Humans We need to talk about technology that people use to influence others Multi-agent artificial intelligence simulations could show us how to help people live in harmony – or how to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment. We must agree rules for its use News
Health Plastic tea bags shed billions of microplastic particles into the cup Some tea bags release microplastic particles into the water Tea drinkers have been urged to avoid plastic tea bags after tests found that a single bag sheds billions of particles of microplastic into each cup. A Canadian team found that steeping a plastic tea bag at a brewing temperature of 95°C releases around 11.6 billion … News
Technology Google has reached quantum supremacy – here's what it should do next Quantum computing is now ready to go – or is it? Google appears to have reached an impressive milestone known as quantum supremacy , where a quantum computer is able to perform a calculation that is practically impossible for a classical one. But there are plenty of hurdles left to jump over before the technology … News
Earth Aerial photographs reveal odd and beautiful glimpses of our planet Exhibition The Elevated Eye : Aerial photography past and present Forest Lawn Museum, California From 10 October 2019 to 8 March 2020 THE intertwined histories of flight and photography are explored in a new exhibition at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, California, spanning more than a century of invention. Nearly 150 still images and … Regulars
Life How many trees are there on Earth? Mission to measure planet's biomass Trees are our biggest ally against climate change - but we've never been sure how big. New space-based technology is revealing their potential for the first time Features
Earth Volcanoes and Wine: Why a match made in hell tastes like heaven From Etna to Vesuvius, Santorini to Stromboli, volcanoes have long been linked to excellent wines. New book Volcanoes and Wine explores this unlikely terroir Culture
Space The imperial units error that downed a multi-million-dollar Mars probe 20 years ago, NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter dived too deep and was crushed in Mars’s atmosphere. The reason? A mix-up between metric and imperial measurements Regulars
How not to cheat at Scrabble: change the value of all the letters Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more Regulars