This week's magazine
6 August 2022
Issue 3398
On the cover
Editor's picks
Humans
How the secrets of ancient cuneiform texts are being revealed by AI
Health
How kids are winning the fight against dengue fever in a Rio favela
Earth
The hunt for hidden impact craters that could reveal Earth’s deep past
Humans
How the secrets of ancient cuneiform texts are being revealed by AI
Table of contents
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Technology
DeepMind’s protein-folding AI cracks biology’s biggest problem
Artificial intelligence firm DeepMind has transformed biology by predicting the structure of nearly all proteins known to science in just 18 months, a breakthrough that will speed drug development and revolutionise basic science
Space
JWST keeps breaking its own record for the most distant galaxy ever
Space
The rise of SpinLaunch, the company planning to hurl things into space
Space
JWST has spotted a weird, distant galaxy with almost no heavy elements
Space
JWST could soon tell us what exoplanets’ surfaces are made of
Chemistry
Forensic fingerprinting technique could help spot document fraud
Life
Pobblebonk frogs have a weird trick for surviving very acidic pools
Technology
Voice jammer stops anyone from recording you speak
Health
Chronic fatigue syndrome may be caused by mini blood clots
Health
Could next-generation vaccines finally end the covid-19 pandemic?
Technology
Fraudsters able to get material for a ‘dirty bomb’, finds US watchdog
Life
Moths are more important for pollination than we thought
Life
Birds wearing tiny trackers reveal migration routes in amazing detail
Society
Dental X-rays likely to be used to assess asylum seeker ages in UK
Technology
Hackers can turn computer cables into antenna to steal sensitive data
Health
Women more likely to have lasting taste issues after covid-19 than men
Technology
Flexible robot hand with precise grip lifts 1000 times its own weight
Physics
Physicists calculate highest dives most humans can safely withstand
Analysis
Life
AlphaFold: Why DeepMind’s protein-folding AI is transformational
Understanding proteins and their complex 3D shapes is key to understanding life, and especially for developing drugs
Environment
A public information campaign on the climate crisis is urgently needed
Space
Why general relativity is known as a background independent theory
Features
Humans
How the secrets of ancient cuneiform texts are being revealed by AI
Much of the world’s first writing, carved into clay tablets, remains undeciphered. Now AI is helping us piece together this ancient Mesopotamian script, revealing the incredible stories of men, women and children at the dawn of history
Humans
How the secrets of ancient cuneiform texts are being revealed by AI
Earth
The hunt for hidden impact craters that could reveal Earth’s deep past
Health
How kids are winning the fight against dengue fever in a Rio favela
Culture
Life
Wilder review: A compelling look at how lost species are restored
The challenge of reintroducing near-extinct species to countries that have been affected by conflict adds complexity to Millie Kerr's rewilding story
Humans
Don’t Miss: Nope, a chilling new sci-fi thriller from Jordan Peele
Humans
Nightmare Fuel review: The psychology that underpins horror films
Humans
Explorer review: The amazing story of adventurer Ranulph Fiennes
More
Regulars
Humans
Pink Sauce provokes social media savaging
Feedback investigates the powerful reach of a proprietary condiment, while also looking into the chess robot that broke its opponent’s finger - and a disturbing update to the latest Sims video game