nike Free MetCon is highly recommended for its durability and adaptive exercise patterns. It promotes natural foot movement, providing stability during agility exercises and landings.
Nike Free MetCon 6 (Men)
£99.99 at Sports Direct£119.99 at Nike
Nike Free MetCon 6 (Women)
£71.99 at Nike£119.99 at ASOS
Lifting Belt
Hybrid training can often lead to muscle strain if you lift following a long run. It’s advisable to utilize a belt when lifting heavy to support your back and engage your glutes and hamstrings effectively.
While manual massages may be more effective, using a massage gun pre, during, or post-workout can have benefits. The rapid vibrations assist in tapping massage techniques to stimulate the nervous system and relieve tension in muscle groups.
Massage guns are excellent for targeting specific muscle areas but aren’t a substitute for comprehensive coverage. It’s difficult to treat areas like the traps effectively without help. However, they can be useful tools.
Theragun Mini Massage Gun
£199 at Therabody£199 at Argos
Hyper Volt 2 Massage Gun
£199 at Hyperice£199 on Amazon
Check out our guide on the best massage guns and essential Pilates kits for more insights.
Greetings from TechScape! I’m back in the US and busy writing this from the plane. This week’s Tech News revolves around a significant deal involving Donald Trump, which has implications for the high-tech industries in China, the UK, and the US due to unexpected fines on favored visas.
Trump’s Talent Tariff: Visa Fines Threatening the Industry’s Most Valued Employees
Last year, a major tech firm brokered an agreement where tens of millions of dollars went to Trump’s presidential campaign in exchange for favorable policies that foster access to the president and stimulate industry growth. If Elon Musk is included, this figure rises to hundreds of millions. However, Trump’s new fees on frequently utilized visas pose a threat to this arrangement.
My colleague Johanna Bouyan reports:
On Friday, Donald Trump signed a declaration imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, which could have significant repercussions for the US tech landscape.
The potential crackdown on H-1B visas has become a central issue for the tech industry. Government data reveals that around two-thirds of H-1B visa employment is tech-related, as employers utilize these visas to attract engineers, educators, and healthcare professionals.
In response to the initial announcements, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google encouraged their overseas staff to return quickly to the US and advised dependents against traveling abroad. The implications of the fines that began at 12 AM on September 21 were uncertain, raising concerns within their HR departments. The White House later clarified that the fees would only apply to new applicants and would not impact existing visa holders with six-figure annual fees. The US Secretary of Commerce reiterated this point. With the camera Fees will be collected on an annual basis.
These penalties are particularly alarming for immigrants from India. Approximately 700,000 H-1B visa holders reside in the US, with 71% originating from India. Chinese nationals make up about 10% to 15% of this group. Additional noteworthy insights: nearly three-quarters of H-1B visa holders are male, earning a median salary of around $120,000. If these penalties survive potential legal challenges, the cost of hiring these workers in the US could become prohibitive for employers.
“Fearing for Our Talent”: India Responds to Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Increase
These fees serve as tariffs on talent, paralleling Trump’s duties on goods from nearly all US trading partners. The president’s protectionist approach towards professional work resonates like his stance on imports from Vietnam. Additionally, similar to these tariffs, the rationale behind his employee fees is challenging to discern. The US lacks adequate domestic manufacturing capabilities to assemble smartphones fully and will not erect barriers preventing parts made abroad. Likewise, it doesn’t possess a robust pipeline of trained technical workers comparable to those in India and China, creating a talent gap that many leading American companies currently face. Enter H-1B. Advocates of the program, including Elon Musk of Tesla, argue it will address the talent void and attract essential skilled workers to maintain competitiveness. Musk, a US citizen originally from South Africa, once held an H-1B visa himself.
In December, Trump expressed his support for the program.
“I have a lot of H-1B visas for my properties. I support H-1B. I’ve utilized them many times. It’s a valuable program,” said the president. New York Post.
Will Trump’s Talent Tariff catalyze a resurgence of technical manufacturing, prompting the American education system to inspire more students toward technical careers? Perhaps not while he continues to battle against a university system that trains many international students who subsequently obtain H-1B visas and contribute to American companies.
At Last: Trump Finalizes the TikTok Transfer Agreement
Will the TikTok deal go through? Photo: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
Five years later, TikTok faces uncertainty, having dealt with multiple deadline extensions, and Trump claims he has finalized an agreement to transfer TikTok from its parent company in Beijing to US ownership, which is expected to be accepted.
“We have a deal concerning TikTok. A group of major companies is interested in acquiring it,” Trump stated last Tuesday without elaborating.
Since the initial vague announcement, further details have emerged. Trump mentioned in an interview on Fox News Sunday that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, CEO of Fox Corporation, might be involved in the deal. Additionally, Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, is reportedly a part of the discussions.
White House officials revealed that Larry Ellison, who recently lost his Forbes title as the world’s richest man to Elon Musk, would lease and manage TikTok’s algorithm, extending to the management of data collected from American users.
Attention Big Spenders: Starmer and Trump’s Multi-Billion Dollar Tech Agreement
Last week, Trump and Keir Starmer met at Checkers, the Prime Minister’s residence. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
Just a week ago, Keir Starmer and Trump announced a commitment from numerous US companies to invest £31 billion in the UK technology sector in the coming years.
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, hailed it as the “largest announcement” with a commitment of £22 billion over the next four years. Google has also promised to invest £5 billion.
CoreWeave, a US data center company, plans to invest an additional £1.5 billion in the UK, including its site in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The US software company Salesforce is contributing another $2 billion in the UK.
Nvidia, the leading AI chip manufacturer, has pledged a £11 billion investment in the UK economy as part of this agreement, providing up to 120,000 Blackwell GPUs for projects developed over the coming years in the UK.
A notable critique has suggested that this contract resembles the US’s Stargate project, which promises either $500 million in commitments from high-tech companies or the establishment of the world’s largest data center in Abu Dhabi. The government isn’t obliged to oversee the significant financial transactions. Nvidia announced on Monday that it would invest $100 million in OpenAI, which is more than three times its UK commitment.
Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and past top policymaker for Meta, criticized the arrangement as a “second-class offer” for the UK in the US technology market.
At a Royal Television Association meeting in Cambridge, Clegg stated that the relationship between the UK and the US tech sectors is heavily lopsided and that the announcement primarily serves US businesses.
He cautioned that the UK risks becoming overly dependent on the US tech industry instead of fostering its own capabilities.
“These companies need these infrastructure resources anyway,” he noted. “They are constructing data centers globally. Perhaps they’ve merely made a token effort to align with the timing of this week’s state visit, but the flow of benefits isn’t mutual.”
“We are technically becoming a kind of vassal state. This is a reality. As soon as our high-tech companies begin to grow in size and ambition, they must turn to California.”
Chamkaur Ghag plays a pivotal role in the Lux-Zeplin experiment, a leading dark matter detector
Nova
Deep underground in South Dakota, the most advanced dark matter detector on Earth awaits its moment of discovery. This is the Lux-Zeplin (LZ) experiment, highlighting a vast tank of liquid xenon. Physicist Shankaur Ghag from University College London is among the key leaders in this large scientific collaboration, which aims to unravel about 85% of the universe’s mysteries that still elude us.
Currently, Ghag and his team find themselves at a crucial juncture in the quest for this elusive substance. They are considering plans for a more significant detector called xlzd, which promises to be many times the size of the LZ and even more precise. However, if neither detector can uncover the dark matter, they may need to reassess their understanding of what dark matter is. As Ghag suggests, future dark matter detectors may not be massive underground structures but rather smaller, unassuming devices. He has already devised a prototype of such a detector ahead of his upcoming talks at New Scientist Live this October.
Leah Crane: To start, why is dark matter so essential?
Chamkaur Ghag: On one side, we have all the knowledge that particles and atoms, alongside particle physics, provide about the components of matter. On the contrary, we understand gravity as well. While this may seem comprehensive, a significant issue arises when attempting to merge gravity and particle physics. Our galaxy shouldn’t exist as it does. It remains intact through gravity, which seems to derive from unseen matter. This isn’t just a tiny glue; around 85% of the universe comprises this so-called dark matter.
Why have our efforts to find it been so prolonged, with little success?
At present, we hypothesize that dark matter likely consists of what we term “wimps”—massive, weakly interacting particles that originated in the early universe. Consequently, these rarely interact with other particles, providing only a faint signature, which necessitates a large detector for detection. The larger these detectors are, the greater the chance that dark matter particles will pass through them. Additionally, they must be extremely quiet since even slight vibrations can obscure the signal.
We discuss the theoretical landscape of dark matter, which encompasses the range of masses and characteristics such particles could possess. We’ve already excluded certain regions of this landscape, making it essential to delve even deeper underground with larger detectors to explore where dark matter may still exist.
This painstaking endeavor requires minimizing background noise. For instance, many metals emit small radioactive levels, necessitating rigorous efforts to reduce construction material noise. The LZ detector boasts the lowest background noise and the highest level of radio-purity on the planet.
The LZ is currently the most sensitive detector we have. How does it function?
In essence, it operates as a double-walled thermos, containing several meters of liquid xenon. This xenon resides within a reflective tank, equipped with light sensors positioned above and below. Additionally, an electric field exists within this tank. When a wimp collides with a xenon nucleus, it generates a brief flash of light. However, due to the electric field, it causes the electrons to split apart, producing a second flash from the nucleus.
This two-signal output enables us to ascertain the exact location of an event. The intensity of both the primary and secondary flashes informs us about the microphysics of whether the interaction was caused by a wimp or an unrelated phenomenon, such as gamma rays. To ensure optimal detection, we are positioned miles underground to shield against cosmic rays and also encapsulated in an aquarium to safeguard against the surrounding rock.
