Issue 3006 | Magazine cover date: 31 January 2015

31 January 2015

Issue 3006

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On the cover

Culturelab

Back to black: The enduring quest to portray nothing

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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.

Earth

Hottest year on record ramps up the climate pressure

Opinion

Earth

Plastic Age: How it's reshaping rocks, oceans and life

Features

Technology

The bitcoin rush: Pioneers on the financial frontier

Features

Earth

Thaw point: Why is Antarctica's sea ice still growing?

Features

Leaders

Technology

Defending net neutrality is a fight for human rights

The liberating power of the internet must not be sacrificed on the altar of narrow commercial interest

Opinion

Earth

Hottest year on record ramps up the climate pressure

Opinion

News

Environment

Polar bear penis bone may be weakened by pollution

News

Fractals seen in throbs of pulsating golden stars

News

Is MSG a silent killer or useful flavour booster?

News

Anti-radiation drug could work days after exposure

News

La Niñas on the rise in climate change double whammy

News

Finding ET – we're gonna need a bigger dish

News

Space

Multibillion-dollar race to put internet into orbit

News

Technology

Blood bank data turns donations into a numbers game

News

Technology

Data archaeology helps builders avoid buried treasure

News

Technology

One Per Cent

News

Self-help healthcare fuelled shock Greek election win

News

Health

Fight against Ebola turns a corner

News

Life

Twinkle telescope to check out exoplanet climate

News

Space

Moon milestone prizes awarded to XPrize competitors

News

Earth

Brazil hit hard by worst drought since 1930

News

60 Seconds

News

Technology

Portable mind-reader gives voice to locked-in people

News

#RosettaWatch: My summer holiday around a comet

News

Mice evolve better, not bigger, balls in sperm race

News

Shapely photons break rules to fly slower than light

News

Laser flight path caught on camera for the first time

News

Ancient planets are almost as old as the universe

News

Human ancestors got a grip on tools 3 million years ago

News

Health

Cells from stressed-out mice act as an antidepressant

News

Space

Solo supernovae challenge cosmic distance standards

News

Earth

India eyes ambitious renewables targets - with US help

News

Health

Second blow to the head for effects of brain zapping

News

Opinion

Earth

Ozone hole: How we are misled in the fight to cut smog

Obama wants to cut ozone pollution, but Republicans are crying foul over the cost. Europe is being tougher… or is it? Much is obfuscation

Opinion

Technology

Prince Philip: Great engineers can improve the world

Opinion

Life

The maths drive is like the sex drive

Opinion

Analysis

Health

It's OK to soak up the sun, just don't get burned

Topping up on vitamin D WE MIGHT be in the middle of the British winter but I'm already thinking about summer. As a parent, the arrival of summer has its own rituals: stocking the freezer with ice lollies, unearthing the paddling pool – and bracing myself for the usual onslaught from the sunshine police. First …

News

Aperture

Life

Sperm whale's emergency evacuation... of its bowels

(Image: Keri Wilk ) ENCOUNTERING a mighty sperm whale is a magical experience. But in this case, it was tempered somewhat by a rarely seen defence mechanism: emergency defecation. Sperm whales are the largest toothed predators in the world, so what have they got to be scared of? Here it was pesky divers buzzing around …

Regulars

Features

Earth

Plastic Age: How it's reshaping rocks, oceans and life

The ultimate fate of waste plastic is hazy – but we know future geologists will find traces of a fleeting era written in the stones. Welcome to the Plasticene

Features

Technology

The bitcoin rush: Pioneers on the financial frontier

Features

Earth

Thaw point: Why is Antarctica's sea ice still growing?

Features

Culturelab

Technology

Back to black: The enduring quest to portray nothing

A painting of a black square shown in Russia 100 years ago broke new ground, now revisited by an exhibition in London and a carbon nanotube take on the original

CultureLab

Life

What makes us altruistic – and what's it good for?

CultureLab

Regulars

Feedback: Where little fears grow great

Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more Where little fears grow great FEAR may, sometimes, best be tempered by focusing on a new fear. This may even be the hidden editorial policy of some publications whose every article could be prefaced: "Be very afraid, Middle England..." In …

Regulars

This week's magazine

31 January 2015

On the cover

Earth

Hottest year on record ramps up the climate pressure

Earth

Plastic Age: How it's reshaping rocks, oceans and life

Technology

The bitcoin rush: Pioneers on the financial frontier

Earth

Thaw point: Why is Antarctica's sea ice still growing?

Table of contents

Leaders

Technology

Defending net neutrality is a fight for human rights

Earth

Hottest year on record ramps up the climate pressure

News

Environment

Polar bear penis bone may be weakened by pollution

Fractals seen in throbs of pulsating golden stars

Is MSG a silent killer or useful flavour booster?

Anti-radiation drug could work days after exposure

La Niñas on the rise in climate change double whammy

Finding ET – we're gonna need a bigger dish

Space

Multibillion-dollar race to put internet into orbit

Technology

Blood bank data turns donations into a numbers game

Technology

Data archaeology helps builders avoid buried treasure

Technology

One Per Cent

Self-help healthcare fuelled shock Greek election win

Health

Fight against Ebola turns a corner

Life

Twinkle telescope to check out exoplanet climate

Space

Moon milestone prizes awarded to XPrize competitors

Earth

Brazil hit hard by worst drought since 1930

60 Seconds

Technology

Portable mind-reader gives voice to locked-in people

#RosettaWatch: My summer holiday around a comet

Mice evolve better, not bigger, balls in sperm race

Shapely photons break rules to fly slower than light

Laser flight path caught on camera for the first time

Ancient planets are almost as old as the universe

Human ancestors got a grip on tools 3 million years ago

Health

Cells from stressed-out mice act as an antidepressant

Space

Solo supernovae challenge cosmic distance standards

Earth

India eyes ambitious renewables targets - with US help

Health

Second blow to the head for effects of brain zapping

Opinion

Earth

Ozone hole: How we are misled in the fight to cut smog

Technology

Prince Philip: Great engineers can improve the world

Life

The maths drive is like the sex drive

Analysis

Health

It's OK to soak up the sun, just don't get burned

Aperture

Life

Sperm whale's emergency evacuation... of its bowels

Features

Earth

Plastic Age: How it's reshaping rocks, oceans and life

Technology

The bitcoin rush: Pioneers on the financial frontier

Earth

Thaw point: Why is Antarctica's sea ice still growing?

Culturelab