Environment
To fix the world’s problems, we need both optimism and pessimism
Comment
This week's magazine
14 December 2024
Issue 3521
On the cover
Editor's picks
Mind
Can you and your family solve these mind-bending scientific riddles?
Features
Mind
How neuroscience can help you find the perfect children’s toy
Features
Chemistry
The scientific secrets to baking the perfect holiday gingerbread
Features
Space
Is this the world鈥檚 toughest word search? We dare you to try it
Features
Environment
The bizarre story of a rodent utopia that predicted doom for humanity
Features
Physics
The wild physics that could actually be used to build a time machine
Features
Mathematics
The surprising maths that explains why coincidences are so common
Features
Society
From enshittocene to virome, science and technology’s words of 2024
Features
Environment
How a plan to make the world’s largest snowflake was humbled by nature
Features
Humans
Survival of the wittiest: Could wordplay have boosted human evolution?
Features
Life
Pigeons are misunderstood: These little-known facts will prove why
Features
Life
The amazing talents of pigeons 鈥� and why we should learn to love them
Features
Mind
She’s obsessed with chicken! The tests revealing my dog’s inner life
Features
Humans
The ancient board games we finally know how to play 鈥� thanks to AI
Features
Earth
What ancient stalagmites can tell us about life on a hotter Earth
Features
Health
The scientists on a mission to catch farts for the good of our health
Features
Table of contents
快猫短视频
Life
Bioluminescent Christmas tree glows with festive cheer
When exposed to air, an eerie green light is emitted by these neatly arranged chunks of hybrid living material, created by impregnating balsa wood with fungus
News
Mathematics
Mathematicians have discovered a mind-blowing new kind of infinity
News
Technology
Flying robot leaps upwards and then takes to the air like a bird
News
Life
New forms of animals made by fusing several comb jellies together
News
Humans
Believing in Santa Claus doesn’t make children act nicer at Christmas
News
Humans
Mesopotamians felt happiness in their liver and anger in their thighs
News
Technology
DeepMind AI predicts weather more accurately than existing forecasts
News
Technology
Chatbot gives medical advice to hundreds of users in largest trial yet
News
Humans
Toddler bones show mammoths were the main food of the first Americans
News
Life
Plants laced with a variety of fungi are more popular with bees
News
Environment
Climate chaos accelerated in 2024 as we hit 1.5掳C for the first time
News
Life
A festival of stunning animal pictures from 2024
News
Space
Space was for sale in 2024 as private missions led by Elon Musk boomed
News
Health
Bird flu suddenly got serious in 2024, infecting dozens of people
News
Technology
Elon Musk’s brain-implant firm Neuralink did its first tests in 2024
News
Technology
The shine began to wear off AI in 2024 as advances slowed down
News
Space
Dazzling auroras lit up the skies in 2024 and we may see more in 2025
News
Earth
The Anthropocene was officially spurned in 2024, but the idea lives on
News
Health
2024 saw the first living people to receive pig kidney transplants
News
Features
Space
Is this the world鈥檚 toughest word search? We dare you to try it
We challenge you to find the scientific terms in this monster of a puzzle 鈥� and we鈥檙e not even telling you exactly what they are
Features
Health
The scientists on a mission to catch farts for the good of our health
Features
Life
The amazing talents of pigeons 鈥� and why we should learn to love them
Features
Life
Pigeons are misunderstood: These little-known facts will prove why
Features
Humans
The ancient board games we finally know how to play 鈥� thanks to AI
Features
Humans
Survival of the wittiest: Could wordplay have boosted human evolution?
Features
Environment
The bizarre story of a rodent utopia that predicted doom for humanity
Features
Physics
The wild physics that could actually be used to build a time machine
Features
Mind
Can you and your family solve these mind-bending scientific riddles?
Features
Mathematics
The surprising maths that explains why coincidences are so common
Features
Society
From enshittocene to virome, science and technology’s words of 2024
Features
Mind
How neuroscience can help you find the perfect children’s toy
Features
Environment
How a plan to make the world’s largest snowflake was humbled by nature
Features
Mind
She’s obsessed with chicken! The tests revealing my dog’s inner life
Features
Chemistry
The scientific secrets to baking the perfect holiday gingerbread
Features
Earth
What ancient stalagmites can tell us about life on a hotter Earth
Features
More
Humans
Could hibernation technology allow humans to skip winters?
Our Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions and developments yet to come. This time we fast forward to the 2050s, when people gain the ability to hibernate and use it for far more than escaping the winter blues
Comment
Environment
After another dire year for the environment, here’s to better times
Comment
Physics
Science can be our trusty shield in a time of deepening crises
Comment
Technology
High-tech archaeology shows we aren’t the first to endure hard times
Comment
Mind
Can psychology help avoid festive arguments?
Regulars
Twisteddoodles on clearing up a winter mystery
Regulars