This endeavor is undoubtedly complex. What has been the most challenging aspect of making it operational?
In an earlier experiment with a smaller prototype called Lux, I understood what was required to create an instrument tenfold more sensitive. Bringing that theoretical knowledge into practice proved challenging. For me, the toughest challenge lay in ensuring the instrument remained clean and quiet enough to achieve required sensitivity. When deployed with the LZ, it occupies a vast area equivalent to a football pitch, where it must tolerate only a gram of dust spread across its surface.
What is it like working with such an ultra-clean detector underground?
The environment, once a gold mine, retains its industrial atmosphere. You don a hard hat, descend a mile down, and then trek to the lab. Upon entering the lab, you lose sense of the surroundings; it transforms into a clean room filled with computers and equipment—essentially a lab devoid of windows. But the journey underground feels otherworldly.
Outer Detectors of the Lux-Zeplin Experiment
Sanford Underground Research Facility/Matthew Kapust
Historically, wimps have been the primary suspect for dark matter. At what point do we consider the wimp hypothesis invalid if we find no evidence?
Should we construct the XLZDs, the larger detectors intended for this purpose, and reach a point where they fail to detect wimps, it would be hard to sustain the idea of a standard wimp existing if we must venture beyond the capabilities of those instruments. However, until that happens, wimps are still in the game. The void between our current findings and those of the XLZD remains intriguing.
We’ve also developed a much smaller, entirely different detector for dark matter. Can you tell me more about it?
We’ve engineered 150 nanometer wide glass beads coated with lasers. This highly sensitive force detector can determine interactions in three dimensions, allowing us to ascertain which direction an event originated from. This capability is significant as it enables us to filter out terrestrial background influence, such as radioactive decay from geological materials.
This concept seems far removed from large detectors like the LZ. What’s the logic behind its creation? Will we see further advancements in smaller detectors?
Large-scale underground experiments, while large and sensitive, can paradoxically limit sensitivity due to their size. For instance, when a dark matter particle collides with my xenon detector, it may produce 10 photons. A smaller tank can capture all of them, but in a larger tank, these photons could bounce around and only a few are detected.
Furthermore, when a dark matter particle interacts with my detector, it only generates two photons initially. In this scenario, the maximal signal from a detector akin to the LZ diminishes. This has spurred the motivation to search for low-mass dark matter particles beyond the LZ’s detection range, leading us toward alternative detection methods.
If dark matter were to be discovered, what implications would that hold for physics and our understanding of the universe?
The implications would be two-fold: it would conclusively provide answers to what constitutes 85% of the universe, and it would challenge the standard model of particle physics, which currently outlines the known components of reality. Thus, if we discovered dark matter, it may offer the first glimpse beyond this conventional framework. Up until now, we’ve had no solid evidence to deviate from the standard model—this would serve as the first ray of hope.
Hypertension poses a significant health risk, elevating the chances of heart disease, stroke, and kidney issues. As a general practitioner, I frequently receive inquiries about its management, and I always stress the importance of exercise. But what is the ideal amount?
A 2021 study that tracked over 5,000 adults for three decades highlights the optimal “dose” of exercise for controlling blood pressure. Is this crucial? Yes, both the type and intensity of exercise, along with the total volume, are vital.
The findings suggest that engaging in moderately intense activities for 30 minutes on most days can significantly aid in blood pressure management. This encompasses exercises that allow for conversation while increasing your breath rate, like brisk walking, cycling, and vigorous household chores.
Recently, a 2023 analysis of 270 prior studies involving over 15,000 participants aimed to identify which forms of exercise were most effective in reducing blood pressure.
While various types of exercise produced positive outcomes, isometric exercises were particularly effective. These involve holding a static position (like wall squats) instead of dynamic movements.
Other beneficial exercises include running, walking, cycling, weight training, and high-intensity interval training.
Moreover, substantial reductions in blood pressure were observed among those exercising 3-5 times per week for a minimum of 4 weeks.
It’s not just about the kind of exercise, but the overall quantity that counts – Photo Credit: Getty
This underscores the necessity of consistency. While medication remains crucial for numerous individuals, these insights illuminate the impact of lifestyle adjustments.
Incorporating exercise, along with a nutritious diet and effective stress management, can help control blood pressure, potentially decreasing reliance on medications like beta blockers.
The evidence is compelling: if you aim to manage your blood pressure, incorporating regular moderate-intensity exercise is an excellent starting point. However, it’s just one piece of the larger puzzle.
Reducing salt intake, following a balanced diet, and effectively managing stress are also essential factors. For some, blood pressure medication is still a vital component of treatment.
The positive takeaway? Physical activity can enhance these approaches.
This article addresses the query from Connor Barrett in Salford, “How much does exercise control my blood pressure?”
Please send your questions toQuestion @sciencefocus.com or MessageFacebook,Twitter, orInstagramPage (please include your name and location).
Explore our ultimateFun Facts for more fascinating science content.
In Mason Coyle’s exile, a human crew arrives on Mars
Shutterstock/Gorodenkoff
This month brings new releases from renowned authors like Cixin Liu, Stephen Baxter, and John Scalzi. I’m particularly interested in Ian McEwan’s journey into a submerged world of 2119 in Salt Crop. The tale chronicles the downfall of Mason Coil within a fledgling Martian colony, while also capturing my attention is the time-travel noir from the talented Nicholas Binge.
This month, I’m taking a classic route in the New Scientist Book Club with Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1974 masterpiece, The Dispossessed. Join us in reading and see how it stands against today’s best science fiction. But let’s not forget about September 2025…
Literary authors are turning to sci-fi—this isn’t unprecedented (who could forget the 2010s’ Solar?). In his latest, we’re taken back to 2014, reflecting on great poems never to be heard again. Fast-forward to 2119, as lowland Britain finds itself submerged. Scholar Tom Metcalfe delves into early 21st century archives, uncovering the myriad opportunities of the past. He discovers a clue that might lead to “the great lost poem”…
For fans of The Three-Body Problem, Cixin Liu presents a collection of short stories exploring first contact, artificial intelligence, and cosmic dread. With 32 stories included, expect explorations of devoured planets and interstellar crafts.
Three Body Problem adaptation in 2024
Ed Miller/Netflix
The hearth serves as the “celestial birthplace” of countless planets, where humanity has flourished for millennia. As an unknown foe covets the wealth of this realm, Commander Ula Breen strategizes to unite diverse forces and retaliate. Will she uncover humanity’s original purpose for coming here?
In a future where coastal cities are submerged and oceans teem with mutated fish, we follow Sailor Skipper, the youngest of three sisters who make a life by collecting and selling ocean plastic. When she receives a mysterious call for help from her oldest sister, Nora, who seeks a remedy for failing crops, she and another sister, Carmen, embark on a perilous journey across the sea. Kitasei, the author of Deep Sky and Stardust Grey, delivers an astonishing tale.
In a time-travel murder investigation, detective Julia Togrimsen (what a name!) returns from retirement to solve the case of a billionaire she once infiltrated. However, she discovers two bodies—both belonging to billionaire Bruno Donaldson. We loved Binge’s previous sci-fi thriller, Dissolution, and anticipate this next offering.
This marks Scalzi’s seventh installment in the Old Man’s War series. After a decade of peace in interstellar space, humanity faces the threat of war from the most advanced alien species yet. Caught in the tumult, bureaucrat Gretchen Trujillo receives a covert mission that could reshape the future for both humans and aliens.
I am captivated by the cover and premise of this new novel from the late author of William (which I enjoyed). Set in 2030, this tale reveals a human crew preparing the first Martian colony, only to discover a half-destroyed base. They must question three robots dispatched four years earlier, one of which is still missing…
In a desolate lab in the desert, Kinsey and her team unearth bizarre specimens in the sand. Breaking quarantine to bring one inside, they soon realize it seeks a new host.
This intriguing blend of horror, science fiction, and fantasy captures my attention. Set against a backdrop of ecological dread, Kinsey excavates two ancient bodies found in Somerset Fen, while also exploring “her own wildness,” alongside archaebotanist Nell.
In a post-apocalyptic world shaped by Stephen King’s Stand, other writers weave their own narratives
Ulf Andersen/Getty Images
One of my most anticipated releases this month is a collection of short stories set in the devastating aftermath of Stephen King’s Stand. I have a soft spot for compelling endings, and King’s masterful storytelling shines through in this 1978 classic. I’m eager to get my hands on this anthology, especially after reading Annaly Newts’ cozy take in New Scientist; the addition of titles like Automatic Noodles featuring the Jolly Robot and Artificial Wisdom alongside more literary works like Rudder. Stay tuned for updates on the prolific Adrian Tchaikovsky!
As a dedicated fan of Stephen King (please call me Annie Wilkes), I can’t stress enough how thrilled I am about this anthology. It features talented authors, including the brilliantly eerie Tananarive Due, who have been granted the chance to explore King’s universe alongside many other noteworthy names. Set in the aftermath of a superflu that decimates the global population, Stand pits the forces of good against evil in a crucial apocalyptic narrative. I’m excited to see how these writers envision the future that follows. What a captivating treat!
Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abagail in a 2020 adaptation of The Stand
Lifestyle Photos/Alamy Stock Photos
I am an admirer of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s work featured in New Scientist; his novel Alien Clay was a massive hit among my book club. I eagerly anticipate his latest entry into this chilling World series. In this tale, Amri fights for survival in “an explosive landscape of a decimated, poisoned world” as a “god” named Guy Westen descends from the heavens.
This thriller unfolds in 2050, against the backdrop of impending climate catastrophes, requiring global leaders to confront the “Apocalypse to Come.” The main candidates are ex-US presidents Lockwood and Solomon — the first political AI in the world. Journalist Marcus Tully dives into an investigation when Solomon’s creator is murdered, revealing whispers of a vast conspiracy. This premise has caught my attention, and I can’t wait to see more.
