Matthew Sparkes
@sparkes.bsky.social
Reporter at New Scientist magazine. "Technologically optimistic but epistemically cautious," according to ChatGPT.
Got a story? Email: [email protected]
Got a story? Email: [email protected]
The next space race is not about making rockets faster, bigger or more capacious, but about reusing them reliably and cheaply. The US is well ahead, but can China catch up?
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
Is China catching up to the US and SpaceX on reusable rockets? | New Scientist
The next space race is not about making rockets faster, bigger or more capacious, but about reusing them reliably and cheaply. The US is well ahead, but can China catch up?
www.newscientist.com
September 25, 2026 at 1:33 PM
The next space race is not about making rockets faster, bigger or more capacious, but about reusing them reliably and cheaply. The US is well ahead, but can China catch up?
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
Reposted by Matthew Sparkes
Dramatic gannet dive wins Bird Photographer of the Year competition - @sparkes.bsky.social @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
Dramatic gannet dive wins Bird Photographer of the Year competition | New Scientist
Henley Spiers took the top award in the annual contest, with shots of guillemots, penguins and a protective tawny frogmouth also in the running for the prize
www.newscientist.com
September 22, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Dramatic gannet dive wins Bird Photographer of the Year competition - @sparkes.bsky.social @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
Starship's next test flight will be its first orbital mission - six laps of Earth. The craft will also release working Starlink V3 satellites for the first time, making the flight the first commercially useful Starship mission.
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
SpaceX's Starship will orbit Earth for first time during next flight | New Scientist
Starship's next test flight will be its first orbital mission. The craft will also release working Starlink V3 satellites for the first time, making the flight the first commercially useful Starship m...
www.newscientist.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Starship's next test flight will be its first orbital mission - six laps of Earth. The craft will also release working Starlink V3 satellites for the first time, making the flight the first commercially useful Starship mission.
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
www.newscientist.com/article/2589...
Kyiv resident Olexandra Shekhireva says almost all Shaheds targeting the city are now jet-powered models.
“It’s noisier, louder – not like a conventional motorcycle engine, more like a plane. They’re obviously faster,” she says.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
“It’s noisier, louder – not like a conventional motorcycle engine, more like a plane. They’re obviously faster,” she says.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
Jet-powered drones pose a new threat to Ukraine – can they be stopped? | New Scientist
Ukraine is racing to design faster, more capable interceptor drones to tackle Russia's new generation of jet-powered Shahed attack drones
www.newscientist.com
September 14, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Kyiv resident Olexandra Shekhireva says almost all Shaheds targeting the city are now jet-powered models.
“It’s noisier, louder – not like a conventional motorcycle engine, more like a plane. They’re obviously faster,” she says.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
“It’s noisier, louder – not like a conventional motorcycle engine, more like a plane. They’re obviously faster,” she says.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
Reposted by Matthew Sparkes
What happened with Navier-Stokes? Just what are GPT-6 Astra and its successor capable of?
*Fascinating* discussion with @sparkes.bsky.social, @timothyrevell.bsky.social and @pennysarchet.bsky.social
youtu.be/NNIpdytGWf0
*Fascinating* discussion with @sparkes.bsky.social, @timothyrevell.bsky.social and @pennysarchet.bsky.social
youtu.be/NNIpdytGWf0
AI Just Solved One of the Hardest Problems in Mathematics
YouTube video by The World, The Universe And Us
youtu.be
September 11, 2026 at 1:21 PM
What happened with Navier-Stokes? Just what are GPT-6 Astra and its successor capable of?
*Fascinating* discussion with @sparkes.bsky.social, @timothyrevell.bsky.social and @pennysarchet.bsky.social
youtu.be/NNIpdytGWf0
*Fascinating* discussion with @sparkes.bsky.social, @timothyrevell.bsky.social and @pennysarchet.bsky.social
youtu.be/NNIpdytGWf0
Reposted by Matthew Sparkes
Famous and challenging problems in mathematics are falling to AI at a rapid pace. Where does this leave mathematicians and what will the field look like in coming years?
What's next for mathematics now that AI is upending the field? | New Scientist
Famous and challenging problems in mathematics are falling to AI at a rapid pace. Where does this leave mathematicians and what will the field look like in coming years?
www.newscientist.com
September 10, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Famous and challenging problems in mathematics are falling to AI at a rapid pace. Where does this leave mathematicians and what will the field look like in coming years?
Seven stories on mathematics breakthroughs powered by AI this week, plus one video and one podcast.
If everyone could refrain from solving any further Millennium Prize Problems until Monday it would be greatly appreciated.
www.newscientist.com/author/matth...
