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Editor's picks

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Lawrence Jackson/AP/Shutterstock (6360330b) Stephen Hawking Professor Stephen Hawking of the University of Cambridge, makes remarks at an event marking the 50th anniversary of NASA,at George Washington University in Washington Hawking NASA, Washington, USA

Physics

Stephen Hawking鈥檚 parting shot is a fresh challenge to cosmologists

Stephen Hawking with Thomas Hertog, in Hawking's office

Physics

Stephen Hawking’s final theorem turns time and causality inside out

Waste water flowing into a British river from concrete pipes

Environment

The state of Britain’s rivers: Slurry, silage and sewage

Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. Photo by UNEP_Kibuuka Mukisa

Life

Uganda鈥檚 first wildlife vet on her revolutionary gorilla conservation

Society

Why we鈥檙e trapped in short-term thinking and how to take the long view

Table of contents

Leaders

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Lawrence Jackson/AP/Shutterstock (6360330b) Stephen Hawking Professor Stephen Hawking of the University of Cambridge, makes remarks at an event marking the 50th anniversary of NASA,at George Washington University in Washington Hawking NASA, Washington, USA

Physics

Stephen Hawking鈥檚 parting shot is a fresh challenge to cosmologists

The physicist鈥檚 final theorem, about why the universe seems fine-tuned for life, contains some provocative predictions. Will they be as fruitful as his insights into black holes?

快猫短视频

Space

JWST took a stunning picture of a star that鈥檚 about to go supernova

The James Webb Space Telescope has taken an astonishingly detailed image of a Wolf-Rayet star as it blows off its outer layers in preparation to go supernova

Environment

IPCC climate change report: Can we avoid 1.5掳C of global warming?

Health

Covid-19 may have started in raccoon dogs, new DNA evidence shows

Mind

Is someone lying to you? A lack of detail may give them away

Space

Quantum effects could be key to the chemistry of life on Titan

Health

Ludwig von Beethoven鈥檚 DNA reveals he probably died of liver damage

Space

Asteroids that speed up unexpectedly may be 鈥榙ark comets鈥� in disguise

Physics

‘Red matter’ superconductor may not be a wonder material after all

Space

NASA unveils new spacesuit for Artemis moon mission astronauts

Life

Bird flu may be making foxes and other animals behave in unusual ways

Earth

Earliest evidence of a meteorite hitting Earth found in Australia

Earth

Oxygen on early Earth may have come from quartz crushed by earthquakes

Technology

Quantum computers may finally have their first real practical use

Life

How poisonous amphibians evolve bright colours to warn predators off

Technology

Notre Dame fire revealed cathedral鈥檚 innovative use of iron

Life

Algae-farming fish help coral reefs bounce back from bleaching events

Health

Women show signs of cellular ageing at 19 that hit men at age 40

Health

Umbilical blood stem cell transplant puts woman in HIV remission

Life

Gene-edited rice may be able to grow on Mars

Space

Vent on Venus is clearest sign yet the planet is volcanically active

Life

Jumping parasitic worms use static electricity to hit their targets

Health

Caffeine linked to lower BMI and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes

Life

Fungus that kills frogs and salamanders is rapidly spreading in Africa

Life

Ghost catfish get their rainbow iridescence from transparent muscles

Analysis

Society

It’s now or never 鈥� we need to achieve a sustainable human population

To address our overconsumption of resources, we must work to achieve a sustainable population by addressing gender inequality, improving education and tackling poverty, says Chris Packham

Technology

Why we need to be wary of anthropomorphising chatbots

Aperture

Image taken: 2nd March 2023 SNOW WAY! The surreal site of snow-draped cacti in Arizona???s Sonoran Desert was captured in breath-taking detail by Jack Dykinga last week. The scenes, which meteorologists have described as ???once in a generation??? demonstrate a rare convergence of nature???s extremes. The Sonoran desert is typically known for its arid sub-tropical climate. Even in winter, days are sunny and mild. But this month the area saw 2-4 inches of snow that lasted about 4 hours. Dykinga, who has been photographing the Sonorn Desert since 1976, says the last big snow was a full decade ago. He described this year???s otherworldly scenes as ???pure magic, seemingly out of place and strikingly beautiful.??? Before the snow arrived, the Desert looked completely different, boasting an explosion of flowers and clear blue skies. The reason for the uncharacteristic snowfall is not fully understood. The current La Ni??a event (a cyclic weather pattern that influences global weather) is partly responsible, coupled with a persistent blocking pattern over the Pacific Ocean and cold air migrating south from the Arctic. Climate change also means extreme weather events are becoming more likely.

Comment

Rare photograph of snow in the usually baking hot Sonoran desert

This striking image shows the fleeting moment that the Sonoran desert in a parched corner of North America was blanketed in 10 centimetres of snow

Features

Stephen Hawking with Thomas Hertog, in Hawking's office

Physics

Stephen Hawking’s final theorem turns time and causality inside out

In his final years, Stephen Hawking tackled the question of why the universe appears fine-tuned for life. His collaborator Thomas Hertog explains the radical solution they came up with

Environment

The state of Britain’s rivers: Slurry, silage and sewage

Life

Uganda鈥檚 first wildlife vet on her revolutionary gorilla conservation

Society

Why we鈥檙e trapped in short-term thinking and how to take the long view

Culture

Episode 1. Sienna Miller in "Extrapolations," premiering March 17, 2023 on Apple TV+.

Comment

Extrapolations review: Can this climate sci-fi make us care?

Earth's climate is reeling out of control in this eight-part sci-fi series stuffed with A-listers. From one of the minds behind An Inconvenient Truth, it is heavy on messaging, but lacks some focus

Comment

Your Brain on Art review: Fascinating guide needs a bit more science

Comment

Don’t Miss: Explore great mysteries of physics in an ambitious podcast

Comment

Atomic Light review: Solar astronomers rescue an uneven installation

More

W6PMTY Preserved Lemons

Humans

Why preserving your lemons in salt will make them even tastier

The flavour of fresh lemon is delicious, but this citrus fruit becomes even more wonderful when it is preserved in salt, says Sam Wong

Tom Gauld: A cockroach speaks out

Twisteddoodles: Schrodinger in the age of the internet

Regulars

The omen of the necrobotic spider

Feedback learns more about the "deepening of necrocapitalism", sniffs around how a changing climate affects nose shape and puts out a call for trivial superpowers

This Week鈥檚 Letters

Is it possible to yawn without closing your eyes? If not, why?

Is it better for a roll of toilet paper to roll towards you or away?

How could I reach other dimensions in the multiverse? (part 2)

This week鈥檚 new questions

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