This charming novel by columnist Annaly Nutz appears to inspire hope. It follows a group of robotic misfits establishing a restaurant in San Francisco while the city’s residents recover from the aftermath of a devastating war. Annalee shares insights in a column here, making it one of my top picks for an eventful August.
In an alternate Birmingham, teenager Joseph Jacobs gets drawn into a realm where the line between reality and fantasy blurs. Publishers are drawing comparisons to Inception and Ready Player One.
This surreal tale sees Tom Crowley lose his daughter during “Take Your Daughter to Work Day.” He frantically searches for her in “a maze of corridors and an impossible multidimensional space,” while she crafts something that wasn’t ever built.
Sarah Hall is a profound literary voice, and although this book seems to include fantastical elements, I believe it stands robustly in the science fiction realm for enthusiasts. It chronicles the fierce winds of Helm and those who have fought and aimed for Eden Valley since the beginning of time. Currently, scientist Dr. Selima Sutal measures this phenomenon from an observation post, yet fears that the end is approaching.
The latest Star Wars installment offers a fresh narrative about the Bad Batch gang, embarking on a mission to restore a safe haven following devastation brought about by ocean waves on a small planet, far from the Empire’s reach.
Knights flee across the abandoned world of Aeon Heart
Universal Images Group North America LLC / Alamy Stock Photo
This graphic novel promises to fuse science fiction with fantasy, delivering a thrilling tale of a knight escaping through radioactive ruins while pursued by sinister forces. Equipped only with the very power that brought the world to its knees, readers will find themselves questioning whether this is magic or technology. Publishers liken it to a combination of Tin Tin, Blade Runner, and The Dark Tower—it sounds like a potent mix!
This story collection from Korean authors weaves between science fiction and fantasy, offering a chilling glimpse into a near future where women face extinction, as two friends strive to escape a facility for those capable of giving birth. I’m also intrigued by a tale set in the Alps Grand Park in Korea, where residents of a luxurious facility live within a massive air-purifying tower.
An intriguing concept emerges from an anthology where the editor invited ten Iranian authors to envision Iran in 2053, a century post-coup. Their imaginative futures range from Tehran sinking into “great, tourist-attracting pits” to alternate universes rich with interdimensional voids.
Pilot crashes on the moon of Theo’s Durmi
Frans Lemmens / Alamy Stock Photo
This title serves as a sequel to the Space OperaSee‘s Godri and promises a whirlwind of excitement, as a space pilot wrongfully accused of murdering his family crash-lands on a moon. I recommend reading the first installment before diving into the second.
This book marks the finale of Johnston’s Enkeradon trilogy, arriving 18 months after the peaceful alien Enkeradon escapes the grasp of the US military.
Children are turning to YouTube as soon as they power on their TVs, marking a significant shift in video consumption from laptops to living rooms.
According to an extensive study of UK viewing habits by the Communications Regulator Ofcom, YouTube stands as the most favored TV platform for Generation Alpha.
Last year, one in five young viewers, aged between four and 15, headed to this platform first. While BBC One ranked among the top five initial choices, kids had the option to select BBC iPlayer as well.
It’s not only the younger demographic that has taken to YouTube TV. An observable cultural shift reveals that viewers aged 55 and older have nearly doubled their watching time on YouTube, going from 6 minutes a day to 11 minutes last year, with an increasing percentage (42%) tuning in through television.
On average, viewers dedicated 39 minutes a day to YouTube in 2024, positioning the platform as the UK’s second most-watched service after the BBC and ahead of ITV.
For those aged 16 to 24, traditional live television earned only 17 minutes of daily watch time last year, as just 45% tuned in during an average week, down from 48% in 2023.
YouTube has emerged as a serious rival to conventional broadcasters, with half of its trending videos echoing the content typically associated with mainstream broadcasters, including long-form interviews and game shows.
The rise of YouTube poses significant challenges for public service broadcasters like the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4.
These organizations are eager to engage newer, younger demographics; however, YouTube also captures a substantial share of their advertising revenue, which raises concerns that featuring their content on YouTube may diminish viewer time on their own platforms.
A 12-year-old girl will be holding a morning training session on Joe Wicks YouTube. Photo: Richard Sarker/Guardian
“Public service broadcasters recognize this shift and will adapt to meet audiences in online environments, increasing engagement there,” a spokesperson commented. “However, more ambitious efforts are needed to ensure that public service media remains relevant and sustainable in the long term.”
Ofcom has already advised traditional broadcasters, referred to as “endangered species,” to collaborate with YouTube for greater content visibility, emphasizing the need for “fair commercial terms.”
Michael Grade, chairman of Ofcom and former Channel 4 director, proposed that the government consider new legislation requiring YouTube to feature UK public service broadcasters’ content more prominently.
Channel 4 has been among the pioneers in sharing content on YouTube, arguing that rather than detracting from their own platform, it expands their audience reach. ITV also announced a new agreement with YouTube at the end of last year.
Discussions are underway within the BBC about how much content should be uploaded to YouTube, although significant media coverage will still be featured there. Deborah Turness, head of BBC News, has informed staff that the new head of the AI department will drive a YouTube strategy aimed at younger viewers.
Weekly video viewing times remain stable, with the average person watching 4 hours and 30 minutes at home last year—down just a minute from the previous year.
Traditional broadcast content still dominates viewing, accounting for 56% of the total, although this figure has decreased from 71% in 2018.
Additionally, YouTube has become the leading online audio platform, with 47% of UK adults using it weekly, compared to 36% for Spotify. The rise of podcasts on YouTube signifies its growing influence across the media landscape.
wIt’s hard to picture Hen and Donkey Kong without thinking of Nintendo. The iconic monkey, who kicked off the gaming revolution, brought forth Donkey Kong’s signature tie-dong and barrel-throwing antics, almost leading Nintendo to bankruptcy. Yet, despite Donkey Kong’s firm footing in gaming history, his platformer adventures have been absent for several console generations. Enter Donkey Kong Bananza, marking DK’s first solo journey in over a decade.
Mario has soared through the cosmos and cleverly defeated enemies with a whimsical hat, but DK’s thrilling return taps into primal fury. Utilizing similar voxel technology as seen in Minecraft, DK’s Switch 2 Adventure swaps the thoughtful Lego-style construction for joyful chaos, enabling players to obliterate vibrant environments.
Players can smash through walls, floors, and ceilings, dig down to hidden treasures, and create new paths of destruction. It’s a refreshing, chaotic spin on the traditionally structured Nintendo platformers.
“Bananza kicked off when my boss, Onomura, approached our team about crafting a 3D Donkey Kong game,” recalls Kenta Motokura, producer of Donkey Kong Bananza and director of Super Mario O’Dacy. He describes it as a pivotal moment tied to his early experiences playing Donkey Kong on plastic bongos. “When Donkey Kong transitioned to 3D, I began my journey in developing 3D games,” he reflects. “With Onoumi’s direction on Donkey Kong Jungle, I gleaned insights about embracing challenges and truly understanding Donkey Kong.”
The focal point became Donkey Kong’s last major 3D venture on Nintendo 64—where would Nintendo orbit next with its beloved monkey mascot? The team soon turned to DK’s massive, furry hands, gathering wisdom from Mario creators Miyamoto Island and Tomita. “Miyamoto, who worked on the original and subsequent DK titles at Rare, emphasized showcasing Donkey Kong’s power and actions, like handclaps.” They tested voxel technology initially employed in Super Mario Odyssey and believed merging that with Donkey Kong’s destructiveness would create a perfect synergy.
King Kong…DK is back on top. Photo: Nintendo
Tomichuan and the Super Mario Odyssey team brought vast 3D platforming experience, but game director Takahashi, primarily skilled in open-world RPGs, faced unique pressures to resurrect Donkey Kong.
However, even with a talented platform team, the challenge of voxel-based destruction was a first for Nintendo’s Tokyo crew. “There was no blueprint for a game where everything can be destroyed,” explains Takahashi. “We encountered numerous challenges, striving to keep levels enjoyable without disruptions.”
Thankfully, they avoided blind spots with the aid of All-Star Play Testers. “I had Miyamoto check the games periodically,” Motokura shares. “Instead of progressing, he’d get engrossed in smashing one spot over and over. It was great to see; it showed player engagement.”
While many Nintendo enthusiasts associate Mario and Donkey Kong with legendary figures like Miyamoto and Tegashi, the new wave of developers prepares to carry forward their legacy. “Established developers such as Miyamoto and Tezuchuka are open to collaborating with younger minds. This exchange of ideas is invaluable,” Motokura highlights. “Up-and-coming talents will continue to nurture Nintendo’s developmental legacy.”
“Joining this team was a joy, and I embraced the challenge with enthusiasm,” Takahashi reflects. “Nintendo encourages exploration of new, bold concepts. In Bananza, we had the freedom to discover our own shortcuts… leading to an entirely new gaming experience compared to Odyssey.”
What to Play
Time to shred… Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. Photo: Iron Galaxy
As a millennial, I find myself reliving nostalgic gaming memories through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. Though it lacks some classic tracks and offers a stripped-down version of the original’s sandbox mode, the thrill of performing tricks across Rio, London, Canada, and Alcatraz is incredibly satisfying. While it might not feature early 2000s artists like Papa Roach, Denzel Curry, Turnstyle, and more do a commendable job of bridging the gap.
This time, I opted to embrace Nintendo’s latest gem, the shiny Switch 2. I’m excited about the forthcoming titles for the new console. While it may not have the same affection as Vicarious Visions’ 2020 remake, once you get into the groove, the high score thrill makes Pro Skater an exhilarating ride.
Available on: Switch 2, PS5, Xbox, PC Estimated playtime: 20-2,000 hours based on your zeal
Defend your rights… After Ubisoft shut down the servers for the online-only racing game The Crew, the “kill the game” movement has begun. Photo: Ubisoft
Stop killing the game, a petition for online media preservation, garnered 1.2 million signatures and spurred a response from Nicolae Öřtef Nunugane, a VP of the European Parliament. This initiative emphasizes consumer rights amid the complexities of ownership when live service games are terminated. It’s a commendable cause, surprising that this movement stems from The Crew of all games. For further reading, check out PC Gamer.
Missed out on something from the PS5 30th Anniversary Range last year? Fear not, retro PS1-inspired controllers and consoles are set for restock on July 21st. I’ve grown fond of my anniversary controllers and wanted to share the news. Get all the details with Eurogamer.
In the aftermath of mass layoffs, some Xbox Employees added salt to the wound with two insensitive posts on LinkedIn. One suggested the remaining team members Need to rely on AI for career advice, while another advertised a job posting using AI-generated images. A poignant recap of the situation is available here.
What to Click
Question Block
The shock of serotonin…Ast Robot. Photo: Sony/Team Asobi
Leader P Holck poses this question about bridging generational gaps in gaming.
“I really enjoyed my son’s Civilization III. Now I bought a PlayStation 5 and thought I would play a modern, more active game. But what I tried is simply too difficult! I’m stuck and don’t know how to move forward! Which games do you recommend for players over 70?”
First off, congrats on taking the plunge into gaming! Like discovering a new music genre or entering anime, reconnecting with gaming may initially feel overwhelming. Finding the right genre can be tricky, especially with complex controls and mechanics that seasoned players might take for granted.
Though not action-packed, I’d highly recommend Tetris Effect—a classic block-dropping puzzle adorned with psychedelic visuals, offering a surprisingly deep journey. Action titles like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and 2018’s God of War serve as accessible starting points, presenting engaging stories without overwhelming complexity, especially on easier settings.
For a deeper experience, The Witcher 3 is an immersive RPG. Baldur’s Gate 3 allows pausing during combat to ease the action flow. Additionally, the Mass Effect Trilogy provides a balanced mix of turn-based RPG elements and third-person action. Last year’s Ast Robot delivers a vibrant, platformer experience. For some thrills, Resident Evil 4 Remake and The Last of Us Part I are modern masterpieces, again with lower difficulty settings for accessibility. Happy gaming!
If you have a question or feedback about the newsletter, feel free to reply or email us at butingbuttons@theguardian.com.
Tailoring your workout routine to align with your personality can significantly enhance your commitment to your training regimen, according to new research.
The study, led by Professor Flaminia Ronka at University College London, found that individuals who derive enjoyment from sports are more likely to maintain their participation. This indicates that a customized fitness plan is more effective than a generic approach.
“If you don’t follow that, there’s no point in prescribing the ideal exercise plan,” Ronka stated in an interview with BBC Science Focus.
“Fun is crucial for behavioral change. To encourage the population to be more proactive, a strategic approach is essential in identifying enjoyable activities for individuals.”
This study explored the impact of personality traits on preferred types of exercise.
Researchers categorized participants based on the five major personality traits: agreeableness (willingness to cooperate), conscientiousness (self-discipline and detail orientation), extraversion (sociability), neuroticism (tendency toward anxiety or unhappiness), and openness (willingness to try new things).
The findings suggested that individuals who are more sociable enjoy engaging in intense workouts, particularly those that involve social interactions like team sports and dance classes, implying that many can find enjoyment in vigorous aerobic activities.
Conversely, those who are higher in neuroticism preferred privacy and were less comfortable being observed while completing the 15-minute cycling exercise used to assess fitness levels. Moreover, they were also less inclined to monitor their heart rate during workouts.
“This indicates that individuals in this category may value a setting that allows for independence and privacy during their exercise routine,” Ronka explained. Participants in this group typically favored more calming exercises, such as stretching, yet remarked that “high intensity was acceptable as long as breaks were allowed.”
All participants who adhered to the program reported positive outcomes, but the more anxious individuals particularly stood out.
“These participants exhibited a notably significant reduction in stress following the exercise program,” Ronka noted. “This is encouraging, as it highlights that those who experience the greatest stress relief are highly responsive to exercise.”
More anxious individuals tended to benefit from calmer exercises, such as stretching – Source: Getty Images
To examine how personality influences exercise habits, this study required participants to engage in an eight-week home fitness program involving cycling and strength training.
Fitness levels were assessed at both the beginning and end of the program, during which participants completed a questionnaire to evaluate their personality type and attitudes toward exercise.
Not all personality types exhibited strong inclinations. Agreeable and open individuals did not show a preference for a specific type of exercise.
“Nonetheless, agreeableness and openness can influence how we participate in health behaviors in different ways, such as the types of exercises we are willing to try,” Ronka added.
“As long as you do not enjoy a specific session, don’t worry,” she concluded. “You can always try something different.”
About our experts
Flaminia Ronka is an associate professor at the Institute of Sports, Exercise, and Health at the University of London. Her research focuses on motor neuroscience and the connection between movement and cognition. Ronka also collaborates with British police to enhance officer wellbeing and performance.
The Technology Secretary has urged a comprehensive restructuring of the UK’s foremost AI Institute, emphasizing defense and national security, as evidenced by a detailed letter advocating for leadership modifications.
Peter Kyle expressed that it is evident that additional measures are necessary to ensure that the government-backed Alan Turing Institute realizes its full potential.
In a letter to the ATI chair, which was reviewed by the Guardian, Kyle suggested that the institute’s focus should shift towards prioritizing defense, national security, and “sovereign capabilities,” referring to the ability of nations to regulate their own AI technologies.
Seeking new priorities implies that ATI’s current focus has been on health and environmental issues. Under the proposed “Turing 2.0” strategy, defense and security will become two of the lab’s three main areas of concentration.
“Advancements in defense and national security initiatives should be central to ATI’s operations, and ties with the UK’s security, defense, and intelligence reporting communities should be reinforced accordingly,” Kyle stated.
Revealing that the Turing 2.0 strategy falls short of governmental expectations, Kyle expressed his desire for a change in ATI’s leadership.
“In order to achieve this vision, it is crucial that ATI’s leadership aligns with the institute’s newly defined focus,” he wrote as first reported by Politico. “While we recognize the current leadership’s achievements in reforming the institute during challenging times, we must carefully evaluate the importance of having management with relevant experience and industry knowledge to guide this transition.”
ATI is chaired by Doug Gurr, the former head of Amazon’s UK operations and interim chair of the UK competition watchdog.
The Institute is undergoing a reorganization under CEO Jean Innes, with indications that one in five employees may place ATI’s reliability in “serious jeopardy.” Late last year, ATI expanded its staff by 440, but has since initiated a redundancy process.
Although ATI operates with nominal independence, it recently secured £100 million from the government under a five-year funding agreement. The letter indicated that ATI’s “long-term funding arrangement” could be assessed next year. Kyle noted that the government intends to maintain its current levels of research and development in national security and defense over the next three years while increasing the number of defense and national security personnel integrated into the lab.
Dame Wendy Hall, a professor of computer science at the University of Southampton and co-chair of the 2017 Government AI Review, cautioned that the proposed changes would result in ATI no longer functioning as a national laboratory.
“If the lab centers on defense and security, it won’t serve as a national lab for AI,” Hall remarked. “The scope is too narrow. If the government seeks an AI lab focused solely on defense and security, it should explicitly state that.”
In February, the government demonstrated its focus on national security within its AI strategy by renaming the AI Safety Institute, which was established under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Kyle’s letter labeled the government’s 50-point AI action plan as a “demonstration” of the UK’s AI ambitions. The plan aims for a 20-fold increase in publicly managed AI computing resources by 2030, with a goal of integrating AI into the public sector.
An ATI representative stated that the institute is committed to “critical missions” supporting the UK, including defense and national security.
“We align with the government’s vision of AI to enhance the UK, welcome acknowledgment of our pivotal role, collaborate closely with the government to advance its priorities, and continue to provide scientific and innovative contributions for the public good,” the spokesperson affirmed.
The Departments of Science, Innovation, and Technology asserted that these proposed changes represent a “natural progression” for ATI following the renaming of the Safety Institute.
“We believe these suggested changes not only ensure that the Alan Turing Institute delivers genuine value but also play a significant role in safeguarding our national security,” the spokesperson concluded.
Enshrouded combines elements from at least three games, blending the creativity of Minecraft, the epic storytelling of Skyrim, and a variety of resources. My daughter kept insisting I’d enjoy it, and I regretted not listening sooner. While I was focused on Eldenling, I often gravitated towards Enshrouded’s laid-back combat. It makes me feel like a true warrior, though sometimes I find myself getting knocked down by the right tactics.