If everyone could refrain from solving any further Millennium Prize Problems until Monday it would be greatly appreciated.
www.newscientist.com/author/matth...
Matthew Sparkes, Author at New Scientist
www.newscientist.com
September 10, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Seven stories on mathematics breakthroughs powered by AI this week, plus one video and one podcast.
If everyone could refrain from solving any further Millennium Prize Problems until Monday it would be greatly appreciated.
www.newscientist.com/author/matth...
If everyone could refrain from solving any further Millennium Prize Problems until Monday it would be greatly appreciated.
www.newscientist.com/author/matth...
What’s next for mathematics now that AI is upending the field?
“I have colleagues who will think it’s the end of the world, and colleagues who will think it’s the best thing since sliced bread,” says one mathematician. “I’m in the ‘a bit terrified’ camp.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
“I have colleagues who will think it’s the end of the world, and colleagues who will think it’s the best thing since sliced bread,” says one mathematician. “I’m in the ‘a bit terrified’ camp.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
What's next for mathematics now that AI is upending the field? | New Scientist
Famous and challenging problems in mathematics are falling to AI at a rapid pace. Where does this leave mathematicians and what will the field look like in coming years?
www.newscientist.com
September 10, 2026 at 2:07 PM
What’s next for mathematics now that AI is upending the field?
“I have colleagues who will think it’s the end of the world, and colleagues who will think it’s the best thing since sliced bread,” says one mathematician. “I’m in the ‘a bit terrified’ camp.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
“I have colleagues who will think it’s the end of the world, and colleagues who will think it’s the best thing since sliced bread,” says one mathematician. “I’m in the ‘a bit terrified’ camp.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
Terence Tao says AI companies are harming mathematics by dropping new results without engaging with academia.
“These companies are dumping carcasses of raw meat onto our table and saying ‘here you go, I solved your food problem’ and then they just leave."
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
“These companies are dumping carcasses of raw meat onto our table and saying ‘here you go, I solved your food problem’ and then they just leave."
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
Terence Tao: AI companies are harming mathematics | New Scientist
AI companies are making new mathematical discoveries at a rapid pace but not sticking around to help unpick the new proofs. That is not the way to advance our understanding, says mathematician Terence...
www.newscientist.com
September 9, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Terence Tao says AI companies are harming mathematics by dropping new results without engaging with academia.
“These companies are dumping carcasses of raw meat onto our table and saying ‘here you go, I solved your food problem’ and then they just leave."
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
“These companies are dumping carcasses of raw meat onto our table and saying ‘here you go, I solved your food problem’ and then they just leave."
www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
Matthew you are achieving unparalleled levels of efficiency / vertical integration in science reporting
September 8, 2026 at 8:29 AM
I'm almost embarrassed to have done it. It took no skill. I feel it somehow undermines the work of human mathematicians and I fear it may be the thin end of the wedge for diminished human input in the field. Is this how future mathematicians will feel?
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
I made a free AI chatbot solve a decade-long maths problem in 13 minutes | New Scientist
After months covering the shocking rise of AI mathematics, reporter Matthew Sparkes decided to put a free chatbot to the test – and was shocked at the speed at which it solved an outstanding problem
www.newscientist.com
September 7, 2026 at 4:42 PM
I'm almost embarrassed to have done it. It took no skill. I feel it somehow undermines the work of human mathematicians and I fear it may be the thin end of the wedge for diminished human input in the field. Is this how future mathematicians will feel?
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
After months of covering AI making mathematical breakthroughs I had a little experience of my own.
I set ChatGPT on an esoteric dice problem that some humans had just made a big discovery on, and it found a solution to a slightly larger version of the problem.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
I set ChatGPT on an esoteric dice problem that some humans had just made a big discovery on, and it found a solution to a slightly larger version of the problem.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
I made a free AI chatbot solve a decade-long maths problem in 13 minutes | New Scientist
After months covering the shocking rise of AI mathematics, reporter Matthew Sparkes decided to put a free chatbot to the test – and was shocked at the speed at which it solved an outstanding problem
www.newscientist.com
September 7, 2026 at 4:34 PM
After months of covering AI making mathematical breakthroughs I had a little experience of my own.
I set ChatGPT on an esoteric dice problem that some humans had just made a big discovery on, and it found a solution to a slightly larger version of the problem.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
I set ChatGPT on an esoteric dice problem that some humans had just made a big discovery on, and it found a solution to a slightly larger version of the problem.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
Reposted by Matthew Sparkes
Ukraine is sharing battlefield data with UK to build AI models.
