This week's magazine

Table of contents

Leaders

Health

We must not become immune to the pandemic's heavy death toll

MOST people still don't have any level of immunity to the virus behind covid-19. But there is a growing risk that some of us are becoming immune to the enormous numbers that this pandemic is throwing out on a weekly basis. As New Scientist went to press, the world was on track to exceed a …

News

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News

Space

This 3.2 gigapixel cauliflower is the largest photograph ever taken

A close-up image of a Romanesco cauliflower made to test the sensors for a telescope in Chile It’s time to take a look at the big picture. This unassuming image of a Romanesco cauliflower is actually one of the largest digital photographs ever snapped, at 3.2 gigapixels. Larger composite images have been produced, but this …

News

Life

Hummingbirds can drop their body temperature below 4°C when they rest

News

Environment

Wildlife populations are seeing 'catastrophic' rapid declines

News

Space

Dark matter in galaxy clusters is behaving oddly and we don't know why

News

Health

Some autistic children may prefer cats as they don’t hold eye contact

News

Technology

AI can edit video in real time to sync new audio to people's lips

News

Health

Coronavirus: How worried should we be about reports of reinfection?

News

Technology

AI tool improves video footage by editing out unwanted objects

News

Humans

Our sense of time may be warped because parts of our brain get tired

News

Health

Coronavirus family tree reveals the virus is hardly mutating

News

Space

Have we spotted alien life floating in the clouds of Venus?

News

Space

Life on Venus? Everything you need to know about the big discovery

News

Health

Coronavirus death toll reaches 1 million – how did we get here?

News

Health

Five scientists tell us what happens next with the covid-19 pandemic

News

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Analysis

Health

Oxford vaccine trial pause isn’t bad news – it’s the process working

The has been great alarm over the news that a trial of a vaccine candidate for the coronavirus , from the University of Oxford and drug firm AstraZeneca, has had to be put on hold after a participant developed strange neurological symptoms. It might seem a cause for concern, but, in fact, it shows that …

News

Humans

The absurd QAnon conspiracy theory is expanding into science denial

News

Space

NASA to film an Estée Lauder ad in space as the ISS opens for business

News

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Aperture

Space

Glittering image of Andromeda galaxy takes top photography award

This tantalising image of spiral galaxy Andromeda – our nearest big neighbour – won Nicolas Lefadeux top prize at the 2020 Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition

Regulars

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Features

Humans

The way you walk may soon be used by authorities to identify you

Your walk is as unique as your fingerprint and harder to hide than your face. Now governments and companies are waking up to the power of gait analysis

Features

Space

Lighting fires in space is helping us make greener energy on Earth

Features

Health

The covid-19 pandemic was predicted – here's how to stop the next one

Features

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Culture

Environment

Extinction: The Facts – An Attenborough guide to nature's destruction

David Attenborough in Extinction: The Facts Extinction: The Facts will be broadcast at 8pm BST on 13 September on BBC One A ridiculously young-looking David Attenborough laughs and plays with an infant gorilla called Poppy, in a welcome moment of light relief in the BBC’s new documentary on global biodiversity loss. The scene comes at …

Culture

Humans

Ratched review: Netflix show fails with stereotypes of mental health

Culture

Humans

Don't Miss: The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy

Culture

Space

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars review: Brilliant sci-fi from Eragon author

Culture

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More

Space

How to spot a Starlink satellite in the night sky

There are hundreds of SpaceX satellites in the sky. A successful sighting just requires a bit of luck, writes Abigail Beall

Regulars

Puzzle #77: Sir Prancelot's archers

Regulars

Tom Gauld sees a slithery opportunity to test the effects of a placebo

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on why it's hard to spot scientists in the snow

Regulars

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Regulars

An improbable plan to make the US-Mexico border a particle accelerator

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