The real delight lies in the sheer freedom to pursue your whims. I can spend hours farming and baking cakes, refining metals for superior armor, and completing quests to unlock new weapons and ingredients. Ultimately, my main ambition is to realize my grand design for castles and villages atop the mountains. Above all, the graphics are exceptional. From lush forests to arid deserts and snowy peaks, it’s a visual delight. Watching the sun set and illuminate the mist is one of the game’s most breathtaking moments. Paul, South End
Stalker 2
There’s truly nothing like the Stalker series. Stalker 2 offers an immersive survival experience set against a backdrop inspired by the Stalker film and the Chornobyl disaster. It serves as a complete remake of the original game, employing a modern engine with updated graphics and interactive elements while retaining the beloved familiarity of the original. It includes new narratives, maintaining the essence of the classic while introducing some nostalgic bugs. Having played video games since Labyrinth in 1978, I find Stalker the most captivating. Purchasing it supports Ukrainian gaming developers. James, Spain
Completely immersive…Stalker 2. Photo: The World of GSC Games
Story from Sol: Gun Dog
This is definitely my standout experience of 2025 so far. I’m captivated by the art style and the music, but it’s the 3D characters that truly resonate with me. They foster a connection that immerses you in the story. I genuinely felt an emotional bond with them, and they seemed eager to learn more about me. I’m excited to see what comes next from Space Colony Studio. Miranda, Cardiff
Emotional connection… A story from Sol: Gundog. Photo: Space Colony Studio
Indiana Jones and the Great
While Stray offered a close second and Atomfall was enjoyable, Indiana Jones delivered near perfection for me. It’s concise—ideal for my busy life with two kids—yet it provides enough open-world elements to keep me satisfied. The missions were entertaining, exuding classic Indiana Jones flair in both style and problem-solving. Starting with a boulder scene reminiscent of Raiders was a stroke of genius. The sound effects are fantastic, and I never tire of brawling with Nazis. Rob, Edinburgh
Fantasy Life I: A Girl Who Steals Time
I thoroughly enjoy Fantasy Life I: A Girl Who Steals Time. It seamlessly merges open-world exploration with countless activities, allowing players to pursue various lives to enhance their gear for adventures. Coupled with captivating art and an excellent multiplayer community, I’ve logged over 80 hours and still find more to explore. Jonathan, Edenbridge, Kent
Lots to do…Fantasy Life I: A Girl Who Steals Time. Photo: Level 5 Inc
I cherished the remastered version of forgetting; too many beloved childhood games are seldom re-released with such quality. The gameplay still holds up, and all the idiosyncrasies I loved in the original remain intact. In these politically tense times, it’s a relief to escape into a light-hearted, Lord of the Rings-like realm filled with dungeons and whimsical characters. Even Skyrim, as a sequel to Oblivion, feels somewhat heavy during these gray days. What made it even more special was introducing my partner Emily to the game years ago. Watching her rediscover the fantasy world I loved was far more enjoyable than playing it myself. Jack, Bath
Avowed
I absolutely enjoyed Avowed. It took me by surprise, as I hadn’t seen any prior advertising. Playing a well-crafted mid-sized RPG was genuinely refreshing. While many games aim to emulate Skyrim’s vastness, Avowed diverges by honing in on specific systems and excelling in them instead of trying to do everything. The combat, exploration, and narrative were all of exceptional quality. Isobel, London
This one’s a no-brainer for me. It’s all about the stories, stories, stories. Lately, I’ve adopted a rule when it comes to buying games: wait a month before making any purchases. I let others test the waters first. The KCD2 narrative is so captivating that it can overshadow any minor glitches. I didn’t experience any issues myself. You become completely engrossed in Henry’s journey, navigating a world that presses all the right emotional buttons. It’s thrilling to progress through the storyline, especially during significant quests or ACT transitions. The game unfolds beautifully until that poignant moment on the hill with Henry’s deceased parents, making you truly feel like you’re leading his story. The decisions you make genuinely matter. Afterwards, you’ll find yourself pondering its overall worth. One of the finest RPGs I’ve ever played. Andrew, Australia
Brian Johnson in Don’t Die: Who Wants to Live Forever
Netflix
Netflix Brian Johnson stands out as a unique figure in contemporary society. The billionaire entrepreneur and proponent of anti-aging practices aims to extend both lifespan and “healthspan” by taking nearly 100 different medications daily and adhering to a rigorous fitness plan. The real enchantment of Please Don’t Die lies in its ability to evoke mixed feelings towards Johnson. His lifestyle is built on a fundamentally flawed scientific approach, yet his ideas are more captivating than those of his tech-savvy peers.
Disney+ In The Sea with David Attenborough, there’s a sequence that is as chilling as it is eye-opening. The aggressive trawling disturbs the seabed, leading to the displacement of fish from their habitats. This documentary marks Attenborough’s most politically charged effort, serving as a cautionary tale about the severe environmental repercussions of industrial fishing practices. If this indeed is part of the 99-year-old’s final project, it certainly encapsulates the essence of his illustrious career.
Chilean Flamingos of Laguna Colorada, Bolivia, America
BBC Studios/NBC
BBC iPlayer/NBC Who could be seen as the American equivalent of David Attenborough? Perhaps the two-time Oscar-winning Tom Hanks might be your answer. He brings a touch of cinematic brilliance to this 10-part nature series, narrating the incredible biodiversity of the Americas. While I don’t expect much insight into the climate crisis from this series, its lack of real-world relevance is almost compensated for by its stunning cinematography.
Bruce Parry, a Marapu woman from Sumba, Indonesia, and her tribe
BBC/Frank Films/Will Lorimer
BBC iPlayer A couple of decades ago, Bruce Parry spent an extensive period submerged in an Indigenous community for the anthropology series Tribe. Now, the series is returning but in a vastly changed world. Faced with increasing threats from deforestation and migration, Parry must earn the trust of the community he visits. The scenes in Tribe—which include piranha fishing, political discussions, and ayahuasca rituals—are richly fascinating, and we hope to witness more of them. The access granted to us through Parry feels like a true privilege.
Netflix Children have historically been used for entertainment, and the practices surrounding child actors have often been disturbing. In the 1920s and 30s, many faced long hours of labor and near-death experiences from excessive workloads and amphetamines. Fast forward to the 21st century, and “Kidfluence” has emerged, wherein families create financial empires through their children’s online activities. Bad Influence follows child pageant star Piper Locker, who has reportedly been exploited by her mother. This harrowing documentary explores the darker aspects of social media.
BBC iPlayer/CNN Whereas David Fincher’s film Social Network spotlighted the early days of Facebook, the origins of Twitter remain less familiar. Twitter: Break the Birds takes us back to when it was a basic platform for status updates. The documentary shines during its exploration of the power struggles between Jack Dorsey and his co-founders, and it discusses the technical challenges social media platforms have faced from the beginning. Interestingly, did you know that Twitter (or X, as it’s currently branded) had initially considered names like Ketchup or Friend Stalker? The later sections serve as a timely reminder that many of the platform’s issues predate Elon Musk’s controversial involvement.
BBC iPlayer Last year, naturalist Chris Packham introduced In Our Autistic Mind, a two-part documentary that allowed people with autism to create a film expressing their inner experiences. The follow-up season tackles ADHD and dyslexia, two conditions often misunderstood. While the series primarily examines the social difficulties faced by individuals with ADHD and dyslexia, it also incorporates strong scientific insights into their neurological underpinnings. Highlighting positive aspects, it reveals that many dyslexic individuals excel in pattern recognition.
Pangolin: Kuru’s Journey
Netflix
Netflix From the creators of My Octopus Teacher, Pangolin: Kuru’s Journey tells the heartwarming tale of a baby pangolin rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. We follow Kuru as he is rehabilitated by his caretaker Gareth, who considers himself a helicopter parent. The duo’s adorable adventures, from carrying Kuru away from a warthog’s burrow as dusk approaches, evoke both laughter and empathy. With pangolins being the most trafficked mammals globally, Kuru’s survival is a testament to human care and compassion.
Hannah Fry is the secret genius of modern life
Marco Cervi/BBC
BBC iPlayer The third season of Hannah Fry’s Guide to Everyday Technology is just as engaging as ever. This time, the focus is on roller coasters, highways, and—inevitably—air fryers. The series thoroughly explores how these technologies impact our lives and uncovers some surprising insights. How did the creators of the Theremin influence modern doorbell designs? What role did it play in the innovation of refrigeration? And just what is an air fryer starfish? If you’ve ever wanted to take apart your gadgets to see how they work, this meticulously crafted series will satisfy your curiosity without voiding any warranties.
Amazon Prime Video We’ve become acquainted with octopuses in a variety of quirky roles, from spiritual guides to unlikely educators. Enter this two-part series dedicated to these tentacled beings and their remarkable talents. A beautifully animated depiction of their life cycle is narrated by Doris, a massive Pacific octopus whose journey defies the odds, even as her story tragically culminates. Nonetheless, Octopus! remains a whimsical documentary brimming with curiosity and humor.
NOW Science fiction serves as a powerful lens through which we can envision the future, often depicting a grim outlook. This four-part documentary aims to explore how sci-fi has imagined the atomic bomb and its consequences. Beyond this, Wonderland thoughtfully examines a wide range of sci-fi narratives from the past 80 years, providing depth and nuance often missing from surface-level analyses of the genre.
Netflix In 2023, the world grappled with the four-day search for the missing OceanGate Titan submarine. Ultimately, five lives, including that of co-founder Stockton Rush, were lost following a catastrophic implosion. This feature-length documentary exposes how egotism and carelessness contributed to these untimely deaths. One particularly haunting moment features audio from an acoustic surveillance system that detected fissures in the carbon fiber hull during initial test dives, an essential safety protocol the company later ignored.
Disney+/Nat Geo In 1983, Sally Ride became NASA’s shining star as the first American woman to journey into space, capturing global attention. However, both she and her fellow female astronauts faced rampant institutional sexism and invasive media scrutiny. This feature-length documentary intricately weaves together her personal battles to retain a semblance of privacy, including her 27-year relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy during an era marked by homophobia. It also delves into captivating aspects of Ride’s career, such as the hand-eye coordination techniques she developed to gain an edge over her colleague Judy Resnik, who tragically perished in the Challenger disaster.
A group of Utahraptors in Walking with Dinosaurs
BBC Studios/Lola Post Production
BBC iPlayer Back in 1999, Walking with Dinosaurs captivated audiences, bringing them into the world of prehistoric wildlife using groundbreaking visual effects. Given that those visuals feel somewhat dated now, a reboot seemed timely. In each episode of the 2025 series, researchers act as detectives, unearthing ancient relics and drawing extensive conclusions from bones and their surroundings. These imaginative stories showcase scenarios such as hatchlings chasing dragonflies through the jungles or a pack of Albertosaurus cornering their quarry. As always, a healthy dose of skepticism is advised; there remain many mysteries surrounding the lives of dinosaurs that we have yet to unravel.
