Ants attack their nest-mates because pollution changes their smell 02. February 2026 (21:00) Ants rely on scent to recognise their comrades, and when they are exposed to common air pollutants, other members of their colony react as if they are enemies(New Scientist)
A huge cloud of dark matter may be lurking near our solar system 02. February 2026 (17:32) For the first time, researchers have found what seems to be a cloud of dark matter about 60 million times the mass of the sun in our galactic neighbourhood(New Scientist)
Treating cancer before 3pm could help patients live longer 02. February 2026 (17:01) The most robust evidence to date shows that people with a type of lung cancer lived longer if they received immunotherapy before 3pm(New Scientist)
The secret signals our organs send to repair tissues and slow ageing 02. February 2026 (17:00) Your organs are constantly talking to each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Tapping into these communication networks is opening up radical new ways to boost health(New Scientist)
Neanderthals and early humans may have interbred over a vast area 02. February 2026 (12:00) We are getting a clearer sense of where and how often Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred, and it turns out the behaviour was much more common than we first thought(New Scientist)
Melatonin gummies as sleep aids for children: What are the risks? 02. February 2026 (11:00) To eliminate bedtime struggles, a growing number of parents have turned to melatonin gummies, but these hormone supplements are largely unregulated. Columnist Alice Klein digs into the evidence on the risks of regularly using melatonin as a sleep aid for children(New Scientist)
CRISPR grapefruit without the bitterness are now in development 02. February 2026 (09:00) Gene-editing citrus fruits to make them less bitter could not only encourage more people to eat them, it might also help save the industry from a devastating plague
(New Scientist)
The best new popular science books of February 2026 01. February 2026 (11:00) Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to popular science reading this month, with new titles by major names including Maggie Aderin and Michael Pollan(New Scientist)
