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Black holes may be hiding within stars - and they could explain the origins of dark matter. Plus: exquisite photos of starling murmurations.

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Black hole sun

Stars could have tiny black holes hiding inside them that were formed during the big bang. In 1971, Stephen Hawking was looking at a problem involving an apparent lack of high-energy particles coming from the sun. He wondered whether this solar neutrino problem could be solved if the sun hosted a small black hole that was formed at the beginning of the universe, a so-called primordial black hole. Some astronomers took the idea further, but when the solar neutrino problem was solved in 2001, interest in black hole-hosting stars died out. Now, some astrophysicists have revived the idea as a possible explanation for dark matter, and calculated what effects primordial black holes of different masses might have on the evolution of their host star. Read more

Drone power

Attacks on container ships in the Red Sea have forced hundreds of ships carrying billions of dollars’ worth of cargo to avoid the region and take much longer shipping routes. The disruption is having a major impact on the global economy and carbon emissions, and it has been made possible by mass-produced, explosive drones made for relatively low cost. These one-way attack drones, also known as kamikaze or suicide drones, are being developed or deployed by governments and organisations in more than 30 countries. But since 2014, low-cost, Iranian-made drones in particular have appeared in a growing number of conflicts across the Middle East and in the hands of Russian military forces targeting Ukrainian cities. 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

• Ditch the display: Big tech companies are offering new ways to interact with devices, powered by AI - are screens on their way out?

• Waning energy:  Hydropower generation in the western US may fall by as much as 20 per cent by 2050 due to climate warming.

• Space grottoes: Caves have been seen on the surface of a comet for the first time. 

• The brain in pregnancy: Some brain regions become smaller and thinner during pregnancy and most of these changes reverse after giving birth.

• Breath fingerprint: The air turbulence created when breathing could be used as an effective biometric test for unlocking smartphones or other devices.

• Science of Guinness: The yeast strains used to brew Ireland’s classic stout are genetically distinct from theones used to make other Irish beers.

Søren Solkær

This exquisite image shows starlings swirling and swooping as one in a dramatic, cloud-like flock known as a murmuration. Shot by Søren Solkær, better known for portraits of the likes of Björk and Paul McCartney, it is from a new collection of his photos. As a child growing up in southern Denmark near the Wadden Sea, Solkær had been entranced by starling murmurations. Returning years later, he witnessed a large group of these birds being attacked by a peregrine falcon. “The shapes and formations the flock created, in order to scare off the attacking bird of prey, blew my mind – beautiful, dramatic and resembling a Japanese ink drawing or a piece of calligraphy,” he says. See 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.

Can you use science to help us answer our readers' questions? The best answers will be published in our Last Word section. This week we ask:

Why do older people seem to experience time passing more quickly?

Thanks for reading!

Sam Wong

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

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