This week's magazine
18 February 2023
Issue 3426
On the cover
Editor's picks
Environment
Save Britain鈥檚 Rivers: Why we鈥檙e campaigning to rescue UK waterways
Health
Why the vaginal microbiome may be key to treating bacterial vaginosis
Technology
Understanding human intentions will be the next big breakthrough in AI
Space
We’re hurtling into a new region of interstellar space. What now?
Table of contents
快猫短视频
Health
How prepared is the world for a pandemic of bird flu in people?
Bird flu is infecting wild birds and poultry around the world. If it were to crossover into humans, some antiviral drugs are available but it would take time to develop a vaccine
Life
Do trees communicate via a ‘wood wide web’? The evidence is lacking
Humans
Couples are most in love in Hungary, according to science
Mind
Your brain produces more entropy while you are awake
Humans
Curly hair may have evolved to protect early humans from the sun
Health
Massive tick-killing effort fails to reduce Lyme disease cases
Space
Dwarf planet Quaoar has a weirdly big ring of debris encircling it
Humans
Early hominin Paranthropus may have used sophisticated stone tools
Life
Bandicoots can be trained to flee predators more quickly
Earth
Launching a huge dust cloud from the moon could ease global warming
Health
Newly found brain pathway could be key to reducing opioid addiction
Life
Cockatoos understand when a job requires a toolkit
Health
Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to lower levels of some gut bacteria
Health
People with low incomes spend longer waiting for basic services in US
Humans
A three-year drought may have brought down the ancient Hittite empire
Space
Weird dust ring orbits the sun alongside Mercury and we don’t know why
Life
Orca mothers forgo future offspring to care for their full-grown sons
Environment
15 million people live in possible flood path for melting glaciers
Analysis
Environment
Why rivers are important for everything from biodiversity to wellbeing
The UK's 200,000 kilometres of waterway are in crisis. 快猫短视频's Save Britain's Rivers campaign reveals how crucial they are for the nation's health, wealth and resilience
Health
Does restricting calories slow down ageing? We simply don’t know
Technology
We don’t need ‘miracle’ green technologies to save the planet
Technology
A message for today from last century’s vast telephone exchanges
Features
Space
We’re hurtling into a new region of interstellar space. What now?
As we speed towards a mysterious new bubble of interstellar space, new insights are revealing its exotic chemistry, strange waves and vast bubbles, and their ramifications for life on Earth
Health
Why the vaginal microbiome may be key to treating bacterial vaginosis
Technology
Understanding human intentions will be the next big breakthrough in AI
Culture
Physics
Quantum Bullsh*t review: Time to save quantum theory for science
From cancer cures to the Kama Sutra, the word "quantum" has been comprehensively hijacked. A book by physicist Chris Ferrie explores why and sets out to fight back
Space
The Longest Goodbye review: A poignant documentary on space psychology
Humans
Don鈥檛 Miss: Learning about how the first black hole image was taken
Humans
Hello Tomorrow! review: Selling holiday homes on the moon
More
Environment
Help to create a global map of ocean microplastic pollution
You can contribute to a worldwide map of ocean microplastic pollution by conducting a scientific survey on your local beach, says Layal Liverpool
Tom Gauld on the palchemists
Twisteddoodles puts a ring on it
Regulars
The strange story of the nuclear submarine and the super glue repair
Feedback ponders reports that a nuclear submarine was fixed with everyone鈥檚 favourite adhesive, while also detailing the latest thinking on the life-saving properties of coffee and the squeaky windscreen wiper problem