Issue 3325 | Magazine cover date: 13 March 2021

13 March 2021

Issue 3325

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On the cover

Features

Quantum weirdness isn’t weird – if we accept objects don’t exist

Cold-water swimming: What are the real risks and health benefits?

News

Benefits of microdosing psychedelic drugs may be due to placebo effect

Coronavirus vaccines may reduce or eliminate symptoms of long covid

How will zero-covid countries safely reopen their borders?

Fukushima 10 years on: How locals are returning after nuclear disaster

Analysis

Should you get a test to measure antibodies after a covid-19 vaccine?

Regulars

How to make fabulous pizza using slow science

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Health

Vaccination isn’t the quick coronavirus solution many of us hoped for

News

Health

Cold-water swimming: What are the real risks and health benefits?

Features

Environment

Covid-19 hit biodiversity across the globe. Here’s how to fix things

Features

Physics

Quantum weirdness isn’t weird – if we accept objects don’t exist

Features

Leaders

Health

Vaccination isn’t the quick coronavirus solution many of us hoped for

THE global covid-19 vaccine roll-out is accelerating, with in excess of 300 million doses now administered. This time last year, such an achievement would have been almost a pipe dream. Great challenges remain in ensuring the equitable distribution of vaccines across the world and persuading those who are hesitant that vaccination is in their best …

News

Technology

Eagle-inspired robot flies by flapping its feather-covered wings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD8anj_FjyA A robotic bird with flapping wings covered in real feathers has flown for the first time. It could be used to provide insights into how real birds fly or to create stealthy drones that look like wildlife. Researchers at Guangxi University in China and Chinese firm Bee-eater Technology built a carbon fibre skeleton linked …

News

Space

Space junk foils astronomers observing oldest galaxy in the universe

News

Health

Benefits of microdosing psychedelic drugs may be due to placebo effect

News

Technology

A submersible soft robot survived the pressure in the Mariana trench

News

Environment

Over one-sixth of all food produced ends up being thrown in the bin

News

Space

Planet hotter than most stars spotted 25 light years away

News

Physics

X-raying eggs while they cook reveals how egg white becomes solid

News

Life

Some frogs have noise-cancelling lungs to dampen other species’ calls

News

Humans

People of European descent evolved resistance to TB over 10,000 years

News

Life

Fairy lantern flower has a gaping 'mouth' and saps energy from fungi

News

Physics

Photonic laser thruster could power spacecraft from Earth

News

Health

Coronavirus vaccines may reduce or eliminate symptoms of long covid

News

Space

One of our most basic assumptions about the universe may be wrong

News

Health

How will zero-covid countries safely reopen their borders?

News

Technology

Anti-feminist YouTube and Reddit content is a gateway to the alt-right

News

Life

Some sea slugs behead themselves and then regrow their bodies

News

Humans

Indian stone tool may be earliest evidence of humans outside Africa

News

Space

Kilometre-high concrete towers on the moon could power a lunar base

News

Health

US allows people vaccinated against covid-19 to mix indoors again

News

Environment

Fukushima 10 years on: How locals are returning after nuclear disaster

News

Health

Giving vaccine to older people first could help the coronavirus evolve

News

Analysis

Health

Food allergies could soon become a thing of the past – here's why

Allergic reactions to foods are a growing, potentially life-threatening problem. The good news is we can turn this around, says Kari Nadeau

News

Life

Extinction denialism is a worrying new anti-science movement

News

Health

Should you get a test to measure antibodies after a covid-19 vaccine?

News

Aperture

Life

Powerful photos of African lions highlight their precarious future

Everything the Light Touches Used to be Our Kingdom Photographer George Logan THESE powerful images taken by photographer George Logan show why the African lion ( Panthera leo ) is seen as a symbol of courage and majesty. But the evocative photos, which are a mixture of unedited and conceptual shots, also highlight the plight …

Regulars

Features

Physics

Quantum weirdness isn’t weird – if we accept objects don’t exist

We can grasp the truth about the quantum world, says physicist Carlo Rovelli – as long as we abandon our most cherished assumption about what’s real and what’s not

Features

Health

Cold-water swimming: What are the real risks and health benefits?

Features

Environment

Covid-19 hit biodiversity across the globe. Here’s how to fix things

Features

Culture

Space

Solar Opposites review: Clever, silly and bound to be an instant hit

Culture

Life

The Brilliant Abyss review: A fascinating tour of the ocean’s depths

Culture

Humans

Don’t Miss: An Impossible Project on the shock return of analogue tech

Culture

Humans

Why Outer Wilds is a space-exploration game that’s worth dying in

Culture

Humans

How to make fabulous pizza using slow science

PIZZA is the ultimate fast food, and the speed of cooking is vital to achieving perfection: brown and crispy on the bottom, but still tender and chewy on the inside, with a light, airy crust. This is easy to attain in a traditional pizza oven, which can reach temperatures of around 500°C and cook a …

Regulars

Humans

Puzzle #104: Can you figure out how the football season turned out?

Regulars

Tom Gauld's plans a return to the laboratory

Regulars

Twisteddoodles identifies how vaccine conspiracies are generated

Regulars

The easiest way to fool artificial intelligence

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

Regulars

This week's magazine

13 March 2021

On the cover

Health

Vaccination isn’t the quick coronavirus solution many of us hoped for

Health

Cold-water swimming: What are the real risks and health benefits?

Environment

Covid-19 hit biodiversity across the globe. Here’s how to fix things

Physics

Quantum weirdness isn’t weird – if we accept objects don’t exist

Table of contents

Leaders

Health

Vaccination isn’t the quick coronavirus solution many of us hoped for

News

Technology

Eagle-inspired robot flies by flapping its feather-covered wings

Space

Space junk foils astronomers observing oldest galaxy in the universe

Health

Benefits of microdosing psychedelic drugs may be due to placebo effect

Technology

A submersible soft robot survived the pressure in the Mariana trench

Environment

Over one-sixth of all food produced ends up being thrown in the bin

Space

Planet hotter than most stars spotted 25 light years away

Physics

X-raying eggs while they cook reveals how egg white becomes solid

Life

Some frogs have noise-cancelling lungs to dampen other species’ calls

Humans

People of European descent evolved resistance to TB over 10,000 years

Life

Fairy lantern flower has a gaping 'mouth' and saps energy from fungi

Physics

Photonic laser thruster could power spacecraft from Earth

Health

Coronavirus vaccines may reduce or eliminate symptoms of long covid

Space

One of our most basic assumptions about the universe may be wrong

Health

How will zero-covid countries safely reopen their borders?

Technology

Anti-feminist YouTube and Reddit content is a gateway to the alt-right

Life

Some sea slugs behead themselves and then regrow their bodies

Humans

Indian stone tool may be earliest evidence of humans outside Africa

Space

Kilometre-high concrete towers on the moon could power a lunar base

Health

US allows people vaccinated against covid-19 to mix indoors again

Environment

Fukushima 10 years on: How locals are returning after nuclear disaster

Health

Giving vaccine to older people first could help the coronavirus evolve

Analysis

Health

Food allergies could soon become a thing of the past – here's why

Life

Extinction denialism is a worrying new anti-science movement

Health

Should you get a test to measure antibodies after a covid-19 vaccine?

Aperture

Life

Powerful photos of African lions highlight their precarious future

Features

Physics

Quantum weirdness isn’t weird – if we accept objects don’t exist

Health

Cold-water swimming: What are the real risks and health benefits?

Environment

Covid-19 hit biodiversity across the globe. Here’s how to fix things

Culture

Space

Solar Opposites review: Clever, silly and bound to be an instant hit

Life

The Brilliant Abyss review: A fascinating tour of the ocean’s depths