New Scientist Australian Edition – 22 August 2026

New Scientist Australian Edition – 22 August 2026

Summary

New Scientist Australian Edition No 3609 (22 August 2026) shares the "ADHD and hormones in women" cover with the International Edition and adds an Australian-specific feature on the delayed rollout of adult ADHD services under Medicare. The issue also covers wakeful rest (p.34), Sean Carroll on our eternally repeating universe (p.38), and the origins of pet-keeping (p.42).

Content is largely identical to the International Edition. The Australian addition: a sidebar on the Australian ADHD Professionals Association's 2025 survey showing that the average wait time for an adult ADHD assessment in Australia is 14 months, and that only 15 percent of psychiatrists offer bulk-billed appointments for ADHD.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Health

p.28 · Tangled ties — Unravelling the link between ADHD and hormones in women
Same as the International Edition. The Australian sidebar reports that the ADHD wait time for adult women in Australia averages 14 months, and that a 2025 petition to add ADHD medications to the PBS for adult diagnoses received 25,000 signatures.

p.34 · The power of wakeful rest — We may be able to get some of the benefits of sleep while we are awake
Same as International Edition.

p.38 · History, repeated — Sean Carroll on our eternally repeating universe
Same as International Edition.

▸ Regulars

Same puzzles, Almost the last word, and Feedback as the International Edition.

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Editor's Take

The ADHD wait-time data (14 months, 15 percent bulk-billed) is genuinely useful for Australian readers and adds local urgency to an already strong cover feature. This is the best-localised Australian edition in the July-August period. The rest of the content matches the International Edition, which had strong features across the board. Best for Australian women with ADHD or anyone navigating the Medicare system for adult diagnosis.

Strengths
• ADHD wait-time data: 14-month average, 15 percent bulk-billed appointments
• 25,000-signature PBS petition adds political context

Weaknesses
• Only one sidebar of Australian content
• Otherwise identical to the International Edition

Verdict: Recommended — The ADHD cover is excellent; the Australian context adds meaningful local information.

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