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"Islands" poking out of black holes may solve the so-called information paradox. Plus: we’re finally working out why the Mediterranean diet is so good for us.

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Black hole paradox

We may be able to find out what happens to matter that falls into a black hole, something previously thought impossible. This is because some parts of a black hole’s interior, called “islands”, may actually poke far enough outside the hole for us to measure them. If we can do this, that could mean we can resolve a long-standing paradox described by Stephen Hawking concerning the loss of information when something falls into a black hole. Read more

Heat record

It’s official: 2023 was the hottest year on record. The global average temperature for the year was 1.48°C warmer than the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). That is the highest since records began in 1940 and probably the highest in 100,000 years, sparking heatwaves, droughts and wildfires. The year’s average temperature of 14.98°C (58.96°F) came close to hitting 1.5°C above pre-industrial times, a limit that countries are aiming to avoid under the 2015 Paris Agreement – although the goal applies to the long-term average temperature rather than the average for a single year. 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. 

More headlines

• Heavy rain: Diamonds may fall from the sky on more than 1900 exoplanets across the galaxy.

   

• Better battery: Researchers used AI to design a new material that could be part of batteries that use less lithium.

   

• Ant rafts:  Fire ants link together to form a raft when their nests are flooded, and these rafts have unusual properties that are difficult to replicate in conventional materials.

   

• Doomed stars: The closest star cluster to the centre of the Milky Way we have seen seems to be falling in, and astronomers are watching.

MurzikNata/Getty Images

There’s plenty of scientific evidence that the Mediterranean diet can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or developing type 2 diabetes, but figuring out why has proved tricky in part because of confusion over how the diet is defined. Now, researchers are beginning to identify which of its components are most beneficial, which means more of us can follow the best advice on eating well. Read more

Neanderthal origins and ancient caves: Southern France

8 June and 21 September 2024  | 10 days

Journey back in time to key Neanderthal sites in southern France and see some of the oldest stone tools, art objects and cave paintings left by archaic humans.

Photographer Liang Fu on his shot of a moray eel twisted into the shape of a heart - one of the winners of the Close-up Photographer of the Year competition.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Sam Wong

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

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