The challenges of writing from the perspective of a sex robot
The author of the award-winning science fiction novel Annie Bot, the January read for the New Scientist Book Club, on how she created her startling protagonist
Read an extract from Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
In this extract from the award-winning science fiction novel Annie Bot, the January read for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to Sierra Greer's protagonist, a sex robot called Annie
Murder victim discovered to have two sets of DNA due to rare condition
A woman's body has been found to consist of varying proportions of male and female cells because of an extremely rare form of chimerism
Rare Saturn-sized rogue planet is first to have its mass measured
Researchers have confirmed the mass of a free-floating planet thanks to a lucky convergence of ground- and space-based telescopes
Chess can be made fairer by rearranging the pieces
Chess960 involves shuffling the pieces at the back of the board, and an analysis suggests doing so can increase the complexity of the game to favour white, black or neither player
The 3 things you should do this New Year to foster a positive mindset
Olivia Remes, a mental health researcher at the University of Cambridge, says these are the three things everyone should do this New Year to cultivate a more positive mindset
Could 2026 be the year we start using quantum computers for chemistry?
Understanding the chemical properties of a molecule is an inherently quantum problem, making quantum computers a good tool for the job – and we may start seeing this take off in 2026
Three supermassive black holes have been spotted merging into one
Astronomers have found a system of three supermassive black holes, all actively feeding, that appear to be combining into a single system – a rare event that will help elucidate the physics of complex mergers
The duo kite-skiing 4000 kilometres across Antarctica for science
An explorer and a glaciologist are kite-skiing across Antarctica with a ground-penetrating radar to gather data that will help understand the past and future of the ice sheet
Star that seemed to vanish more than 130 years ago is found again
In 1892, astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard thought he saw a bright star near Venus, but then it vanished. We may now know why