Stories by Conor Feehly

Conor Feehly is a New Zealand based writer who covers topics ranging from astronomy to consciousness studies and the philosophy of science. His work has appeared in New Scientist, Discover, Nautilus, Live Science and many other publications.

Digital generated images of multiple social media icons popping up and making abstract multicoloured pattern.

Artificial IntelligenceAugust 24, 2025

Truth, Romance and the Divine: How AI Chatbots May Fuel Psychotic Thinking

A new wave of delusional thinking fueled by artificial intelligence has researchers investigating the dark side of AI companionship

Conor Feehly

Glowing ring encircles dark center in warped space

Black HolesAugust 4, 2025

JWST Spots Ancient Light That Shouldn’t Exist

JWST observations of light sources before the first galaxies should have formed are raising new questions about our galactic origins

Conor Feehly

3D Illustration of a transparent human brain with lit up neural network

NeuroscienceJune 16, 2025

Your Brain Is Glowing, and Scientists Can’t Figure Out Why

Researchers have measured the brain’s faint glow for the first time, hinting at a potential role of “biophotons” in cognition

Conor Feehly

An artist’s impression of some of the universe’s first stars.

Extraterrestrial LifeMarch 5, 2025

Life May Have Emerged a Cosmic Eyeblink after the Big Bang

New simulations suggest that habitable worlds could have begun forming only 200 million years after the big bang

Conor Feehly

An illustration of the giant planet 8 UMi b, also known as Halla, in the foreground, it's nearby red-giant star in the background to the right

AstrophysicsOctober 5, 2023

Can Lucky Planets Get a Second Chance at Life?

Worlds around red giant stars—and others that don’t orbit any star at all—hint at an unexpected diversity of possibilities for planets and life in the universe

Conor Feehly