“You can’t put a price on the data. Add up everything that the UK has given to Ukraine over the last several years – this data is worth all of that and more,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
“You can’t put a price on the data. Add up everything that the UK has given to Ukraine over the last several years – this data is worth all of that and more,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
Nations and big tech to train AI using ‘gold dust’ data from Ukraine | New Scientist
Foreign states and technology firms are scrambling for data from the Ukraine war so they can train the next-generation of AI models that might be used in defence and national security
www.newscientist.com
September 4, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Ukraine is sharing battlefield data with UK to build AI models.
“You can’t put a price on the data. Add up everything that the UK has given to Ukraine over the last several years – this data is worth all of that and more,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
“You can’t put a price on the data. Add up everything that the UK has given to Ukraine over the last several years – this data is worth all of that and more,” says one expert.
www.newscientist.com/article/2587...
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has cost tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians their limbs.
Ukraine is responding by developing highly advanced prostheses, building new treatment clinics and training healthcare workers.
www.newscientist.com/article/2584...
Ukraine is responding by developing highly advanced prostheses, building new treatment clinics and training healthcare workers.
www.newscientist.com/article/2584...
How Ukraine created world-leading prostheses amid the chaos of war | New Scientist
Injuries from the war in Ukraine have forced the country to develop highly advanced prostheses and fit them in record numbers. What can the rest of the world learn from its efforts?
www.newscientist.com
September 1, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has cost tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians their limbs.
Ukraine is responding by developing highly advanced prostheses, building new treatment clinics and training healthcare workers.
www.newscientist.com/article/2584...
Ukraine is responding by developing highly advanced prostheses, building new treatment clinics and training healthcare workers.
www.newscientist.com/article/2584...
Reposted by Matthew Sparkes
AI companies have begun embedding watermarks in the output of their models to improve transparency and help crack down on misinformation, disinformation and cheating on homework, but there are limitations to this approach
AI firms are watermarking generated text – here's why it won't work | New Scientist
AI companies have begun embedding watermarks in the output of their models to improve transparency and help crack down on misinformation, disinformation and cheating on homework, but there are limitations to this approach
www.newscientist.com
August 20, 2026 at 12:01 PM
AI companies have begun embedding watermarks in the output of their models to improve transparency and help crack down on misinformation, disinformation and cheating on homework, but there are limitations to this approach
Ukraine's state-backed @u24.gov.ua has picked up on our drone exclusive: that fully AI-controlled drones were used in a fatal strike on Russian soldiers, marking the first disclosed incident of fully autonomous weapons being used to deadly effect.
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
Should Ukraine Have to Justify Its Use of Battlefield AI?
Ukraine is pushing battlefield AI to counter Russia, raising a difficult question: how should a country at war balance survival, autonomy, and ethics?
united24media.com
August 20, 2026 at 10:42 AM
Ukraine's state-backed @u24.gov.ua has picked up on our drone exclusive: that fully AI-controlled drones were used in a fatal strike on Russian soldiers, marking the first disclosed incident of fully autonomous weapons being used to deadly effect.
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
united24media.com/war-in-ukrai...
The question now is, after years of positive data, why we don't have a roadmap for further improvement.
When does ULEZ get expanded, or compliance criteria tightened-up? When does the first area become electric-only?
It worked: great. What next?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
When does ULEZ get expanded, or compliance criteria tightened-up? When does the first area become electric-only?
It worked: great. What next?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Children's stunted lungs show recovery in ultra low emission zone
Children's lung capacity caught up with their peers in less polluted areas once a clean air zone came in, a study shows.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 19, 2026 at 9:30 AM
The question now is, after years of positive data, why we don't have a roadmap for further improvement.
When does ULEZ get expanded, or compliance criteria tightened-up? When does the first area become electric-only?
It worked: great. What next?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
When does ULEZ get expanded, or compliance criteria tightened-up? When does the first area become electric-only?
It worked: great. What next?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
AI models that can hack into computers via novel methods, at lightning pace, are upsetting the equilibrium of cybersecurity.
“It’s like a scalpel: it saves lives in the hands of a doctor, and destroys lives in the hands of someone else. It's just a tool."
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
“It’s like a scalpel: it saves lives in the hands of a doctor, and destroys lives in the hands of someone else. It's just a tool."
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Rogue hacking AIs have changed the cybersecurity landscape | New Scientist
Attackers with no technical skills can now use AI models to find and exploit loopholes quickly and they can deploy them on a massive scale, raising fears that organisations without large budgets for c...
www.newscientist.com
August 17, 2026 at 10:59 AM
AI models that can hack into computers via novel methods, at lightning pace, are upsetting the equilibrium of cybersecurity.
