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A new genus of plant has been discovered by researchers in Japan, but it looks more like a squid. Plus: how to befriend a dog, according to science.

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TAGANE Shuichiro

Squid-like plant

A tiny plant that feeds on fungus and has no pigment has been named as the first new-to-science genus of plant from Japan since 1930. It was found in the Kimotsuki mountains on the island of Kyushu by an amateur botanist in June 2022, but it has taken until now to confirm its unique status. So far, researchers have only found five individuals in a single location and estimate the total population may number as few as 50. “The unique appearance of this new plant species does evoke images of squids or extraterrestrial beings, making it a truly unusual and fascinating addition to the botanical world,” Kenji Suetsugu from Kobe University in Japan. Read more

Man’s best friend

Many pet dogs are hesitant to warm up to strangers and can feel threatened if unknown people touch them or even look at them – but now researchers have found an easy way to make friends. Following the dogs wherever they go, staying side-by-side within a metre’s distance, results in them then choosing to stick by you and being slower to return to their owners. “It’s creating familiarity between the dog and the human, without having to touch or use toys or food, or even make eye contact,” says Angélique Lamontagne at Aix-Marseille University in France. Read more

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Adrià Voltà

Perfumer Mathilde Laurent explains how she is exploring what our understanding of music would be like if composers had routinely created works for scent as well as sound. At the turn of the 20th century, artists were combining the senses to imagine “total” artworks. Visual artist Wassily Kandinsky was painting the music he experienced, while composer Alexander Scriabin was adding directions for coloured lighting in his 1910 score for Prometheus: The Poem of Fire – a work Laurent has been collaborating on with the San Francisco Symphony. Smell has unrivalled emotional power. As such, the art of olfaction is rightfully being included in a new multisensory performance. Read more

In the footsteps of Alexander von Humboldt: Ecuador

16 August 2024 | 11 days 

Explore Ecuador's stunning natural wonders, including the Amazon and Cloud Forest, and follow in the footsteps of ecologist Alexander von Humboldt.

Catherine Flick at Staffordshire University, UK, on the AIs that get better at maths if you tell them to pretend to be in Star Trek.

This week on the podcast, the team discusses what the decline of 23andMe tells us about genetic-based medicine. Plus, hear about what Pythagoras got wrong, how our brain grasps the concept of "zero" and the best way to befriend a dog.

Available on Spotify, Apple and more.

Alexandra Thompson

Assistant News Editor, New Scientist
Email me at newsletter@newscientist.com
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