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Explore the most exciting new ideas and emerging concepts in science, health, technology and the environment with New Scientist’s exclusive in-depth articles, interviews and long reads.

Mind

Is the human brain really the most complex object in the universe?

There are 86 billion neurons in your brain, roughly the same number as there are galaxies in the observable universe. Whether the mind is more complex than the cosmos, however, is up for debate

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D84PBB NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula.

Mind

Neural-network brain scans are revealing how to boost your creativity

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Closeup side view of a young African American man creating street art drawing on the wall.

Mind

How entropy and equilibrium can help explain consciousness

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Why forgetting things is a key part of the way your brain works

Mind

Why forgetting things is a key part of the way your brain works

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The hidden evolutionary advantages of the teenage brain

Mind

The hidden evolutionary advantages of the teenage brain

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Mind

How to make sure your brain is performing at its peak

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2JKFTNG Researchers study star-shaped brain cells: NIH-funded researchers have used 3D collections of brain tissue from human cells to study star-shaped astrocytes in the brain.

Mind

How newly discovered brain cells have made us rethink the human mind

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This image may not be used in educational posters Brain microbiome, conceptual illustration. The microbiome is the collection of microbes (micro-organisms) found on and in the human body. Some of these microbes help to keep the body healthy. It can be thought of as an ecosystem of diverse micro-organisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and mites, that live in various creases and sections of body. If the balance gets disrupted, disorders or infections can occur.

Health

Why the brain's microbiome could hold the key to curing Alzheimer's

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Mind

New evidence finally reveals how male and female brains really differ

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Mind

The strange truth about why thinking hard makes you feel exhausted

Your brain burns through the same amount of energy whether you’re daydreaming or taking an exam. So why do we experience mental fatigue?

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Our human ancestors often ate each other, and for surprising reasons

Humans

Our human ancestors often ate each other, and for surprising reasons

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How to take control of your dreams to boost learning and creativity

Mind

How to take control of your dreams to boost learning and creativity

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Why string theory has been unfairly maligned - and how to test it

Physics

Why string theory has been unfairly maligned - and how to test it

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Theory of everything and geometry

Physics

Why physicists are rethinking the route to a theory of everything

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