Physics Bye bye space-time: is it time to free physics from Einstein’s legacy? Einstein’s framework for the universe, space-time, is at odds with quantum theory. Overcoming this clash and others is vital to unravelling the true nature of the cosmos News
Technology Police robot can be flung through windows and distract suspects A mock up of the distraction device in action Police robots , thrown through a broken window, could be used to distract suspects before police enter a room. The idea is to add a distracting device that produces a loud bang and a brilliant flash to small robots already used by many US police departments. … News
Technology Facebook must come clean and hand over election campaign data After fake news and election manipulation scandals, Facebook promised to give researchers data on its political influence. They are still waiting, says Timothy Revell News
Technology Can we create new land to save the fragile Mississippi delta? THIS 930-square-metre model may help save the fragile Mississippi delta and coastal ecosystem. Researchers at the Louisiana State University Center for River Studies in Baton Rouge use it to mimic 320 kilometres of the lower Mississippi river as it winds its way to the Gulf of Mexico, simulating a year of movement in an hour. … Regulars
Physics What is space-time? The true origins of the fabric of reality A bold new perspective suggests space-time isn’t a fundamental entity but emerges from quantum entanglement, says physicist Sean Carroll Features
Environment Climate change: Is capitalism the problem or the solution? Transforming turbo-charged globalised capitalism into a green force for public good will take the deep thinking of two new books by Naomi Klein and Vaclav Smil Culture
Sponsored Building the battery of the future – today As the world becomes more aware of CO2 emissions, new lithium ion batteries are needed to extend the range of electric vehicles. Now Johnson Matthey has developed the special cathode material that will make them work johnson-matthey
Does nuking hurricanes mean Trump is declaring war on climate change? Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more Regulars