Issue 3317 | Magazine cover date: 16 January 2021

16 January 2021

Issue 3317

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On the cover

Features

CRISPR gene-editing urgently needs an off-switch – now we have one

The superconductor breakthrough that could mean an energy revolution

We’ve got intelligence all wrong – and that’s endangering our future

News

Megalodon sharks grew 2 metres long in the uterus by eating eggs

Climate change: 2020 was the joint hottest year on record

Pair of robot foresters could plant thousands of trees a day

Is the UK right to delay the second dose of the covid-19 vaccines?

You can boost a vaccine’s effect with good moods and good friends

Analysis

The UK may struggle to hit its covid-19 vaccine target – here's why

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Humans

To improve our response to crises like covid-19 we must think smarter

News

Humans

We’ve got intelligence all wrong – and that’s endangering our future

Features

Physics

The superconductor breakthrough that could mean an energy revolution

Features

Technology

CRISPR gene-editing urgently needs an off-switch – now we have one

Features

Leaders

Humans

To improve our response to crises like covid-19 we must think smarter

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity..." We are just a couple of weeks into 2021 and yet that famous opening from Charles Dickens's A Tale …

News

Life

Fossilised nest shows some dinosaurs sat on their eggs like birds do

Bones of an oviraptor discovered on top of its eggs A fossilised oviraptor found on top of a clutch of eggs confirms that at least some dinosaurs sat on or near their eggs to keep them warm, as birds do. The eggs contain late-stage embryos that developed at temperatures of up to 38°C. There is …

News

Environment

Air pollution from chemical plants made Hurricane Harvey worse

News

Technology

AI illustrator draws imaginative pictures to go with text captions

News

Health

Two children with cancer may have acquired tumour cells before birth

News

Technology

Uber and Lyft operating in US cities linked to rises in car ownership

News

Environment

Groundwater that supports world food chain may become too salty to use

News

Life

Huntsman spiders stitch leaves together to trap tree frogs

News

Space

Jumping into a wormhole might cause it to contract and disintegrate

News

Humans

Humans may have domesticated dogs by accident by sharing excess meat

News

Space

Meteorites may have brought water to Earth in the recent past

News

Life

Megalodon sharks grew 2 metres long in the uterus by eating eggs

News

Environment

Climate change: 2020 was the joint hottest year on record

News

Technology

CRISPR gene editing used to store data in DNA inside living cells

News

Space

Black holes leak energy when they eat plasma near the event horizon

News

Technology

Pair of robot foresters could plant thousands of trees a day

News

Environment

Origins of human music linked to our ancestors’ daredevil behaviour

News

Space

White dwarfs seen eating the remnants of destroyed planets

News

Health

Warnings of huge new spike in US covid-19 cases as UK variant spreads

News

Health

Is the UK right to delay the second dose of the covid-19 vaccines?

News

Health

You can boost a vaccine’s effect with good moods and good friends

News

Analysis

An electric car at the BMW plant near Oxford

Technology

Electric cars' best ever year is a tipping point for green transport

An electric car at the BMW plant near Oxford, UK Fossil fuel-powered cars aren't yet consigned to the scrapheap, but they are fast travelling down a one-way road towards it. The pandemic triggered dire new car sales in the UK, which fell by 29 per cent back to levels seen in 1992, figures published yesterday …

News

Health

The UK may struggle to hit its covid-19 vaccine target – here's why

News

Environment

UK may allow gene editing of crops and livestock following Brexit

News

Environment

Here's why you should be hopeful about climate action in 2021

News

Aperture

Technology

Stunning photo shows Virgo upgrade ready to hunt gravitational waves

This dazzling image shows the upgraded and more sensitive Advanced Virgo+ detector, which hunts for clues about the universe that are contained in gravitational waves

Regulars

Features

Technology

CRISPR gene-editing urgently needs an off-switch – now we have one

Making changes to genes with CRISPR has the potential to cure diseases and feed the world, if we can learn to control it. Now it looks like viruses hold the solution

Features

Physics

The superconductor breakthrough that could mean an energy revolution

Features

Humans

We’ve got intelligence all wrong – and that’s endangering our future

Features

Culture

Health

Second Spring review: A brave film about agency and cognitive decline

In Second Spring, an archaeologist who has developed a lesser-known form of dementia that alters her personality, unmasks her new life – to the dismay of friends and family

Culture

Environment

Podcast goes behind the scenes in the battle to mitigate wildfires

Culture

Humans

Don’t Miss: CERN’s ALICE detector online ahead of V&A Alice show

Culture

Humans

Assassin's Creed Valhalla review: Vikings marauders become nice

Culture

Puzzle #96: Can you connect these dots with just 10 lines?

#96 Inside the box Can you join the 36 dots below using 10 straight lines, with your pen never leaving the paper and no lines going outside the grid? At least one line must pass through each dot and no devious rule-bending is required. You will find lots of ways to do it with 11 …

Regulars

Space

How to spot the Winter (or Summer) Hexagon by locating its six stars

Regulars

Tom Gauld on a suspicious set of round chocolates

Regulars

Twisteddoodles' guide: How to do a science

Regulars

A series of jokes that work best out of order

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

Regulars

This week's magazine

16 January 2021

On the cover

Humans

To improve our response to crises like covid-19 we must think smarter

Humans

We’ve got intelligence all wrong – and that’s endangering our future

Physics

The superconductor breakthrough that could mean an energy revolution

Technology

CRISPR gene-editing urgently needs an off-switch – now we have one

Table of contents

Leaders

Humans

To improve our response to crises like covid-19 we must think smarter

News

Life

Fossilised nest shows some dinosaurs sat on their eggs like birds do

Environment

Air pollution from chemical plants made Hurricane Harvey worse

Technology

AI illustrator draws imaginative pictures to go with text captions

Health

Two children with cancer may have acquired tumour cells before birth

Technology

Uber and Lyft operating in US cities linked to rises in car ownership

Environment

Groundwater that supports world food chain may become too salty to use

Life

Huntsman spiders stitch leaves together to trap tree frogs

Space

Jumping into a wormhole might cause it to contract and disintegrate

Humans

Humans may have domesticated dogs by accident by sharing excess meat

Space

Meteorites may have brought water to Earth in the recent past

Life

Megalodon sharks grew 2 metres long in the uterus by eating eggs

Environment

Climate change: 2020 was the joint hottest year on record

Technology

CRISPR gene editing used to store data in DNA inside living cells

Space

Black holes leak energy when they eat plasma near the event horizon

Technology

Pair of robot foresters could plant thousands of trees a day

Environment

Origins of human music linked to our ancestors’ daredevil behaviour

Space

White dwarfs seen eating the remnants of destroyed planets

Health

Warnings of huge new spike in US covid-19 cases as UK variant spreads

Health

Is the UK right to delay the second dose of the covid-19 vaccines?

Health

You can boost a vaccine’s effect with good moods and good friends

Analysis

Technology

Electric cars' best ever year is a tipping point for green transport

Health

The UK may struggle to hit its covid-19 vaccine target – here's why

Environment

UK may allow gene editing of crops and livestock following Brexit

Environment

Here's why you should be hopeful about climate action in 2021

Aperture

Technology

Stunning photo shows Virgo upgrade ready to hunt gravitational waves

Features

Technology

CRISPR gene-editing urgently needs an off-switch – now we have one

Physics

The superconductor breakthrough that could mean an energy revolution

Humans

We’ve got intelligence all wrong – and that’s endangering our future

Culture

Health

Second Spring review: A brave film about agency and cognitive decline

Environment

Podcast goes behind the scenes in the battle to mitigate wildfires