Physics
Contemplating the mysteries of the fourth dimension is time well spent
News
This week's magazine
18 June 2022
Issue 3391
On the cover
Editor's picks
Physics
What is time? The mysterious essence of the fourth dimension
Features
Earth
How long does evolution take? It happens on two different timescales
Features
Physics
Will we ever unite physics? Clocks in superposition could offer clues
Features
Life
How do we make the most of our time? The power of confronting death
Features
Mind
Can we live without time? Not if we value a solid sense of self
Features
Physics
Will time ever end? The answer lies in the death throes of the cosmos
Features
Mind
Why does time fly or drag? How emotions warp our temporal perceptions
Features
Physics
Jun Ye interview: What use is the world’s most accurate clock?
Features
Physics
Could we ever go back in time? Relativity does not rule it out
Features
Mind
How do we sense time? The brain cells that order our memories
Features
Table of contents
快猫短视频
Environment
Conservationists warn spread of bird flu is wiping out UK seabirds
A strain of H5N1 avian influenza has now found its way into UK seabird populations, which are of global importance and at particular risk because of their low reproductive rates
News
Space
Gaia telescope鈥檚 new map of the Milky Way will let us rewind time
News
Technology
Has Google’s LaMDA artificial intelligence really achieved sentience?
News
Environment
A third of the world鈥檚 largest companies now have net-zero targets
News
Life
Bacteria bred for 2000 generations settle long-term evolution mystery
News
Humans
AI finds hidden evidence of ancient human fires 1 million years ago
News
Life
Some dinosaurs may have had the reptile version of a belly button
News
Chemistry
A new kind of time crystal has been created and lasts 10 milliseconds
News
Health
One epigenome-editing injection could cut cholesterol level for years
News
Health
Brains can be hotter than the rest of our bodies, especially in women
News
Space
Mysterious cold blobs may be hiding inside a distant star
News
Environment
UK government admits its net-zero climate strategy doesn’t add up
News
Physics
Physicists have made a quantum boomerang for the first time
News
Health
Experimental umbilical cord stem cell therapy treats rare disease
News
Environment
Trees are protecting Raphael paintings by soaking up pollution in Rome
News
Humans
New test shows which bits of your DNA are from which biological parent
News
Mathematics
Quantum computers proved to have 鈥榪uantum advantage鈥� on some tasks
News
Society
Mental health emergency responder programme cut crime rates in Denver
News
Health
Covid-19 in pregnancy linked to delays in babies reaching milestones
News
Environment
Thousands of coral larvae 鈥榩lanted鈥� under offshore wind turbine
News
Life
Monarch butterflies are doing surprisingly well in North America
News
Technology
快猫短视频s covered a robot finger in living human skin
News
Space
James Webb Space Telescope was hit by a tiny space rock 鈥� but it鈥檚 OK
News
Environment
Polystyrene-eating beetle larvae could help us recycle plastics
News
Environment
Thousands of previously undescribed viruses found by huge ocean survey
News
Health
Brain cells that control fever and other illness symptoms discovered
News
Humans
The Biggest Number in the World review: A brilliant guide to googology
News
Analysis
Humans
Time to drop the outdated and unfair anonymity rule in organ donation
The rise of social media means decades-old rules requiring that the identities of deceased organ donors and organ recipients remain secret are fast becoming obsolete
News
Environment
Eating green means considering biodiversity as well as climate change
News
Features
Physics
What is time? The mysterious essence of the fourth dimension
The true nature of time continues to elude us. But whether it is a fundamental part of the cosmos or an illusion made in our minds has profound implications for our understanding of the universe
Features
Physics
Could we ever go back in time? Relativity does not rule it out
Features
Mind
How do we sense time? The brain cells that order our memories
Features
Mind
Why does time fly or drag? How emotions warp our temporal perceptions
Features
Earth
How long does evolution take? It happens on two different timescales
Features
Physics
Jun Ye interview: What use is the world’s most accurate clock?
Features
Physics
Will we ever unite physics? Clocks in superposition could offer clues
Features
Life
How do we make the most of our time? The power of confronting death
Features
Mind
Can we live without time? Not if we value a solid sense of self
Features
Physics
Will time ever end? The answer lies in the death throes of the cosmos
Features
Culture
Humans
Beyond Measure review: How measuring the world betrays its human side
Our neat ways of measuring tend to seem like they have always existed. A romp through history shows it is much messier and more human than that
Culture
Humans
Jellyfish Age Backwards review: Exploring nature’s secrets to ageing
Culture
Humans
Don’t Miss: Oddball heroes return in The Umbrella Academy season three
Culture
Humans
Crimes of the Future review: Is Cronenberg sci-fi compelling or chaos?
Culture
More
Space
How to catch a glimpse of a five-planet alignment this June
If you are up early this month, you might see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn line up in the morning sky, says Abigail Beall
Regulars
Tom Gauld on the science of ducks
Regulars
Twisteddoodles on the search for a good news story
Regulars
Regulars
Humans
Is Uttoxeter鈥檚 World Parts Centre the answer to the world鈥檚 problems?
Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more
This Week鈥檚 Letters
Letters
How and where was water first created?
Last Word
Do any other animals have a sense of humour?
Last Word
This week鈥檚 new questions
Last Word
Why do I love my dog when there are no evolutionary benefits? (Part 2)
Last Word