Here and beyond, it takes 42 light years to reach the new planet
Gremlin/Getty Images
This year has been quite promising for science fiction. My top pick so far is Hal Lacroix’s Here and Beyond, especially as I’m captivated by the Ark storyline.
In “Take the Trope,” Lacroix depicts a spacecraft named Shing World en route to HD-40307G, a journey spanning 42 light-years. Consequently, none of the 600 passengers will live to see their destination; only the seventh generation will witness the creation of planets.
Strict regulations govern life aboard the ship. Passengers receive treatments to maintain health but cannot have children until reaching their 50s. Every aspect of their existence must align with the mission—reaching the planet—since no current resident will see it.
The Arkship narrative (or Generation Ship story) must navigate the challenge of switching between characters across generations. Fortunately, Lacroix excels at quickly establishing compelling characters. As generations pass, readers become experts in the history of Shipworld, enriching the unfolding drama. This dynamic allows us to witness the evolution of living history as it slips into the distant past for the inhabitants.
Interestingly, Lacroix sometimes sidesteps the most dramatic moments, opting instead for an understated approach. This artistic decision often leaves significant events in the shadows, such as a mysterious object that impacts the shipworld.
Personally, the ending didn’t resonate with me, but crafting a satisfying conclusion to a story spanning 360 years is no small task.
Fans of Alexander Skarsgård’s portrayal of Murder Bot on Apple TV+ might enjoy the original story. Thankfully, Martha Wells’s The Murderer’s Diary has been released in a three-volume Omnibus version earlier this year. (Interestingly, when I first read, I perceived Murderbot as female, a common assignment of gender among readers. Hence, I was surprised when Skarsgård was cast to voice “her.”)
Adrian Tchaikovsky has entered a particularly prolific phase, exploring non-human intelligence in his upcoming works. In February, he released Shroud, featuring a uniquely terrifying extraterrestrial life form. Last month, his third book, The Dog of War, titled Bee Speaker, was published. Though less recognized than his acclaimed series Children of Time, these stories delve into the capabilities of non-human animals.
It’s refreshing to see Tchaikovsky embracing creativity through his perspectives on animals. His journey began with Rex, a character that perplexingly balances being a devoted dog and a formidable seven-foot “bio-o-form” combatant.
This year has also introduced notable AI-themed novels. Laila Lalami’s deeply crafted dystopian work, Dream Hotel, and Grace Chan’s nuanced virtual reality narrative, All Versions of Yours, transport humans escaping climate disasters by uploading their consciousness into a digital paradise.
Meanwhile, Kaliane Bradley’s hit novel Time Saving was released in paperback in March, providing a delightful alternative for those who missed the hardcover edition. It’s an engaging read brimming with vibrant energy. Another standout from April was Roz Dineen’s beautifully written climate change narrative.
The second half of this year promises even more thought-provoking science fiction. I eagerly await sharing these discoveries with you.
Emily H. Wilson is the author of the Sumerian trilogy.
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He clutched memories of the trap tightly, and the previous summer, his front limbs were ensnared in sheer terror. As he came to, he recognized Usie’s presence and detected a horrifying human scent on his neck—he saw his brother shot before his eyes.
This young wolf is Slavc, using GPS to navigate a breathtaking journey from Slovenia to the Italian Alps, reaching Lothinian Plateau several months later.
With curiosity piqued, Adam Weymouth followed Slavc’s path, crafting his own epic tale intertwined with complex themes: the intricate relations of human interactions and their impacts, environmental challenges across the continent, and of course, the wolves themselves. A beautifully intricate narrative woven with affection.
Why are certain individuals more prone to becoming radical or aligning with extreme viewpoints? This book reveals how political neuroscience investigates our limitations and firmly held beliefs. A pivotal inquiry raised by neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod examines whether a person’s sensitivity is “rooted in cognition and biology.”
1 The experiment she references released in 2008, published in Science, suggested that politically conservative individuals have a stronger reaction to threatening stimuli than their more liberal counterparts. Moreover, an interesting correlation emerges between the ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and one’s adherence to political or social ideologies.
Adding to the intriguing discoveries, Rebecca Lemov pens her work titled Truth Instability.
This book examines mind control and the complex dynamics of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the “invisible” manipulation techniques employed on North Korean prisoners during the 1950s to the “soft” brainwashing that occurs through interactions on social media.
The historical insights provided by Lemov, together with the ongoing revelations from political neuroscientists, prompt us all to be particularly cognizant—being conscientious is half the battle.
David Farrier contends that rapid changes in animal behaviors are occurring under human influence. He suggests that if we hope to thrive alongside these changes, we must also adapt our lifestyles. “Climate change is altering many of the ‘wild clocks’ governing movement, reproduction, and blooming cycles. Learning to synchronize our timing with nature’s rhythms can profoundly impact our political landscape.” His pursuit of human adaptability unfolds a daring vision.
In his review, Jacob Aron pointed out that determining the truth is fundamental to science. I admire books centered around proofs, and Adam Kucharski (a gifted statistician and epidemiologist) serves as a captivating guide in this realm. Abraham Lincoln utilized a well-known proof derived from Euclidean element, which exemplifies an approach to derive seemingly universal truths from foundational principles—one he used in his battle against slavery.
Corals, sponges, worms, jellyfish, clams, crabs, octopuses, and more—could invertebrates truly constitute 99% of marine diversity? Absolutely, asserts marine ecologist Drew Harbel, who looks forward to introducing us to these creatures and their remarkable capabilities from Hawaii to Indonesia. The book is also filled with stunning photographs for your enjoyment!
In the early 2000s, the largest global tech companies shifted their manufacturing to the world’s second-largest economy. The story of Apple’s presence in China is complex, far from being a straightforward narrative of wealth accumulation through low wages and minimal labor rights. This book unravels the paradoxes surrounding its subtitle, “Catching the World’s Largest Company.” While China “captured” Apple, the company subsequently altered the future of the U.S. by enhancing China’s technological sector and creating around 5 million jobs. In light of the increasingly authoritarian policies of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the effects of Apple’s actions continue to resonate in the current global economic landscape.
Numerous books focusing on our food system suggest that the monolithic machines designed for mass-producing cost-effective calories are harming us. Originally, this system aimed to alleviate hunger, but it has unintentionally fueled health crises, including obesity and diabetes, as well as exacerbating climate change.
These books differ notably in their approach. What framework can sustain nourishing an ever-growing population of 8 billion while preserving the planet?
Stuart Gillespie appears more radical than many, arguing that transformation is impossible without political shifts and changes in power dynamics; the discussions at conferences often represent a “facade.” Genuine transformation necessitates systemic shifts.
His manifesto advocates for equitable nutrition and health upheld by law, not merely “paper” human rights. It could be a genuine game-changer.
When individuals fall ill, everyone wishes to understand the underlying issues without rushing, notes neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan. Her book has garnered considerable attention due to its relevance.
O’Sullivan outlines the notable rise in diagnosis rates for ADHD, autism, and depression, alongside the increasing prevalence of conditions like Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and emerging genetic disorders. Other health issues, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and dementia, seem to be on the upswing. So, what’s actually happening?
O’Sullivan explores several significant case studies in her chapters, including Huntington’s Disease, Lyme disease, and long COVID, as well as conditions deemed unnamed syndromes—rare, elusive ailments that may take years to identify.
The issue of labeling is a substantial part of the problem, according to O’Sullivan. If labels only attract individuals with mild manifestations of an ailment, they lose their value. What, then, is the solution?
O’Sullivan’s recommendations include: ceasing the expectation that medications will alleviate our disappointments, reconsidering the reliance on medical interventions for ordinary life experiences, and urging patients to encourage their doctors to adopt a more generalized medical perspective. It’s not just about new technologies—it’s about investing in humanity. Provocative and inspiring.
This unique work—a rarity from economists—challenges conventional thinking. Economists often separate their economic decisions from moral implications, favoring utilitarian perspectives that emphasize the greater good achieved through maximizing benefits for the largest population. However, this perspective tends to overlook moral values like compassion and fairness.
In this book, the authors strive to ensure that moral values are considered alongside economic constraints. This ambitious project aims to form a framework for navigating ethical decisions without dismissing their costs.
In our quest to understand the universe’s origins—13.8 billion years ago—we often grasp at elusive concepts. This informative book succinctly summarizes nearly every prevailing hypothesis about the Big Bang.
The authors engage the reader across twelve chapters, tracing the “earliest memories of science” as the universe began to expand from an incredibly dense state. They suggest that understanding these origins not only illuminates our past but also highlights the need for new physics. Their objective is to evaluate the strengths and limitations of competing models, leading us into a new conceptual landscape forged by the scientific process. And of course, (without giving too much away) it all begins with your understanding of what the Big Bang truly signifies…
The metaphors we choose reveal much about our understanding. Thus, renowned naturalist Robert MacFarlane questions the vitality of a river and makes waves with his exploration.
As he traverses the globe considering this question along with others—such as whether forests can think, and whether mountains have memories—Rowan Hooper described the narrative as “beautiful, wild, and provocative.” MacFarlane might express concern that we are attempting to reestablish animism to navigate our interactions with the non-human world. Instead, Hooper advocates for a focus on sound ecological thinking and science!
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Hal Lacroix’s adventure unfolds on a spacecraft that has been exploring new planets for centuries
Dotted Zebra/Alamy
Exciting science fiction awaits fans this July, with two highly anticipated books making their debut. Are you intrigued by the beautifully articulated vision of rapid transformation as its effects evolve in a subtle yet increasingly unsettling manner? Don’t miss Alex Foster’s Circular Motion. Or maybe you’re captivated by the excellent “generation ship” narrative? If so, keep an eye on Hal Lacroix’s Here and Beyond. In addition, there are tales of climate fiction, zombies, space romance, and more. Enjoy yourself – I certainly will!
