Issue 3183 | Magazine cover date: 23 June 2018

This week's magazine

23 June 2018

Issue 3183

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On the cover

Features

Consciousness: How we’re solving a mystery bigger than our minds

Capitalism broke the planet. Here’s how it’s going to fix things

Why the Sicilian Mafia owes its existence to scurvy

Analysis

Team moon vs team Mars: the battle over the future of NASA

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A huge number of mystery microbes are living on your skin

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Space

Team moon vs team Mars: the battle over the future of NASA

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Health

The case of Billy Caldwell shows UK drug laws are out of date

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Health

Why the Sicilian Mafia owes its existence to scurvy

Features

Space

The space-time echoes that point to a new theory of reality

Features

Earth

Capitalism broke the planet. Here’s how it’s going to fix things

Features

Life

Consciousness: How we’re solving a mystery bigger than our minds

Features

Leaders

Space

Crewed missions to the moon and Mars need dreamers and doers

IN THE early 1600s, astronomer Johannes Kepler began to write what is now considered to be the first science fiction story. Somnium , published posthumously by his son in 1634, imagines "daemons" that help travellers journey to the moon and observe Earth from its surface. More than three centuries later, this flight of fancy became …

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Health

The case of Billy Caldwell shows UK drug laws are out of date

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Four images of Barack Obama from a fake videos

Technology

How can you tell if a video is a deepfake? Just look at the eyes

Researchers put words in Barack Obama's mouth Blink twice if you are a fake. Sophisticated fake videos created by artificial intelligence are getting better and better, so tools to identify the genuine article are needed. One solution is to look at the way fake faces blink. In recent months, eerily-realistic fake videos have been created …

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Physics

Magnets can make wine taste better by sucking out bad flavours

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Technology

Watch a 3D-printed magnetic critter fold and move all by itself

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Earth

Alarm as ice loss from Antarctica triples in the past five years

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Health

The brain has a special clock that tracks sleepiness

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Technology

How authors are gaming Amazon’s algorithms with 3000-page books

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Technology

DeepMind’s AI can ‘imagine’ a world based on a single picture

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Earth

Wild animals are turning nocturnal to keep away from humans

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Health

Your brain absolutely cannot resist doughnuts - here's why

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Life

Bacteria may survive temperatures hot enough to melt lead

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Technology

Underwater robot finds second world war bomber plane on seabed

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Humans

Being a feminist may subconsciously protect you from stereotypes

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Health

Knowing your DNA can help you stick to a healthier lifestyle

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Physics

Nano-infused black goo is incredibly stretchy and self-repairs

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Technology

A robot has performed eye surgery on humans for the first time

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Space

Colony ship to nearest star only needs crew of 100 to survive

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Life

The first Americans had pet dogs 1000 years earlier than thought

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Life

Male peacocks can make females' heads vibrate at a distance

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Health

HIV prevention drugs could delay diagnosis if you get infected

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Space

Trump has directed the US military to establish a Space Force

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Technology

IBM's debating robot argues it out with human for first time

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Spiders can 'fly' because they make near-invisible paragliders

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Health

A huge number of mystery microbes are living on your skin

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Humans

Ötzi the Iceman ran out of rock to make his tools before he died

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Health

UK government to review medicinal cannabis laws

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Analysis

Humans

What can game theory tell us about Trump's threats of trade war?

Theories of conflict and cooperation say the US risks self-harm if it sparks a big trade war. So what is Trump's real aim, wonders Petros Sekeris

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Earth

Why tidal power won't solve the world's renewable energy needs

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Health

Mediterranean diet is still good for you but only if you’re rich

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Space

Team moon vs team Mars: the battle over the future of NASA

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Aperture

Space

Giant rocket simulator helps engineers tweak before first launch

IT TAKES a lot of wiring to control the most powerful rocket ever built. The rocket in question, the Space Launch System (SLS), is designed to help send robots – and maybe one day people – to Mars and beyond (for more on the changing road map, see “ Team moon vs team Mars: the …

Regulars

Features

Life

Consciousness: How we’re solving a mystery bigger than our minds

What is being in love, feeling pain or seeing colour made of? How our brains make conscious experience has long been a riddle – but we’re uncovering clues

Features

Space

The space-time echoes that point to a new theory of reality

Features

Earth

Capitalism broke the planet. Here’s how it’s going to fix things

Features

Health

Why the Sicilian Mafia owes its existence to scurvy

Features

Culture

Technology

Game on: Picks from the latest video games at E3

From cyberpunk and hypnotic patterns to warfare in ancient Greece, here’s the highlights from the latest crop of video games released at this year’s E3

Culture

Space

The Habitat: Podcast power turns us into terraformers

Culture

Life

Rainforest romanticism is derailing our hunt for new drugs

Culture

Technology

Tired of tea rounds? Dial a drink with this desktop barista

Trouble keeping track of which colleagues need caffeination? This push-button solution will suit you to a T

Regulars

Feedback: How a rare axolotl found salvation among Mexican nuns

Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more

Regulars

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This week's magazine

23 June 2018

On the cover

Space

Team moon vs team Mars: the battle over the future of NASA

Health

The case of Billy Caldwell shows UK drug laws are out of date

Health

Why the Sicilian Mafia owes its existence to scurvy

Space

The space-time echoes that point to a new theory of reality

Earth

Capitalism broke the planet. Here’s how it’s going to fix things

Life

Consciousness: How we’re solving a mystery bigger than our minds

Table of contents

Leaders

Space

Crewed missions to the moon and Mars need dreamers and doers

Health

The case of Billy Caldwell shows UK drug laws are out of date

��è����Ƶ

Technology

How can you tell if a video is a deepfake? Just look at the eyes

Physics

Magnets can make wine taste better by sucking out bad flavours

Technology

Watch a 3D-printed magnetic critter fold and move all by itself

Earth

Alarm as ice loss from Antarctica triples in the past five years

Health

The brain has a special clock that tracks sleepiness

Technology

How authors are gaming Amazon’s algorithms with 3000-page books

Technology

DeepMind’s AI can ‘imagine’ a world based on a single picture

Earth

Wild animals are turning nocturnal to keep away from humans

Health

Your brain absolutely cannot resist doughnuts - here's why

Life

Bacteria may survive temperatures hot enough to melt lead

Technology

Underwater robot finds second world war bomber plane on seabed

Humans

Being a feminist may subconsciously protect you from stereotypes

Health

Knowing your DNA can help you stick to a healthier lifestyle

Physics

Nano-infused black goo is incredibly stretchy and self-repairs

Technology

A robot has performed eye surgery on humans for the first time

Space

Colony ship to nearest star only needs crew of 100 to survive

Life

The first Americans had pet dogs 1000 years earlier than thought

Life

Male peacocks can make females' heads vibrate at a distance

Health

HIV prevention drugs could delay diagnosis if you get infected

Space

Trump has directed the US military to establish a Space Force

Technology

IBM's debating robot argues it out with human for first time

Spiders can 'fly' because they make near-invisible paragliders

Health

A huge number of mystery microbes are living on your skin

Humans

Ötzi the Iceman ran out of rock to make his tools before he died

Health

UK government to review medicinal cannabis laws

Analysis

Humans

What can game theory tell us about Trump's threats of trade war?

Earth

Why tidal power won't solve the world's renewable energy needs

Health

Mediterranean diet is still good for you but only if you’re rich

Space

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