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Remarkable rocks show that ancient microorganisms sustained themselves in a variety of ways. Plus: a legendary cosmologist on how to find a deeper theory of the universe.

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Dr. Manuel Reinhardt

Ancient ecosystem

As early as 3.4 billion years ago, life on Earth had formed diverse communities. Exceptionally preserved remains from the period reveal an ecosystem of microorganisms that sustained themselves in a range of ways. The complexity of the ecosystem suggests life had already existed for hundreds of millions of years and began early in Earth’s history. Manuel Reinhardt at the University of Göttingen in Germany and his colleagues studied rocks from the Buck Reef Chert, part of the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa. The rocks are 3.42 billion years old and are thought to be the preserved remnants of the shallow seas around a chain of volcanic islands. Read more

Endometriosis delays

Poor access to healthcare and gaps in medical knowledge mean that endometriosis can take years, or even decades, to be diagnosed. The condition occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, which can lead to pain and difficulty conceiving. Jodie Fryer at North Yorkshire County Council in the UK and her colleagues at the University of York and York St John University looked at 22 studies from 18 countries. They found that people with endometriosis wait an average of 6.6 years to be diagnosed, with much variation between countries. For instance, one study found that the diagnostic delay in Brazil is just six months, compared with 27 years in the UK. In the US, the average delay is 11 years, compared with 1.5 years in Australia, where the federal government announced a national action plan to improve endometriosis care in 2018. Read more

The breathtaking advances in artificial intelligence and a growing urgency to find climate change solutions are set to dominate headlines in 2024. Stay ahead with New Scientist for just $1.50 a week and let us guide you through the coming year. 

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• Crime scene investigations: The brand of bullets used in a crime could be identified even when no bullets or casings are found at the scene, by analysing tiny metal scraps they left behind.

   

• Health checks: A massive UK study has found that regular check-ups prevent multiple diseases and save lives, but this type of analysis can’t definitely show that they are beneficial.

   

• One-dimensional gas: A row of krypton atoms has been trapped inside a carbon nanotube, allowing researchers to better observe how they interact in a confined space.

KLAWE RZECZY; ESA/NASA

Jim Peebles has a good claim to be the architect of modern cosmology, having introduced dark matter and dark energy into our standard model of the cosmos. He won a share of the 2019 Nobel prize for physics for his contributions. Despite its success, however, Peebles has always sought to undermine that theory. In the past few years, he has been musing on astronomical anomalies that might point the way to a better one. Here he tells us about those anomalies, why dark matter can’t be as simple as we think, and whether we should expect a complete understanding of the universe. Read more

Ancient caves, human origins: Northern Spain

2 June and 29 August 2024  |  7 days

Join our former Editor-in-Chief Emily Wilson and local archaeological experts to this idyllic part of Northern Spain. Experience the wonders of several renowned caves full of art from before the dawn of civilisation, alongside specialist talks and walking seminars. Only a few places remaining.

Neil Thompson at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says most workers whose jobs involve vision are safe from machine intelligence, for now.

Thanks for reading!

Sam Wong

Assistant news editor, New Scientist
Email me at newsletter@newscientist.com

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