This week's magazine
18 March 2023
Issue 3430
On the cover
Editor's picks
Table of contents
¿ìè¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Health
Rapid genome sequencing helps save hundreds of critically ill babies
More than 400 children have taken part in a rapid whole-genome sequencing trial at every children's hospital in Australia. With results in less than three days, many of the participants have quickly been diagnosed with rare genetic conditions and received appropriate treatment
Physics
‘Red matter’ superconductor could transform electronics – if it works
Environment
World’s largest office building with ‘passive house’ design to open
Life
Brown widow spiders are killing off black widows in the southern US
Chemistry
Soil bacteria enzyme generates electricity from hydrogen in the air
Life
Ecologists are infecting trees with fungi to make them age prematurely
Life
Stone flakes made by monkeys cast doubt on ancient human ‘tools’
Health
Emotions like disgust and fear linked to more acidic stomach pH
Health
Mice have been born from eggs derived from male cells
Environment
We can suck CO2 from the air and store it in the ocean as baking soda
Health
Covid-19 vaccines during pregnancy protect newborns from infection
Life
Orca seen foster parenting a pilot whale calf for first time
Life
Fossil thought to be earliest bryozoan animal may actually be seaweed
Health
Sickle cell disease is now curable, but the treatment is unaffordable
Environment
How smoke from Australia’s megafires ate away at the ozone
Life
Bumblebees can teach each other how to open a puzzle box
Health
Drunk mice sober up twice as fast when given hormone injection
Analysis
Health
A common and treatable cause of heart attacks is being overlooked
Research suggests inflammation may be just as important as cholesterol as a cause of heart attacks, suggesting different treatments should be considered for prevention
Technology
Why fears around children playing video games are counterproductive
Technology
Is the chatbotpocalypse looming? Some people would like us to think so
Features
Humans
Cave paintings of mutilated hands could be a Stone Age sign language
Palaeolithic hand stencils with missing fingers could indicate ritual mutilation or frostbite – but new research suggests they might be trying to tell us something
Physics
The physicist betting that space-time isn’t quantum after all
Health
New DNA tests predict your disease risk – are we ready for them?
Culture
Comment
Bot Love review: Are you ready to have a relationship with an AI?
If your friends are too busy or your partner lets you down, AI might fill the void. Bot Love, a new podcast, explores the uncharted world of artificial companionship
Comment
Saving Time review: We need a longer sense of time – based on nature
Comment
Still Life With Bones review: Harrowing account of exposing genocide
Comment
Don’t Miss: Extrapolations, a star-studded new climate change drama
Comment
Wild Isles review: David Attenborough turns focus to UK and Ireland
More
Health
Become a citizen scientist in the fight against antibiotic resistance
Sign up to a project called Infection Inspection and help researchers confront the rogue microbes that threaten to unleash an apocalypse of untreatable disease
Tom Gauld on caution signs at the science park
Twisteddoodles on a bad smell
Regulars
What happened to the male mice that drank lots of cola? Big things
Feedback looks into a swell tale about mice testes and fizzy beverages, is puzzled by a diagram of a bicycle and brings you all the latest nominative determinism news