This week's magazine
6 May 2023
Issue 3437
On the cover
Editor's picks
Table of contents
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Life
Evolutionary oddball has seven genomes inside a single cell
DNA analysis has revealed that a single-celled alga has a strange conglomeration of different organisms living inside it
Mind
Brain activity of dying people shows signs of near-death experiences
Space
One star being eaten by another will take revenge as a black hole
Chemistry
Chemists are teaching GPT-4 to do chemistry and control lab robots
Physics
We finally know why bubbles rise in a straight line in champagne
Life
Male elephant seals with large harems die younger
Physics
Exotic cosmic objects in string theory may look like leaky black holes
Space
Alien messages responding to NASA signals could reach us by 2029
Technology
Fluent answers from AI search engines are more likely to be wrong
Technology
Smart glasses dim bright objects but don’t affect other things in view
Health
Doctors are hypnotising people before surgery to help reduce anxiety
Health
The covid-19 virus affects our gut – but we still don’t know how
Space
Japanese Hakuto-R spacecraft seems to have crash-landed on the moon
Life
Hyenas seen sharing their dens with porcupines and warthogs
Mind
We now know why we mess up when the stakes are high
Space
Detailed image of supermassive black hole shows its powerful jet
Life
Wildfires have drastically reduced lynx habitat in Washington state
Technology
Underwater writing technique lets you draw patterns in liquids
Technology
Tiny yeast-filled robots help brew beer quickly and more efficiently
Life
Assassin bugs cover themselves in sticky plant resin to trap prey
Analysis
Environment
Electric vehicles are rapidly taking off – but is that a good thing?
One in five cars sold worldwide in 2023 will be electric, but a mass shift away from the internal combustion engine will bring its own problems
Society
How lockdowns turned us into antisocial goblins – and why it matters
Environment
How a campaign to keep fossil fuels underground is gaining traction
Features
Mind
ADHD: What’s behind the recent explosion in diagnoses?
Cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are rocketing, but what's the cause? Fortunately, we now have a better understanding of the condition - and how to identify those who have it
Earth
These bizarre lights in the sky hint at a way to predict earthquakes
Physics
Do we live in a hologram? Why physics is still mesmerised by this idea
Culture
Comment
The Age of Cats review: How our furry friends evolved, and what’s next
Domestic cats are a paradox, argues biologist Jonathan B. Losos in a book that delves into their origins and the emerging science of feline behaviour
Comment
Wild Wet World and Torus review: Transmuting obscure worlds into music
Comment
Don’t Miss: Centuries worth of artefacts from documenting animals
Comment
Terra Nil review: City builder lets you leave the world a better place
More
Mathematics
How maths reveals the best time to add milk for hotter tea
If you want your cup of tea to stay as hot as possible, should you put milk in immediately, or wait until you are ready to drink it? Katie Steckles does the sums
Tom Gauld: On Fridays, the whole research team works from home
Twisteddoodles on exhibition stands at science conferences
Regulars
Does “the earthquake chewed my data” trump “the dog ate my homework”?
Feedback ponders a novel excuse for missing data and brings readers the very latest on bonobos' preference for grapes over parsnips