Set in a near future, this striking debut novel envisions an Earth with a colossal aircraft in orbit. Meanwhile, the Earth’s rotation gradually accelerates, initially shortening by mere seconds. However, it ominously contracts to just two hours as the story unfolds, leading to dire consequences. I’ve just completed this novel, and it may very well be my top read of the year so far—smartly written and truly engaging.
I have a special fondness for compelling “generation ship” stories. This one stands out, as 600 people embark on a 360-year voyage to a new planet following Earth’s downfall. Yet, generations must survive aboard their vessel, Shipworld, facing challenges from illness to rebellion, raising tensions among the crew. But don’t take my word for it; our sci-fi reviewer, Emily H. Wilson, gave it a hearty thumbs up, and her taste is impeccable (or at least aligns with mine!).
While I pen these words, London is engulfed in flames, making Susanna Kwan’s dystopian depiction of a rain-soaked future San Francisco even more captivating. We follow Bo, who has fled a city ravaged by catastrophic floods. Living alone on a street transformed into a river, Bo is tempted to leave her boat until her elderly neighbor Mia requests assistance, prompting her to remain. This novel draws comparisons to Emily St. John Mandel’s literary dystopia Station Eleven and Eleanor Catton’s climatological thriller Bilnum Wood, both of which I cherished; thus, I’m eager to delve into Kwan’s rainy world.
Susanna Kwan’s awakening unfolds in a flooded future San Francisco
Bulgac/Getty Images
This month’s science fiction takes us from Earth in disarray to the rain-soaked where the sun is waning. A unique story features two sisters in a small village amid arid lands who struggle for survival as temperatures plummet, leading villagers to confront death—”an ordinary man replaced by a blinding light that sears his head like a miniature sands.” Fascinating!
Another tale revolves around Quetza, an acrobat in a Martian circus who stumbles upon “ominous secrets.” Millions of years later, Azad inhabits a desert planet, teaming up with a space travel historian to discover why their ancestors abandoned Mars.
This climate fiction narrative (I refuse to adopt the “CLI-FI” label as I find it unappealing) unfolds in a self-sustaining community established on a remote Welsh island in 2056, aimed at escaping a tyrannical government. But 13-year-old Gresni suspects her family harbors secrets, especially when an event from the mainland washes ashore.
Penned by the acclaimed publisher recognized for Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, the narrative follows Zoe and Jack, who meet as chemistry students at Harvard University. Two years later, they drop out to join a venture promising longevity, yet their love faces challenges that test its limits.
I confess that this may not fit traditional science fiction norms, but I’m finding it hard to resist: it’s a 2022 road trip story set in Ukraine, featuring “The Maverick Scientist” Yeva and Lefty, “The Only Snail” navigated to ensure the survival of his species. Yeva funds her passion for breeding rare snails by dating men who come to Ukraine for a “guidance romance tour” in search of obedient brides. “Glorious…funny and clever, filled with science, longing, and adventure,” Anne Puckett states. Therefore, I believe a blend of science and snails would surely captivate sci-fi enthusiasts.
As a passionate fan, I feel there’s a distinct lack of zombie novels like The Walking Dead. Fortunately, Lee Radford addresses this gap with a tale about a scientist whose spouse was the last person bitten by the zombie epidemic. While the government quarantines infected individuals, scientist Kesta harbors perilous secrets. Her zombie husband, Tim, is restrained to prevent his rampage. Rick Grimes, I’m just suggesting he could have handled Tim with a heartbeat…
I’ve earmarked this next book for my reading list and am eagerly anticipating it. Elric only awakens once he’s healed, envisioning an experimental treatment center where heartache can be anesthetized. Naturally, there are some “shadow side effects,” and it follows four strangers (and a dog). The Wizard of Oz certainly seems to embody the journey toward healing from heartache.
The publisher describes it as “Suffic’s action-adventure sci-fi novel.” Volatile Memory features Willa as she uncovers cutting-edge technology on nearby planets. This tech, however, turns out to be the remains of a woman donning an AI mask that resurrected her. Together, they seek to unravel its mysteries…
Emily Buchanan’s Send Flowers depicts a woman’s deceased boyfriend reborn as a houseplant
Ozgurcankaya/Getty Images
In a world nearing climate collapse, eco-influencer Fiona has stayed secluded in her apartment since her boyfriend Ed’s passing. One day, his favorite plant is left at her door, prompting her to sprinkle his ashes on the soil. The next morning, she discovers that the plant not only blooms but can also speak. Ed has returned—albeit as a house plant.
Training in Bystander CPR may have played a key role in decreasing heart attack fatalities over the last 50 years
Piyamas Dulmunsumphun / Alamy stock photos
Heart attack fatalities in the US have dramatically decreased over the last five decades, while deaths from chronic heart diseases have surged, potentially due to increased longevity.
“Significant strides have been made in reducing cardiac mortality, and we’re witnessing this transformation,” says Sarah King from Stanford University in California.
She and her team analyzed heart disease mortality data from 1970 to 2022, utilizing the American disease control and prevention database to monitor all recorded deaths nationwide.
In 2022, they discovered that heart disease constituted 24% of all US deaths, a decrease from 41% in 1970, significantly aided by nearly a 90% drop in heart attack fatalities, previously the deadliest form of heart disease.
“We’ve made remarkable progress in reducing heart attack deaths over the past half-century,” remarks King. This includes innovations such as cardiac stents, coronary artery bypass surgery, and cholesterol-lowering therapies. King also believes that public health initiatives, including Bystander CPR training and efforts to decrease smoking rates, have contributed to these improvements.
Nonetheless, the rise in mortality from other types of cardiac ailments has surged by 81%, indicating that many chronic conditions are leading to increased deaths. For instance, fatalities from heart failure, arrhythmias, and hypertensive heart disease have surged by 146%, 106%, and 450%, respectively.
“Many of these issues are related to aging,” explains King. “Those who survive heart attacks seem to live longer, giving them more time to develop these chronic heart conditions.”
However, the statistics might overstate changes in cardiac mortality. “Various factors can lead to a person’s death, resulting in potential misclassification and oversimplification,” King warns. For instance, many patients succumb to heart failure following a heart attack. “It’s not a straightforward issue because the underlying reason for that heart failure is often a blockage in the coronary arteries,” she adds.
Still, the majority of heart disease fatalities aren’t directly caused by heart attacks. “Addressing these other causes of increased mortality will be crucial,” King states. “Discovering healthier aging methods will be the next frontier for heart disease.”
Knee braces appear to effectively alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis impacting the joints
Tom Werner/Getty Images
Knee braces and water-based exercises are among the most effective techniques for alleviating pain and stiffness associated with knee osteoarthritis. High-quality evidence is necessary before these methods can be universally recommended in clinical practice, as indicated by reviews of 12 non-pharmacological therapies.
This condition arises from the deterioration of cartilage, which cushions the edges of bones, leading to inflammation, discomfort, and stiffness. Pain relief medications and anti-inflammatory drugs can ease these symptoms, but side effects may occur, so healthcare providers often recommend physical therapy, such as shoe inserts to reduce knee pressure, tape for joint support, or laser therapy aimed at encouraging cartilage repair.
However, it remains uncertain how these treatments compare to one another. “Many reviews of treatments focus solely on the efficacy of individual therapies,” states Sarah Kingsbury, who was not part of the recent research conducted at the University of Leeds in the UK.
To address this gap, Yuan Luo from China’s First People’s Hospital and colleagues evaluated data from 139 randomized controlled trials examining 12 approved or experimental physiotherapy approaches for knee osteoarthritis. These trials included over 9,600 adults suffering from this condition.
Some studies compared two or three physical therapies, while others investigated one therapy against either a placebo or no treatment at all. Participants typically underwent treatment for several weeks before completing a symptom assessment.
Based on their findings, researchers concluded that knee braces effectively diminish pain and stiffness, emerging as the top method for enhancing mobility, followed by water-based exercise. “When you’re walking in a pool, you engage your muscles without stressing the joints in the same way walking in a park would,” says Kingsbury.
The ranking of efficacy for the other tested treatments is as follows: high-energy laser therapy, which delivers high-energy sound waves into the knee; low-energy laser therapy, which applies electrical stimulation to knee nerves; taping the knee; electromagnetic stimulation; ultrasound treatment; and wearing insoles.
Due to various factors, the findings are insufficiently robust to change clinical practices, Kingsbury notes. Many studies involved fewer than 50 participants, resulting in a limited sample size that can undermine confidence in the results. Additionally, treatment durations varied widely, from one week to less than a few months, which may skew perceptions of effectiveness.
Another limitation is that these studies did not juxtapose physical therapy with drug treatments or evaluate the efficacy of combining pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions, Kingsbury points out.
Despite these limitations, the reviews offer valuable insights regarding the most effective approaches, she suggests. “Establishing this ranking is useful and crucial. It allows us to possibly exclude the least effective 6 to 10 therapies, enabling us to focus on strengthening the evidence surrounding a few selected treatments.”
The ninth major entry in the survival horror franchise returns us to the ruins of Raccoon City, mixing cinematic action with psychological terror. The story focuses on FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, but how will she fit into this iconic series?
The newest project from Sega’s Ryugotoku Studio, known for Yakuza, is a historic action-adventure set in early 21st-century Japan. The team offers a compelling mix of shadowy detectives, street gangs, and jazz music.
An exciting collaboration: James Bond teams up with the creators of the Hitman series for a reimagined adventure that focuses on Bond’s origins and legends. Featuring globe-trotting espionage, stealth, and gadgets, it is an exhilarating video game reminiscent of Goldeneye.
