Issue 3245 | Magazine cover date: 31 August 2019

31 August 2019

Issue 3245

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On the cover

Culture

How the science of happiness became an industry worth billions

Features

The back pain epidemic: Why popular treatments are making it worse

Refreezing the Arctic: How to bring the ice back with geoengineering

Are there any aliens out there? We are close to knowing for sure

News

Is air pollution causing mental health conditions like depression?

Giving koalas faecal transplants could help them adapt to a new diet

Quantum teleportation used to send 3D information for the first time

Stealth glider made out of special polymer self-destructs in sunlight

Record Amazon rainforest fires spark row between Brazil and France

Tests at 3 years old could predict how well your brain will age

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Environment

The pyrocene has begun: How to tackle a world of raging wildfires

News

Environment

Arctic and Amazon climate tipping points put our future in doubt

News

Space

Are there any aliens out there? We are close to knowing for sure

Features

Environment

Refreezing the Arctic: How to bring the ice back with geoengineering

Features

Health

The back pain epidemic: Why popular treatments are making it worse

Features

Leaders

Environment

Arctic and Amazon climate tipping points put our future in doubt

The Amazon and the Arctic are on fire. What we do now will have a massive impact on the future of the planet – and us

News

Health

Is air pollution causing mental health conditions like depression?

Traffic in Copenhagen, Denmark A study published today adds to evidence that air pollution may be linked to mental health conditions. But it's not clear yet how - and if - pollution may be affecting our brains. What has this new study discovered? Analysing data from 151 million people in the US and 1.4 million …

News

Technology

A smartphone app can detect tiny amounts of norovirus in water

News

Earth

Volcano behind huge eruption that kick-started mini ice age identified

News

Life

Giving koalas faecal transplants could help them adapt to a new diet

News

Physics

Quantum teleportation used to send 3D information for the first time

News

Physics

LIGO may have seen its first black hole and neutron star collision

News

Humans

China’s two-child policy linked to 5 million extra babies in 18 months

News

Technology

Gene editing turns cells into minicomputers that can record data

News

Earth

Bacteria fly into the Atacama Desert every afternoon on the wind

News

Space

Gravitational waves could settle mystery of the universe's expansion

News

Space

Asteroid Ryugu has no dust on it and we don’t know why

News

Physics

Stealth glider made out of special polymer self-destructs in sunlight

News

Environment

Record Amazon rainforest fires spark row between Brazil and France

News

Health

Tests at 3 years old could predict how well your brain will age

News

Technology

Explaining why Reddit posts are removed helps people comply with rules

News

Technology

Facebook’s ad data may put millions of gay people at risk

News

Life

City crows may have high cholesterol because they eat fast food

News

Technology

UK police are using AI to spot spikes in Brexit-related hate crimes

News

Environment

Communities in East Anglia are deciding whether to abandon their towns

News

Environment

Dorian batters Bahamas with strong hurricane winds for record time

News

Analysis

Live, weakened virus is used in some forms of the polio vaccine

Health

Wild polio has been eradicated in Nigeria but infections will continue

Live, weakened virus is used in some forms of the polio vaccine Nigeria has officially wiped out wild polio. It is three years since it had a case caused by the natural polio virus, a heartening milestone for a country that nearly derailed the global drive to eradicate the disease after some regions banned vaccination …

News

Environment

The pyrocene has begun: How to tackle a world of raging wildfires

News

Health

If I have a disease-causing gene, should my doctor tell my family?

News

Health

Don’t go bananas: Should we be cutting down on the fruit we eat?

News

Aperture

Technology

Satellite image captures a hyperconnected English Channel at work

THIS is a picture of division, but also connection. Hundreds of radar images taken by the European Space Agency's twin Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites from 2016 to 2018 have been combined to give this view of the English Channel. Water deflects the radar pulses, rendering the sea wine-dark. Metallic objects, by contrast, ping the pulses …

Regulars

Features

Health

The back pain epidemic: Why popular treatments are making it worse

Chronic back pain is on the rise – in part because the way we treat it often does more harm than good. It's time to think differently about our aches

Features

Environment

Refreezing the Arctic: How to bring the ice back with geoengineering

Features

Space

Are there any aliens out there? We are close to knowing for sure

Features

Culture

Mind

How the science of happiness became an industry worth billions

Fuelled by government and corporate dollars, being happy has become near mandatory. A controversial new book, Manufacturing Happy Citizens, explains the rise of positive psychology

Culture

Technology

From driverless cars to AI bridges, are we giving up too much control?

Culture

Don't Miss: A documentary festival and the nature of life and death

Culture

Life

This month's top sci-fi reminds us to beware technocrats bearing gifts

Culture

Technology

Make a weather station with BBC micro:bits and a sensor

Get up-to-the-minute weather reports by turning an environmental sensor and two BBC micro:bits into a mini weather station

Regulars

The New Scientist quick crossword #39

Regulars

New Scientist puzzle #19 The vicar’s age

Regulars

Technology

Your DNA could transfer to a weapon you have never touched

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.

The 'sexy' lichen that puts lead in your pencil, but not in a good way

Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more

Regulars

This week's magazine

31 August 2019

On the cover

Environment

The pyrocene has begun: How to tackle a world of raging wildfires

Environment

Arctic and Amazon climate tipping points put our future in doubt

Space

Are there any aliens out there? We are close to knowing for sure

Environment

Refreezing the Arctic: How to bring the ice back with geoengineering

Health

The back pain epidemic: Why popular treatments are making it worse

Table of contents

Leaders

Environment

Arctic and Amazon climate tipping points put our future in doubt

News

Health

Is air pollution causing mental health conditions like depression?

Technology

A smartphone app can detect tiny amounts of norovirus in water

Earth

Volcano behind huge eruption that kick-started mini ice age identified

Life

Giving koalas faecal transplants could help them adapt to a new diet

Physics

Quantum teleportation used to send 3D information for the first time

Physics

LIGO may have seen its first black hole and neutron star collision

Humans

China’s two-child policy linked to 5 million extra babies in 18 months

Technology

Gene editing turns cells into minicomputers that can record data

Earth

Bacteria fly into the Atacama Desert every afternoon on the wind

Space

Gravitational waves could settle mystery of the universe's expansion

Space

Asteroid Ryugu has no dust on it and we don’t know why

Physics

Stealth glider made out of special polymer self-destructs in sunlight

Environment

Record Amazon rainforest fires spark row between Brazil and France

Health

Tests at 3 years old could predict how well your brain will age

Technology

Explaining why Reddit posts are removed helps people comply with rules

Technology

Facebook’s ad data may put millions of gay people at risk

Life

City crows may have high cholesterol because they eat fast food

Technology

UK police are using AI to spot spikes in Brexit-related hate crimes

Environment

Communities in East Anglia are deciding whether to abandon their towns

Environment

Dorian batters Bahamas with strong hurricane winds for record time

Analysis

Health

Wild polio has been eradicated in Nigeria but infections will continue

Environment

The pyrocene has begun: How to tackle a world of raging wildfires

Health

If I have a disease-causing gene, should my doctor tell my family?

Health

Don’t go bananas: Should we be cutting down on the fruit we eat?

Aperture

Technology

Satellite image captures a hyperconnected English Channel at work

Features

Health

The back pain epidemic: Why popular treatments are making it worse

Environment

Refreezing the Arctic: How to bring the ice back with geoengineering

Space

Are there any aliens out there? We are close to knowing for sure

Culture

Mind

How the science of happiness became an industry worth billions