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Futuristic alien vessels float in formation over a vast natural valley lit by vibrant evening light.

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The late Ian Watson's sci-fi The Embedding is intriguing – but dated

Watson's death last month prompted sci-fi columnist Emily H. Wilson to read his acclaimed 1973 debut and find out what she'd been missing. She found it fascinating – but reflective of its time

Culture

Earth from Above author returns with astonishing freshwater images

Environment

Earth from Above author returns with astonishing freshwater images

Regulars

Luminous book jacket and author Silvia Park

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Our verdict on Luminous by Silvia Park: a fascinating take on robots

Culture

silvia park

Video

Author Silvia Park: 'No one is your enemy, not even death'

Video

A honey bee flies with pollen balls stored in pollen baskets (corbiculae) on its hind legs. (Photo credit: Jennie Durant) Bitter Honey by Jenny Durant

Environment

New Scientist recommends a devastating account of farming honeybees

Culture

The early moments of the nuclear blast on 16 July 1945

Physics

Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test

Regulars

Intoxicating and astonishing: Why 'The Selfish Gene' almost never was

Life

Intoxicating and astonishing: Why 'The Selfish Gene' almost never was

Features

Oliver Sacks and The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat

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After news about Oliver Sacks's "lies", we revisit his best-loved book

Culture

Lascaux Cave is a Palaeolithic cave situated in southwestern France, near the village of Montignac in the Dordogne region, which houses some of the most famous examples of prehistoric cave paintings. Close to 600 paintings ??? mostly of animals - dot the interior walls of the cave in impressive compositions. Horses are the most numerous, but deer, aurochs, ibex, bison, and even some felines can also be found. Besides these paintings, which represent most of the major images, there are also around 1400 engravings of a similar order. The art, dated to c. 17,000 ??? c. 15,000 BCE, falls within the Upper Palaeolithic period and was created by the clearly skilled hands of humans living in the area at that time. The region seems to be a hotspot; many beautifully decorated caves have been discovered there. The exact meaning of the paintings at Lascaux or any of the other sites is still subject to discussion, but the prevailing view attaches a ritualistic or even spiritual component to them, hinting at the sophistication of their creators. Lascaux was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1979, along with other prehistoric sites in its proximity. Valley, France.

Life

New Scientist recommends a smart new account of human exceptionalism

Culture

Suzanne Simard + Rowan Hooper

Environment

Suzanne Simard on the wood wide web, connectedness – and Avatar

Rowan Hooper met ecologist Suzanne Simard under an oak tree in Kew Gardens, London, to talk about her new book, criticism of her work, and getting a call from James Cameron's people

Culture

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The best new popular science books of May 2026

Culture

Environment

Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass is still an essential read

Culture

Humans

A lost ancient script reveals how writing as we know it really began

Features

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Why I explore our inevitable love for robots in my novel Luminous

Culture