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This week's magazine

9 March 2024

Issue 3481

New Scientist issue 3481 cover
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Editor's picks

Coloured ultrasound scan of the abdomen of a pregnant female patient, showing a healthy nine week old foetus in the womb. At this age the foetus is about 5 cm long and weighs about 10 g.

Health

We should be open about organoid research to avoid a backlash

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The surprising promise and profound perils of AIs that fake empathy

Technology

The surprising promise and profound perils of AIs that fake empathy

Features
2P7YWKC FILE -- This is a Dec. 21, 2008, file photo showing grass and dirt flying as Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, left, is hit by Tennessee Titans' Cortland Finnegan (31) as Ward scores a touchdown on a 21-yard reception in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Russell, File)

Health

How concussion can lead to brain damage - and what to do to prevent it

Features
How our golden age of asteroid exploration could reveal life's origins

Space

How our golden age of asteroid exploration could reveal life's origins

Features

Table of contents

Leaders

Coloured ultrasound scan of the abdomen of a pregnant female patient, showing a healthy nine week old foetus in the womb. At this age the foetus is about 5 cm long and weighs about 10 g.

Health

We should be open about organoid research to avoid a backlash

Research that involves creating "mini-organs" from human cells, including those from fetuses, may leave people uncomfortable – so the best approach is to explain the reasoning behind the work and its potential benefits

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Health

Benefits of hyaluronic acid in skincare products have been oversold

Hyaluronic acid's skincare benefits are often attributed to its supposed ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water, which new research has discredited

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Chemistry

Greener way to dye denim could cut the environmental impact of jeans

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Health

AI designs bespoke 3D-printed prosthetic eyes

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Technology

Smart glasses use sonar to work out where you're looking

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Chemistry

Magnetic particles turn water droplets into tightrope-walking acrobats

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Environment

Melting of Greenland ice could cause European heat extremes this year

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Mathematics

Pythagoras was wrong about the maths behind pleasant music

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Mind

Fear of predators may have helped us conceptualise the idea of zero

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Space

Habitable ocean world K2-18b may actually be inhospitable gas planet

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Technology

AIs get better at maths if you tell them to pretend to be in Star Trek

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Health

Light and sound may slow Alzheimer’s by making the brain remove toxins

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Life

A simple trick can make a dog treat a stranger as their friend

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Physics

How do you recycle a nuclear fusion reactor? We're about to find out

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Space

Miso paste made in space opens a new frontier for fermented foods

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Health

Persistent pain after a UTI may be due to an overgrowth of nerve cells

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Life

Orca seen hunting great white shark in first recorded solo kill

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Technology

Google launches $5m prize to find actual uses for quantum computers

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Health

Organoids made from uterus fluid may help treat fetuses before birth

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Life

Earliest known sex chromosomes evolved in octopuses

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Analysis

Health

Does getting even mild covid-19 affect our cognitive skills?

A large UK study suggests people who had been infected with covid-19 experienced some cognitive decline, but the findings are far from definitive

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Health

Does 23andMe's decline show genetic-based medicine has been overhyped?

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Society

How manners can be a weapon to divide and disempower

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Physics

A tale of two mysteries: ghostly neutrinos and the proton decay puzzle

Comment

Aperture

Photographer Name: Jasper Doest Image Name: Untitled Year: 2024 Image Description: Elephants charge through Livingstone?s narrow streets, their towering figures trumpeting into the night. Altered habitats mean they emerge from the national park at dusk to seek food within Livingstone. A nighttime curfew, urging the community to stay indoors, aims to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Series Name: In the Footsteps of Giants Series Description: The delicate equilibrium between humans and elephants in rural parts of Zambia is being disturbed as both populations vie for limited resources. The expansion of settlements and unsustainable agriculture is encroaching on elephant habitats, jeopardising the well-being of both human livelihoods and the elephant population. The question arises: can humans and elephants coexist? These problems have been escalating in the past decade, and with the expectation of increased droughts due to our warming climate, establishing transfrontier wildlife corridors becomes essential. However, the establishment of these corridors faces challenges posed by settlements, agriculture and infrastructure, which results in daily human-wildlife conflict. As these persistent issues continue it is increasingly evident that the local community plays a vital role in fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants. Developing economically and socially viable models for coexistence within the local community will be crucial for the long-term survival of both elephants and humans. Copyright: ? Jasper Doest, Netherlands, Finalist, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Earth

Stark, haunting images show Kazakhstan's former nuclear testing ground

These stunning photographs are all shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Regulars

Features

The surprising promise and profound perils of AIs that fake empathy

Technology

The surprising promise and profound perils of AIs that fake empathy

Millions of us are turning to chatbots for emotional support. But there are good reasons to think AIs will never be capable of genuine empathy, raising profound questions about their role in society

Features

Space

How our golden age of asteroid exploration could reveal life's origins

Features

Health

How concussion can lead to brain damage - and what to do to prevent it

Features

Culture

Dune Part Two review: Thrills sure, but not weird enough to be good

Comment

Dune Part Two review: Thrills sure, but not weird enough to be good

Dune seems to have defeated most directors who dared try turning the epic novel into good cinema. How does Denis Villeneuve fare in the second half of his two-part take on Frank Herbert's book?

Culture

Comment

The Story of Earth's Climate review: 25 discoveries tell tangled tale

Culture

Comment

¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ recommends the Never Post podcast

Culture

Comment

The Tomb of the Mili Mongga review: Hunting for giants in Indonesia

Culture

More

Islip Terrace, NY, USA, 9.4.23 - A chocolate pinata cake filled with chocolate covered candies.; Shutterstock ID 2380120693; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Chemistry

The scientific secrets to baking a perfectly moist chocolate cake

Keeping your chocolate cake moist and delicious when you make it party-sized is tricky, but not impossible, says Catherine de Lange

Regulars

BrainTwister #10: Chairs in pairs

Regulars

Tom Gauld on dogs in space

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on scientist party games

Regulars

Regulars

Could two genetically modified mice come in handy on Valentine's Day?

Could two genetically modified mice come in handy on Valentine's Day?

Feedback is delighted to learn about a company's Valentine's Day promotion offering "a complimentary breeding pair of genetically modified mice" to potential customers in the mood for romance

Regulars

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

The last word

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