Mind
Science is a Pandora’s box 鈥� but we should open it anyway
Comment
This week's magazine
10 May 2025
Issue 3542
On the cover
Editor's picks
Table of contents
快猫短视频
Space
Colourful group of galaxies offers peek into history of the universe
There are thousands of galaxies contained in this image, including a cluster that looks to us as it was when the universe was just 6.5 billion years old
News
Space
Dark energy bombshell sparks race to find a new model of the universe
News
Humans
Ireland’s iconic megalithic tombs may have had an unexpected function
News
Mind
Bitter argument breaks out over controversial theory of consciousness
News
Technology
Quantum computers don鈥檛 always need more qubits 鈥� just add chaos
News
Life
How Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years without going blind
News
Health
Drugs like Wegovy can be effective at treating fatty liver disease
News
Health
Your washing machine may not actually rid clothes of harmful bacteria
News
Environment
Disastrous back-to-back heatwaves and droughts surge across Eurasia
News
Health
Our cells can divide in a completely unexpected way
News
Life
Best evidence yet that dolphin whistles are like a shared language
News
Health
Key component of dark chocolate might have an anti-ageing effect
News
Health
Brain signals can change the gut microbiome in as little as 2 hours
News
Technology
Hijacked cicadas play music like a cyborg loudspeaker
News
Environment
Extreme heat poses Spanish-style blackout threat to UK electrical grid
News
Environment
Microplastics could be hampering the ocean鈥檚 ability to capture carbon
News
Health
Innovative antivenom may work against the world’s deadliest snakes
News
Technology
Housework robots are a step closer as they learn to work in any home
News
Health
Our wounds heal slower than the cuts and scrapes of other primates
News
Chemistry
A new version of the periodic table could change how we measure time
News
Health
Air filters in classrooms reduce sick days by more than 10 per cent
News
Earth
Earthquakes could be an overlooked source of underground hydrogen fuel
News
Features
Mind
How to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life
From anger to envy, research is revealing how to shift your mental state and put bad feelings to good use 鈥� with benefits for longevity, relationships and mental health
Features
Mathematics
What 7 fiendishly hard puzzles tell us about the nature of mathematics
Features
Health
What are microplastics doing to your brain? We鈥檙e starting to find out
Features
Culture
Health
An expert’s new book unravels the amazing secrets of the vagus nerve
Kevin Tracey's authoritative look at the vagus nerve and its healing potential is comprehensive and compelling, cutting through the hype
Culture
Mathematics
Marcus du Sautoy’s new book is good on maths, less so on the arts
Culture
Life
快猫短视频 recommends the Oscar-winning animation Flow
Culture
Environment
Climate drama Families Like Ours deserves to be a word-of-mouth hit
Culture
More
Society
Don’t ban kids from social media; create a site that works for them
Rather than simply keeping children away from social media, we need a specially designed option for them. This is how it should look, says Michael Marshall
Comment
Life
What if we could experience life as another species?
Comment
Mind
Can we get better at spotting when someone is lying?
Regulars
Tom Gauld on the joys of a sunny day
Regulars
Twisteddoodles on the moon’s awkward emo phase
Regulars
Regulars
Comment
Would snails be better than whales for explaining big data? Maybe
Feedback's proposal that the genome of the blue whale could be used to communicate the scale of large datasets is knocked back by a reader with a radical alternative suggestion
This Week鈥檚 Letters
Letters
I see why we have two eyes and two ears 鈥� but why two nostrils? Part 2
Last Word
How can I ensure that most of my body is used after my death?
Last Word
Why do many animals have white underbellies? Part 2
Last Word
This week鈥檚 new questions
Last Word
