This week's magazine

Table of contents

Leaders

Environment

The focus on coronavirus is essential, but we can’t forget the climate

The coronavirus pandemic may be the biggest crisis most of us have faced, but we can’t afford to tackle our crises one at a time and let politicians off the hook on climate change

News

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News

Life

Scratching is contagious among strangers – if you are an orangutan

Orangutans scratch themselves when they see others do it Among orangutans, scratching is contagious – just as yawning is among humans. When an orangutan sees another scratch, they often start scratching themselves. However, the behaviour differs from contagious yawning in one crucial respect. Humans catch yawns more readily from close family and friends, but the …

News

Space

The moon is emitting carbon, raising questions about how it was formed

News

Humans

Egyptian pyramids really were aligned with the compass points

News

Space

You can 'see' the closest known black hole to Earth with the naked eye

News

Health

Common herpes virus causes signs of Alzheimer's disease in brain cells

News

Health

New Zealand is close to wiping out covid-19 - can it return to normal?

News

Environment

A Japanese nuclear power plant created a habitat for tropical fish

News

Environment

Climate change has already made parts of the world too hot for humans

News

Health

Brain cells reach out to each other through miniature cages

News

Environment

UK plan for green heating will take 1500 years to hit 2050 target

News

Technology

US start-up is testing drones in India to enforce social distancing

News

Health

How some African countries are beginning to ease coronavirus lockdowns

News

Humans

Neanderthals may have learned jewellery-making from us

News

Technology

An AI trained to spot hidden objects can see through camouflage

News

Health

Coronavirus: Developing countries are ‘on a ledge with no safety net’

News

Health

What the latest research suggests about the coronavirus in pregnancy

News

Health

Cheap and easy $1 coronavirus test to undergo trials in Senegal

News

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Analysis

Environment

Can higher CO2 levels boost plant life enough to dent global warming?

Increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere may be boosting vegetation for now, but climate change is set to more than wipe out any gains, says James Wong

News

Health

How accurate are the results from self-testing for covid-19 at home?

News

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Aperture

Technology

Mega solar plant uses 170,000 mirrors to generate heat for electricity

The Ivanpah Solar Energy Facility is one of the largest solar thermal energy plants in the world. It is spread out over 14 square kilometres and can power 140,000 homes every year

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Features

Physics

We have seen hints of a new fundamental force of nature

Multiple indications seem to be showing that something is manipulating the universe beyond the four basic forces we know – and we are starting to work out what it is

Features

Health

Kelp is coming: How seaweed could prevent catastrophic climate change

Features

Health

Millions of us take drugs for high blood pressure – is it worth it?

Features

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Culture

Humans

Philip Pullman: 'A story will help us make sense of anything'

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials delves into science and philosophy In what now feels like a distant time, when we could still travel and meet people, I went to Oxford,to the home of author Philip Pullman . He made a pot of tea with his favoured blend of two spoons of Assam, one of lapsang …

Culture

Environment

Don't miss: An explorer visits the world's artificial islands

Culture

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More

New Scientist puzzle #59: Celebrate the differences

Can you complete the diagram so that each of the nine circles contains a different digit from 1 to 9? Plus the solution to puzzle #58. Set by David Bodycombe

Regulars

Tom Gauld on when you need 7 tonnes of bananas for an experiment

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on getting used to the new normal

Regulars

Humans

Advertise your charity in New Scientist for free with Signal Boost

New Scientist Promotions

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Regulars

Top tips on dealing with lockdown from the Swiss government

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

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Regulars

Letters

Regulars

The last word