“It’s like a scalpel: it saves lives in the hands of a doctor, and destroys lives in the hands of someone else. It's just a tool."
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
“It’s like a scalpel: it saves lives in the hands of a doctor, and destroys lives in the hands of someone else. It's just a tool."
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Here's an intro to make you stop and think....
"High temperatures have meant London Ambulance Service was busier in June than it was during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"High temperatures have meant London Ambulance Service was busier in June than it was during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
London's heatwave 999 call-outs higher than in pandemic
In the June heatwave, the London Ambulance Service says it receives more than 53,000 emergency calls.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Here's an intro to make you stop and think....
"High temperatures have meant London Ambulance Service was busier in June than it was during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"High temperatures have meant London Ambulance Service was busier in June than it was during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Bad news for Elon Musk: he's not going to have the lunar crater he just formed named after him.
Nearby is Einstein Crater, but there is unlikely to be a Musk Crater any time soon, says the International Astronomical Union.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Nearby is Einstein Crater, but there is unlikely to be a Musk Crater any time soon, says the International Astronomical Union.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
SpaceX crash site on moon revealed by South Korean orbiter | New Scientist
An out-of-control SpaceX rocket which crashed into the moon earlier this week did in fact leave an impact crater, according to images from a Korean AeroSpace Administration lunar orbiter that caught b...
www.newscientist.com
August 7, 2026 at 11:13 AM
Bad news for Elon Musk: he's not going to have the lunar crater he just formed named after him.
Nearby is Einstein Crater, but there is unlikely to be a Musk Crater any time soon, says the International Astronomical Union.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Nearby is Einstein Crater, but there is unlikely to be a Musk Crater any time soon, says the International Astronomical Union.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
The latest DeepMind AI gives an extra day of warning ahead of deadly cyclones.
AI is really shaking up the world of meteorology.
One research told me: “You go on holiday for a week… and find out something else has happened.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
AI is really shaking up the world of meteorology.
One research told me: “You go on holiday for a week… and find out something else has happened.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
DeepMind AI gives an extra day of warning ahead of deadly cyclones | New Scientist
An AI model from DeepMind can predict cyclones three days ahead with a level of accuracy that previous models can only hit a day later
www.newscientist.com
August 6, 2026 at 3:04 PM
The latest DeepMind AI gives an extra day of warning ahead of deadly cyclones.
AI is really shaking up the world of meteorology.
One research told me: “You go on holiday for a week… and find out something else has happened.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
AI is really shaking up the world of meteorology.
One research told me: “You go on holiday for a week… and find out something else has happened.”
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Accidentally crashing a 4000kg lump of metal into the moon at 8700km/h is part of the new commercial space race.
Experts say we shouldn't make a habit out of it, and are working to ban it in future, but that some interesting science can be had as a side effect.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Experts say we shouldn't make a habit out of it, and are working to ban it in future, but that some interesting science can be had as a side effect.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
SpaceX rocket crashes into moon at 8700 kilometres per hour | New Scientist
A rocket launched last year is thought to have smashed into the lunar surface this morning, creating the moon's newest crater
www.newscientist.com
August 5, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Accidentally crashing a 4000kg lump of metal into the moon at 8700km/h is part of the new commercial space race.
Experts say we shouldn't make a habit out of it, and are working to ban it in future, but that some interesting science can be had as a side effect.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Experts say we shouldn't make a habit out of it, and are working to ban it in future, but that some interesting science can be had as a side effect.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Authors look away: research shows people prefer AI-generated stories.
There are nuances. The study looked at literary short stories, not populur genres. It used an older model. It wasn't a huge sample, etc.
But it counters the "AI writing is obvious" idea.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
There are nuances. The study looked at literary short stories, not populur genres. It used an older model. It wasn't a huge sample, etc.
But it counters the "AI writing is obvious" idea.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
Most people prefer AI-written stories – and can't tell when they are made by humans | New Scientist
People appear to prefer short stories created by AI over those written by humans. They are also no better than chance at telling which is which
www.newscientist.com
August 5, 2026 at 10:23 AM
Authors look away: research shows people prefer AI-generated stories.
There are nuances. The study looked at literary short stories, not populur genres. It used an older model. It wasn't a huge sample, etc.
But it counters the "AI writing is obvious" idea.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...
There are nuances. The study looked at literary short stories, not populur genres. It used an older model. It wasn't a huge sample, etc.
But it counters the "AI writing is obvious" idea.
www.newscientist.com/article/2583...