This week's magazine
26 July 2025
Issue 3553
On the cover
Editor's picks
Table of contents
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Space
A stunning, star-studded view of Earth
This incredible image, featuring flashing Starlink satellites and Earth's glowing atmosphere, was captured over the Pacific Ocean by NASA astronaut Don Pettit
Environment
Is it time to aim for 1.7°C as the new limit for global warming?
Physics
Laws of quantum physics may rule out a universe that came before ours
Environment
Ranching and farming have eroded almost all the soil in the Alps
Space
Little red dot galaxies have now been found in our local universe
Health
Obesity may come in 11 different types, each with their own cause
Health
Genetically tailored microbes could tweak our microbiomes
Life
Rare images capture snow leopard cubs in their dens
Life
Exposure to microplastic makes animals want to eat it more
Humans
Neanderthal groups had their own local food culture
Space
Immortal stars could live forever by ‘eating’ dark matter
Earth
Ancient rocks show earliest evidence of tectonic activity on Earth
Mind
Brain changes with eating disorders similar to those in OCD and autism
Health
Why you shouldn’t worry a nap will stop your child sleeping at night
Mathematics
Complex knots can actually be easier to untie than simple ones
Life
How human eggs stay fresh for decades
Earth
Underwater volcanic brine pools could be home to extreme life forms
Features
Physics
We’ve discovered a door to a hidden part of reality – what’s inside?
Physicists would dearly love to find new particles, but there's no sign of them in colliders like the LHC. Now we have found a new way of accessing a tiny slice of reality where they might be hiding
Health
How regrowing your own teeth could replace dentures and implants
Humans
What were ancient humans thinking when they began to bury their dead?
Culture
Comment
Fictional female robots have a long history, and it’s often quite dark
Sierra Greer's novel about a female robot, Annie Bot, just won a prestigious sci-fi prize, the Arthur C Clarke award. But she is hardly the first of her kind, says Sophie Bushwick
Comment
The 25 best fictional robots – according to ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Comment
The Prestige is just as clever and thrilling 30 years on
More
Mind
Tapping into the full power of music could transform our lives
From reducing pain to relieving stress, the evidence for music's power is strong. Stefan Koelsch says we should use it – now
Technology
Social media is dead – here’s what comes next
Space
How to spot the Delta Aquariids meteor shower this month
Tom Gauld on a classic thought experiment
TwistedDoodles on scientific protocols
Regulars
Comment
Anthropic AI goes rogue when trying to run a vending machine
Feedback watches with raised eyebrows as Anthropic's AI Claude is given the job of running the company vending machine, and goes a little off the rails