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Table of contents

Leaders

Environment

Mining the Arctic's precious resources is a fool's errand

With ice and permafrost thawing fast, nations are racing to exploit the Arctic's newly accessible treasures. Yet there are plenty of reasons why this may not be a great idea – and why we should treat the region as a scientific wonder instead

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Environment

Why vanishing sea ice at the poles is a crisis for the entire planet

Extremely low sea ice levels in the Arctic and Antarctica signal a "new normal" that may accelerate global warming and disrupt ocean currents, on top of the consequences for people and wildlife that rely on the ice

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Environment

A floating laboratory will uncover the secrets of Arctic winter

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Environment

Antarctic teams drill oldest ice cores yet in search of climate clues

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Environment

Will climate change lead to an industrial boom in the Arctic?

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Technology

Slices of wood can filter bacteria and microplastics from water

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Life

Puppy intelligence tests can predict how dogs will turn out as adults

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Health

Digital devices may help ward off cognitive decline in older people

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Humans

Ancient computer's gears may not have been able to turn

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Life

First ever confirmed image of a colossal squid in the deep ocean

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Space

The race to visit the asteroid making the closest pass by Earth

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Earth

Ancient humans may have faced radiation risk 41,000 years ago

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Space

Astronomers claim strongest evidence of alien life yet

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Technology

Wedding cake contains edible chocolate batteries that power candles

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Aperture

Physics

Photography contest spotlights the beauty of science in vivid detail

A collection of images from Imperial College London's photography competition uncovers the visual splendor of scientific discovery

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Features

Health

A dramatic rethink of Parkinson’s offers new hope for treatment

Mounting evidence suggests there might be two separate types of the world’s fastest-growing neurological condition. Can this fresh understanding lead to much-needed new treatments?

Features

Life

Can a strange state of matter explain what life is – and how it began?

Features

Space

How astonishing observatories could do big physics from the moon

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Culture

Physics

Speculative novel layers Groundhog Day with existential dreaminess

Solvej Balle's newly translated speculative novel, On the Calculation of Volume (parts I and II), examines the numbing effects of time through the old trope of being stuck in a single day. It is an effective meditation

Culture

Humans

An elegant account of how one ancient language went global

Culture

Humans

¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ recommends Secrets of the Thames mudlarking exhibition

Culture

Life

Chronicling nature activism in a coastal corner of India

Culture

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More

Environment

Where is the TV drama to move the dial on climate change?

UK show Adolescence is sparking debate about the harm of social media. We need a series to do the same for the most pressing crisis of our times, says Bethan Ackerley

Comment

Environment

Are ordinary people fighting a losing battle to go green?

Comment

Life

Should you water your orchid with ice cubes?

Regulars

BrainTwister #70: Powerful years

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on houseplants versus zombies

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Tom Gauld on grammatical voices for use in scientific writing

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Regulars

Comment

Is there such a thing as a 'vegetative electron microscope'? Doubtful

Feedback notes the flurry of new papers mentioning the mysterious "vegetative electron microscope", and ponders the emergence of this tortured phrase

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Letters

Regulars

The last word