This week's magazine
20 June 2026
Issue 3600
On the cover
Editor's picks
Table of contents
¿ìè¶ÌÊÓÆµ
Technology
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
A senior figure in the Ukrainian defence industry told ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓÆµ that a test took place two years ago involving fully autonomous drones set to destroy anything in a given area, with confirmed casualties
Technology
Robots are about to overtake armed soldiers as the deciders of war
Environment
‘Forgotten’ pollutants cause 15 per cent of global warming
Life
Wolves seen hunting European bison in rare camera-trap recording
Health
You could get some of the benefits of sleep without having to nod off
Life
Have we finally worked out how Venus flytraps snap shut?
Life
Millions of fossil whale bones found in deep-ocean ‘necropolis’
Mind
The relationship recession is even bigger for Gen Z than we thought
Physics
First working nuclear clock heralds a new era in timekeeping
Technology
Quantum computer quickly mines cryptocurrency while using less energy
Life
Global map reveals the vast scale of underground fungal networks
Environment
Wildlife thrives in solar farm built on restored peatland
Physics
Toy universe shows that time could be a quantum illusion
Humans
Iron Age Britons may have removed the brains of the dead
Life
Frozen squirrel scat preserves ancient DNA from hundreds of species
Health
Vaping after quitting smoking is linked to lung cancer
Earth
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
Features
Life
Has the answer to life’s origins been hiding in our cells all along?
The surprising discovery of mysterious blobs inside our cells is revolutionising our understanding of how life works, and how it got started
Physics
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
Mind
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
Culture
Technology
¿ìè¶ÌÊÓÆµ recommends an excellent look at the future of work
Sarah O'Connor's We Are Not Machines explores how we are contorting ourselves to fit AI into our working lives – and what to do about it, finds Tom Knowles
Life
¿ìè¶ÌÊÓÆµ recommends Togetherness, a radical new view of life
Space
The one film to watch before seeing Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day
More
Sponsored
Inside the emerging science of healthspan extension for pets
Behind the scenes, cellular ageing begins long before our pets show outward signs of slowing down. But researchers are discovering the steps you can take now to optimise your companion's long-term health
Mind
How to sparkle in conversation with strangers
Space
A cosmic case of mistaken identity that can only be solved right now
Humans
What really happened when ancient humans migrated out of Africa
Physics
Why we should all take quantum physics extremely personally
Tom Gauld: ‘My experiment is generating infinite power!’
Twisteddoodles on the dangers of AI summaries
Regulars
Comment
The bigger the lizard, the bigger the Wiki page, discovers ecologist
Feedback is delighted to explore research digging into the relationship between a reptile's body mass and the length of its Wikipedia entry – but would like to throw Godzilla into the mix