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Clean, safe water is a limited resource and access to it depends on local bodies of water. But even dry regions have some water vapor in the air. To harvest small amounts of humidity, researchers developed a compact device with absorbent-coated fins that first trap moisture and then generate potable water when heated. They say the prototype could help meet growing demands for water, especially in arid locations.

Our cells and the machinery inside them are engaged in a constant dance. This dance involves some surprisingly complicated choreography within the lipid bilayers that comprise cell membranes and vesicles -- structures that transport waste or food within cells. In a recent paper, researchers shed some light on how these vesicles self-assemble, knowledge that could help scientists design bio-inspired vesicles for drug-delivery or inspire them to create life-like synthetic materials.

Traditional methods to assess balance often suffer from subjectivity, aren't comprehensive enough and can't be administered remotely. They also are expensive and require specialized equipment and clinical expertise. Using wearable sensors and advanced machine learning algorithms, researchers offer a practical and cost-effective solution for capturing detailed movement data, essential for balance analysis. This approach is more accessible and can be administered remotely, which could have significant implications for health care, rehabilitation, sports science or other fields where balance assessment is important.

Local rearrangements of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) upon twisting may be the cause for the poor mechanical performance of CNT bundles and yarns, report scientists. Using molecular dynamics simulations, they revealed that defects known as disclination lines appear when a CNT bundle is twisted, which alters the tensile properties of the whole system. Their findings could help us understand and solve current challenges holding CNT bundles and yarns back in many applied fields.

Early analysis of the asteroid Bennu sample returned by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission has revealed dust rich in carbon, nitrogen, and organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. Dominated by clay minerals, particularly serpentine, the sample mirrors the type of rock found at mid-ocean ridges on Earth. The magnesium-sodium phosphate found in the sample hints that the asteroid could have splintered off from an ancient, small, primitive ocean world.

With a new microscope that's as light as a penny, researchers can now observe broad swaths of the brain in action as mice move about and interact with their environments.

ChatGPT-written exam submissions for a psychology degree mostly went undetected and tended to get better marks than real students’ work

A fossil bone displaying features consistent with Down’s syndrome belonged to a Neanderthal child who survived beyond 6 years old, adding to evidence that these extinct humans cared for members of their community

Almost all the stars that will ever exist have already been born, and they have been around long enough for life to evolve on planets that orbit them

So bright you'll be able to see it without a telescope, a “new” star system, T Coronae Borealis, will become visible for the first time in 80 years between now and September. Abigail Beall explains where to spot it

A "new" star system, T Coronae Borealis, will become visible to the naked eye between now and September. Abigail Beall explains how to spot it

Meet Craig Foster, from the Oscar-winning documentary MY Octopus Teacher, who thinks we should reconnect with nature by plunging into icy waters or scanning remote landscapes

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Photographer Ignacio Evangelista's stark shots shine a light on the little-known VOR beacons, once key to aviation navigation but now being replaced by GPS

Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker's Love Triangle is fast-paced, with nuggets about everything from impossible soccer balls to duck wakes. But it doesn't leave our reviewer understanding trigonometry any better

While time is relative, it still flows in one direction for every observer. We don’t yet understand why, but some physicists are looking for answers that invoke the evolution of entropy, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Feedback delves into a new study about snotty-nose prevention in children, and is intrigued to discover that hardening, rubbing and water procedures are the cutting edge of cold science these days

Influencers won't stop talking about the health benefits of stimulating the vagus nerve. But the science doesn't stack up, says Kevin Tracey

In his latest book, Why War?, historian Richard Overy grapples with a question that stumped Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud – why do humans persist in waging war?

Through science, we are striving for objective knowledge about the universe around us. But physicists increasingly believe achieving this will never be possible