Players of this charming rural life simulation will step into the shoes of garden magicians exploring the shadowy aspects of their village. Developed by Failbetter, known for narrative-driven games like Sunless Sea, the team is developing something truly unique here.
Big Walk
A Big Walk. Photo: House House
Australian developers House House, known for their surprise hit Untitled Goose Game, now present players with bird-like creatures embarking on a quirky co-op adventure in an island filled with whimsical puzzles. A nostalgic experience reminiscent of 1970s children’s animation.
A surprising twist comes from Game Freak, the creators of Pokémon, presenting a dark, post-apocalyptic action-adventure in a ravaged Japan threatened by machines and monsters. Players use flora as weapons alongside their loyal dog companions in a captivating narrative experience.
Dosadiva
Dosadiva. Photo: Outer Loop Games
The Outer Loop team, creators of Thirsty Suitor, brings us a vibrant sci-fi narrative where two sisters take a stand against malevolent corporations by cooking real meals for their community. Expect a blend of spices and heartfelt tales.
Blippo+
Blippo+. Photo: Panic
Not exactly a game but rather a peculiar TV simulator, Blippo+ invites players to surf through bizarre alien broadcasting networks filled with surreal soap operas and glitchy FMV experiences. The question remains: does the outlaws of the Hypnotic Universe meet Radio Time? Absolutely, bring it on.
Did you ever think there would be a mashup of Muppets and Mike Tyson Punch-Out? Well, now you can! At the Summer Game Fest, new developer Sans Strings Studio showcases the power of Unreal Engine 5 to bring forth this surreal boxing adventure, aptly named for the absurdity it represents.
Paralives
Paralives. Photo: Paralives Studio
Following the success of Inzoi, players will engage in a single-player life simulation filled with customization options without the need for DLC. With ample opportunities to interact with characters and their beloved pets, it’s set to offer a rich experience.
A Steampunk adventure crafted by the team behind Wasteland and Saints Row, this title features a dystopian city where residents enhance themselves with clockwork body parts. Intriguing elements reminiscent of Bioshock raise the stakes!
Persona 4 Revival
Persona 4 Revival. Photo: Atlus
In an exciting announcement, Atlus confirmed the remake of the iconic 2008 role-playing adventure filled with occult rituals and chilling murders in rural Japan. Further details remain scarce, but the anticipation is palpable.
Inheriting a creaky old hotel, you’ll spend 30 days solving puzzles and renovating while navigating its labyrinthine corridors. Mixing creepy adventures with refurbishment elements, this game was a standout moment at the Xbox showcase.
Keeper
Keeper Photo: Double Fine
Created by the developers of Psychonauts, this quirky new game allows players to control anthropomorphized lighthouses exploring coastal areas accompanied by seabird companions. What intriguing concoction drives this studio?
Everything Will Rise
Everything Will Rise. Photo: Speculative Agency
The gaming world may not need another deck-building strategy game—unless it’s a courtroom drama where environmentalists are suing corrupt billionaires over river pollution. It’s a timely narrative crafted by an Amsterdam-based studio.
June’s new science fiction features Megan E. O’Keefe’s Space Opera
Science Photo Library / Alamy Stock Photo
Are you a fan of dystopian worlds plagued by relentless viruses and advanced technology? If so, June has a lot in store for you. Expect narratives that range from infections inciting greed to nerve chips that eliminate sleep. Inga Simpson delivers a tale of environmental apocalypse in Thin, while EK Sathue offers a feminist body horror twist in a story reminiscent of American Psycho meets Material. Also on the menu is the intriguing new space opera by Megan E. O’Keefe titled Atmosphere.
Those crafty scientists are up to something again, developing a nerve chip designed to eliminate sleep. This chip soon becomes ubiquitous, leaving humanity in a state of sleep deprivation. Survivors in the Tower of London work tirelessly to find a cure… it’s a mix of eerie entertainment and genuine fright.
We’ve encountered plenty of apocalyptic viruses before. In this installment, a deadly virus leaves infected individuals “wild with desire.” Sophie, our protagonist, is a “good Catholic girl” who will stop at nothing to find her family. Originally published in the US, this novel hits the UK shelves this month.
Although not strictly science fiction, the upcoming book offers a unique perspective against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program. Taylor Jenkins Reid, known for Daisy Jones & Six and Malibu Rising, introduces us to Professor Joe Goodwin, who begins training astronauts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1980. Everything shifts with Mission STS-LR9 in December 1984…
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere is set during the 1980s space shuttle program
NG Images/Alamy
This standalone space opera features Faven Sythe on a quest to find her missing mentor. Sythe, a “Crystbon,” charts stellar routes across the galaxy. The only individual who stands a chance of aiding her is the enigmatic pirate Amandine, and together they uncover a conspiracy that spans the galaxy.
Finn lives in a secluded area with his mother, Dianera, always ready to escape. The environment beyond their sanctuary is deteriorating, and as extinction looms, Finn must join forces with an unlikely ally—an evolved human—on a mission to restore the balance of nature.
As a virus decimates half of China’s population and heads towards the UK, the government resorts to distributing “pills of dignity.” Meanwhile, Hart Ikeda discovers a method to mutate the virus, reprogramming it to foster compassion in its hosts. Will this be the salvation needed?
Pitched as American Psycho meets Material, this body horror narrative follows a young woman who starts working for the upscale skincare brand Hebe. As Sofia quickly learns, all is not as it seems; the Youth Juice moisturizer she tests could come with costs she never anticipated. How far is she willing to go to preserve her youth?
This compelling tale unfolds as scientists, facing humanity’s potential extinction, utilize technology intended for interstellar exploration to send someone 10,000 years into Earth’s future. Microbiologist Nicholas Hindman finds himself navigating an uncharted wilderness, searching for the remnants of humanity amidst a devastating pandemic in 2068.
Enca and Mathilde bond as art school friends, but when Mathilde’s rise to fame threatens their relationship, Enca becomes desperate to maintain their connection. Will the cutting-edge technology known as scaffolding—allowing Enca to live within Mathilde’s mind—forge a stronger bond, or will it complicate their lives?
Beginning in present-day India and moving into a near future, this story centers around a populist movement that rejuvenates the ancient Saraswati River. Though it’s labeled “not exactly science fiction,” it contains “strong speculative elements deeply rooted in contemporary politics.” Compared to the works of David Mitchell, Zadie Smith, and Eleanor Catton, it’s certainly worth exploring.
Set in a near-future London where technology intertwines with everything from physical health to political dynamics, journalist Pers Budmouth seeks to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of young black children. Instead, her assignment takes her to cover protests in Benin, where tourists participate in sacred rituals. When she partakes in the Spirit Vine—an ingredient often found in ayahuasca—she uncovers a destiny that could change everything. This story is a must-read for fans of NK Jemisin’s Supacell.
In a significant shift, Marc Maron has revealed that he will be concluding his widely acclaimed podcast WTF with Marc Maron after running for nearly 16 years and over 1,600 episodes. The series finale is set to air later this year.
“After 16 years of podcasting, we’ve decided it’s been an incredible journey,” Maron stated during a recent episode. “Honestly, it’s time, folks. The WTF era is coming to a close. That’s our choice. Expect a final episode in the fall.”
Maron shared that he and his producer Brendan McDonald are feeling “exhausted” and “burned out,” yet they are “very satisfied with the work we’ve accomplished.”
When Maron launched WTF in 2009, he was already an experienced stand-up comic, having had his Air America radio shows cancelled. He began recording in his garage. Initially, WTF delved into Maron’s emotions as he connected with fellow comedians, revealing his anxieties about his career, relationships, and feelings of abandonment.
With Maron’s increased openness, the podcast transitioned from his personal struggles, including his battle with addiction, to more profound discussions related to creativity and fulfillment. The show attracted a diverse array of actors, directors, and musicians, and Maron’s conversational style inspired even the most notable guests to share untold stories.
For those looking to indulge, there are 1,600 episodes of WTF available (though earlier episodes may be behind a paywall). The highlights typically feature (male) comedians, including Conan O’Brien, Mel Brooks, and Norm MacDonald. However, some episodes, like those with Courtney Love and Ben Kingsley, haven’t been as well-received. Here are five standout episodes:
President Barack Obama recorded a WTF episode in Maron’s garage in Los Angeles. Photo: Pete Souza/White House
This episode is a landmark in podcasting, showcasing how powerful the medium can be, even attracting a sitting US president to discuss issues like parenthood, racism, and gun control in a Los Angeles garage. It’s as impactful as the subsequent episode, The President Was Here, where Maron and McDonald share experiences with the Secret Service.
In this poignant interview, Williams opens up about his battles with depression, alcoholism, and suicidal thoughts. Maron later re-released it with a new introduction following Williams’ passing in 2014, and it was inducted into the Library of Congress National Records Register.
Over two captivating hours in 2010, Maron and Louis CK embarked on a therapeutic dialogue reflecting on their fractured friendship. CK expressed feelings of abandonment during a challenging period, while Maron acknowledged his hopes for CK’s success. Slate regards it as the best podcast episode ever; Maron himself, however, felt it wasn’t the best interview but found it personally beneficial.
This episode captured Maron’s initial meeting with indie filmmaker Shelton. At the time, they were both involved with others, but the chemistry was undeniable. They later fell in love and remained together until her tragic passing in 2020 from an undiagnosed blood disorder at age 54. Maron chose to re-release the interview shortly after her death, reflecting on their bond.
Known for roles like Joe Dirt and as the charmingly lascivious character in several films, Spade reveals his true humor in this episode. He shares a surprising personal story about being attacked at home, showcasing his knack for storytelling. “I had to cut him back to two days a week after that,” Spade recalls.
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