Subscribe now

This week's magazine

12 May 2012

Issue 2864

New Scientist issue 2864 cover
Previous issue Next issue
arrow
Subscribe
Access our magazine content direct via our website, app or print magazine
arrow
View in the app
Check out this magazine in our easy-to-navigate mobile app
arrow
Find a previous edition online
Search through our digital archive of over 30 years of magazines

Editor's picks

Judge Mental: Suspect interviews

Judge Mental: Suspect interviews

Features
Judge Mental: Blinded by bias

Judge Mental: Blinded by bias

Features
Truth of the matter: The Majorana particle mystery

Physics

Truth of the matter: The Majorana particle mystery

Features
Eau de BO: The allure of sweat

Life

Eau de BO: The allure of sweat

Features
The power of cool: Whatever became of Starlite?

Technology

The power of cool: Whatever became of Starlite?

Features
Judge Mental: How bias affects judicial sentences

Judge Mental: How bias affects judicial sentences

Features
Judge Mental: Mistaken-identity parades

Judge Mental: Mistaken-identity parades

Features
Judge Mental: Forget the consequences

Judge Mental: Forget the consequences

Features

Table of contents

News

Blonde hair evolved independently in Pacific islands

Life

Blonde hair evolved independently in Pacific islands

The blonde TYRP1 mutation in Solomon Islanders isn't found in other people from outside the South Pacific Science can't yet tell us whether they have more fun – but it has uncovered a new genetic change that makes people blonde. And contrary to long held belief, it seems golden hair hasn't simply been introduced across …

News

Life

Brain sees metaphor and simile differently

News

Earth

Sauropod farts warmed the planet

News

Physics

Facebook shares are overvalued, say financial analysts

News

Earth

Fracking drives pronghorn herds out of Wyoming habitat

News

Technology

Taser stun gun linked to heart attacks

News

Life

Why milk doesn't turn breasts to bone

News

Earth

Water striders thrive on Pacific Garbage Patch

News

Why Jupiter's moon Ganymede is an exciting destination

News

Health

Fears over incurable TB deepen after retesting

News

Activists threaten to uproot engineered UK crops

News

60 Seconds

News

Space

Private firm SpaceX gears up to spark next space age

News

Space

Death Valley provides rover's-eye view of Mars geology

News

Life

With no paper trail, can science determine age?

News

Life

The humanity switch: How one gene made us brainier

News

Physics

Roulette beater spills physics behind victory

News

Technology

Silicon cracks could make a lab-on-a-chip

News

Technology

Acoustic graphene could act as a sonic cloak

News

Life

Touch sensitivity is genetically linked to hearing

News

Technology

Beyond Kinect: Gestural computer spells keyboard death

News

Technology

Wikipedia busts the language barrier

News

Technology

Speckle-free lasers could power high-definition imaging

News

Health

Researcher death highlights dangers of pathogen work

News

Space

Dust rings not 'smoking gun' for planets after all

News

Opinion

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Space

Silicon Valley reaches for the sky

An experimental, entrepreneurial spirit may be just what space exploration needs

Opinion

Life

We are the improbable ape

Opinion

The cyborg future is almost upon us

Opinion

Earth

Do we know enough to ensure safe Arctic drilling?

Opinion

Earth

'Nobody is exempt from climate responsibility'

Opinion

Humans

Love machine: Engineering lifelong romance

Opinion

Analysis

Gadgets work under your skin – but are you ready?

Technology

Gadgets work under your skin – but are you ready?

Buttons work fine under the skin Editorial: " The cyborg future is almost upon us " LEFT your phone at home again? A solution is at hand: make sure it is with you at all times by having it implanted in your arm. But given the opportunity, would you want your gadget to be a …

News

Aperture

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Bioluminescent bloom makes beach a magical minefield

See more: To see the image this article refers to, keep checking Picture of the Day on our news blog Short Sharp Science

Regulars

Features

Truth of the matter: The Majorana particle mystery

Physics

Truth of the matter: The Majorana particle mystery

Can a single entity be matter and antimatter at the same time? It looks like it

Features

Life

Eau de BO: The allure of sweat

Features

Technology

The power of cool: Whatever became of Starlite?

Features

Judge Mental: How bias affects judicial sentences

Features

Judge Mental: Mistaken-identity parades

Features

Judge Mental: Suspect interviews

Features

Judge Mental: Forget the consequences

Features

Judge Mental: Blinded by bias

Features

Culturelab

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Evening Star's rare path across the sun

See more: An illustrated version of this article will be published within the next two weeks on our CultureLab books and arts blog

CultureLab

Why geeks should be invited to the policy party

CultureLab

Will technology bring out the best or worst in us?

CultureLab

Power switch: A nuclear future without uranium

CultureLab

More

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Enigma Number 1697

Binary palindrome I have before me a number, which when written in binary is palindromic and has n digits. If I told you the value of n, and you wrote a list of all the possible palindromic binary numbers of length n, your list would have n numbers in it. If your list was in …

Regulars

Regulars

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Feedback: Bag that has no size

Bag that has no size NEEDING a heavy-duty bag to carry "various bits and pieces", Alastair Gentleman had a look at the website of a leading UK motoring accessories chain. He found one that looked suitable. While it was described as a "Large Tool Bag" no dimensions were given, so he called the nearest store …

Regulars

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

The last word

Browse past issues

View all
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop