New Scientist

Social media is rife with claims that banana skins can have a transformative effect on our houseplants. James Wong unpeels the science behind the trend

Could cultivating wild cocoa help us produce great chocolate ethically? A stirring account reveals the problems of trying to transform an industry

In the centenary of naturalist Gerald Durrell’s birth, a new memoir adds rich new layers to what we know about the man

Two species of marine molluscs dating back about 430 million years have been named Punk and Emo for their outlandish spiky appearance

Male flies have been genetically engineered to produce poisonous proteins in their seminal fluid, a technique that could be employed against pests and disease carriers

Patrícia Medici is a world-leading expert in Brazil's lowland tapirs.  She is using scientific data to protect these animals, which play an essential role in rainforest ecosystems

A velvet ant sting is like “hot oil spilling over your hand” – now, scientists have identified molecules in its venom that let it deliver excruciating pain to a variety of other animals

The teeth of dolphins and other toothed whales are connected to a uniquely thick bundle of nerve fibres, which might play a role in sound detection

A scorpion discovered in South America can spray venom out of its stinger and hit targets up to 35 centimetres away

The songs of male humpback whales seem to become more complex in the months before they look for a mate, suggesting a rehearsal period may be important for good performance

From bee slaps to ant amputations, 2024 has been a fascinating year to learn more about the animal kingdom

A newly described species of giant pitcher plant is one of the biggest ever found, with leaves covered in fur the same colour as orangutans

Endangered skates and kingfishers were brought back from the brink this year and scientists found a way to protect frogs from deadly infections

The fossilised remains of an ancient carnivore provide intriguing hints about how early relatives of mammals began regulating their own body temperature

The Greater Mekong region of Asia hosts a wealth of rare and unstudied species – 173 new species of plants, 26 reptiles, 17 amphibians, 15 fish and three mammals were described last year. Here are six of them

A fungus named Psilocybe ochraceocentrata is the closest relative of a widely cultivated psychedelic mushroom, giving clues to their evolutionary origins

The past 12 months have seen animals of all shapes, sizes and colours strut their stuff – here are just a few of the best pictures from the year

For a truly exquisite glimpse of plants and animals, check out some of the top entries and the winner of the 2024 Evident Image of the Year contest

They were loved by Charles Darwin, they build brilliantly bad nests and they even produce a kind of “milk”. Surely, these facts are more than enough to foster a love for the urban pigeon

Rats of the sky? Pigeons are often the target of human ire, but there's a lot to cherish – or at least appreciate – in these scrappy survivors