How fear drastically shapes ecosystems: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Understanding the “landscape of fear” that predators create in their environments has helped us uncover just how drastically humans have upended the natural world(New Scientist)
We can block the spread of HIV: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) The “enormous revelation” that drugs can be used to prevent catching HIV has benefitted millions and helped slash transmission rates(New Scientist)
The electrification of everything: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable power is crucial. The opening of Tesla's first "gigafactory", which used economies of scale to electrify our transport and energy systems, marked a turning point in this endeavour(New Scientist)
Crowdsourcing Wikipedia’s encyclopedia: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) The internet is typically defined by conflict. Yet a crowdsourced encyclopedia, open for anyone to edit, has transformed into one of the world's most essential knowledge hubs(New Scientist)
Smartphones (yes, really): Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Some might say smartphones have caused more harm than good. Here’s why putting a powerful computer into every pocket was a good idea(New Scientist)
Realising the importance of our microbiome: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Humans have been inadvertently using microbes to influence our health for thousands of years. But only recently has the microbiome rocketed to the forefront of healthcare(New Scientist)
We can rewrite our genetic code: Best ideas of the century 19. January 2026 (17:00) Our genomes are filled with errors that were once impossible to correct. But in CRISPR, we finally found an extraordinarily powerful tool for treating genetic disease – and perhaps making better versions of ourselves(New Scientist)
