Jeff Goldblum should make a film about this legendary mathematician 09. February 2026 (13:00) Paul Erdős was one of the most prolific mathematicians to ever live, known for showing up at the door of others in the field and declaring they should host and feed him while they do maths together. His radical life should be immortalised by Hollywood in a comedy biopic, says columnist Jacob Aron(New Scientist)
Physicists can now take control of 'hidden' friction in devices 09. February 2026 (12:00) One type of friction can waste energy even when two perfectly smooth surfaces move against each other, but researchers are getting a handle on how to attenuate or stop it completely(New Scientist)
Seafarers were visiting remote Arctic islands over 4000 years ago 09. February 2026 (01:01) The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water(New Scientist)
Weakening ice shelf has caused crucial Antarctic glacier to accelerate 06. February 2026 (19:00) The flow of ice at Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica has sped up dramatically due to the disintegration of the ice shelf in front of it, and this could lead to faster sea level rise(New Scientist)
Physicists warn of 'catastrophic' impact from UK science cuts 06. February 2026 (18:44) Science funding cuts in the UK are expected to be a "devastasting blow" for physics research, affecting international projects such as particle detection experiments at CERN(New Scientist)
Synchronised volcanic eruptions on Io hint at a spongy interior 06. February 2026 (15:00) Five volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io erupted simultaneously, spewing a mind-boggling amount of lava onto the surface and giving us clues to what may lie underneath(New Scientist)
Moving inductions to early morning could shorten labour by 6 hours 06. February 2026 (10:00) By matching uterine contractions up with the body’s natural circadian rhythms, inducing labour in the early morning is linked to shorter labour and fewer emergency c-sections(New Scientist)
