Issue 3371 | Magazine cover date: 29 January 2022

29 January 2022

Issue 3371

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On the cover

Culture

A Brief History of Timekeeping: A new book explores how we mark time

Features

How our environment is making us sick – and what we can do about it

David Chalmers interview: Virtual reality is as real as real reality

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

News

Babies can tell who's closely related from whether they share saliva

It’s official – we don’t know how fast the universe is expanding

Covid-19 brain fog: What we know about lingering neurological effects

Geologists to pinpoint official birthplace of the Anthropocene in 2022

Analysis

Evolution of language can help us sift truth from lies in modern world

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This picture taken on January 16, 2022 shows a man watching smoke hanging over houses on a polluted day in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. (Photo by BYAMBASUREN BYAMBA-OCHIR / AFP) (Photo by BYAMBASUREN BYAMBA-OCHIR/AFP via Getty Images)

Environment

We can't afford to delay getting to grips with chemical pollution

News

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

Features

Environment

How our environment is making us sick – and what we can do about it

Features

Mind

David Chalmers interview: Virtual reality is as real as real reality

Features

Health

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

Features

Leaders

Environment

We can't afford to delay getting to grips with chemical pollution

IN 1855, Michael Faraday wrote a letter to the UK parliament alerting MPs to the state of the river Thames , which was used both as a sewer and a source of drinking water. He had conducted an experiment in which he sank pieces of paper to see at what point they disappeared from view …

News

Technology

AI learns to create images from text descriptions by destroying data

A fresh approach to generating images based on text descriptions with AI, called a diffusion model, effectively un-destroys new images into existence

News

Technology

Infrared goggles and vibrating armband help people who are blind ‘see’

News

Health

Phage therapies for superbug infections are being tested in Belgium

News

Environment

Air pollution makes it harder for pollinators to find plants

News

New-to-science tarantula that lives inside bamboo found by YouTuber

News

Environment

Climate change made the past 7 years the warmest on record

News

Mind

Babies can tell who's closely related from whether they share saliva

News

Space

Yutu-2 lunar rover finds sticky soil on the far side of the moon

News

Health

Antibody imaging technique could make it faster to develop vaccines

News

Health

Antibiotic resistance killed more people than malaria or AIDS in 2019

News

Space

Weird black hole spewed star-forming jets 500 light years long

News

Environment

Gene-edited food is 5 years away in England, says government scientist

News

Environment

Pristine coral reef discovered in deep water off the coast of Tahiti

News

Health

Artificial pancreas is 'life-changing' for children with diabetes

News

Space

It’s official – we don’t know how fast the universe is expanding

News

Health

Genetically modified pig kidneys transplanted into a brain-dead person

News

Environment

The UK still won't say how much CO2 its Net Zero Strategy will save

News

Mind

Covid-19 brain fog: What we know about lingering neurological effects

News

Health

Is it time for Western Australia to open up and let covid-19 in?

News

Technology

Meta is building the world's largest AI-specific supercomputer

News

Health

Giving low-income US families $4000 a year boosts child brain activity

News

Space

The James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at its final destination

News

Earth

Geologists to pinpoint official birthplace of the Anthropocene in 2022

News

Analysis

2BNF11C Garbage at the Ant Flat Landfill in Wallowa County, Oregon.

Environment

Pollution is the forgotten global crisis and we need to tackle it now

IN THE lead-up to Christmas, my household began to feel like a badly managed waste-processing facility. We planned to spend time with vulnerable relatives, so were keeping a close eye on our covid-19 status. Each lateral flow test generated seven items of non-recyclable waste, which piled up in the bathroom until I bit the plastic …

News

Evolution of language can help us sift truth from lies in modern world

News

Aperture

Environment

Lithium fields: Beautiful from the air, trouble on the ground

Photographer Tom Hegen THE vivid swathes of minerals in this lithium extraction field make for a dazzling sight, but also represent a troubling aspect of our rapidly electrifying world. Taken by photographer Tom Hegen, this image of the Soquimich lithium mine in the Atacama desert, run by major mining operator SQM, is part of his …

Regulars

Features

Environment

How our environment is making us sick – and what we can do about it

From air pollutants to pesticides in food and cosmetic additives, modern life means constant exposure to environmental chemicals. Picking apart the effects will help us boost the health of humans and the planet

Features

Mind

David Chalmers interview: Virtual reality is as real as real reality

Features

Health

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

Features

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

Features

Culture

Humans

Control review: The troubling past, present and future of eugenics

A rising global population has led to a resurgence of eugenics-based ideas Control: The dark history and troubling present of eugenics Adam Rutherford Weidenfeld & Nicolson WHAT does the word " eugenics" bring to mind? For many , it is Nazi Germany and the atrocities that were committed in its name, not least the murder …

Culture

Humans

A Brief History of Timekeeping: A new book explores how we mark time

Culture

Humans

Don't Miss: Moonfall, a disaster movie of epic proportions

Culture

Humans

Origin review: A genetic history of the Americas

Culture

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Puzzle #152: At what time did a lightning strike change the clock?

#152: At what time did a lightning strike change the clock? At my bedside, I have a traditional-style electric clock wired to the mains. It has a curious fault. Whenever there is a lightning strike on the village's electricity substation, the power surge causes my clock to reverse direction. When I went to bed last …

Regulars

Space

How to spot the Double Cluster and the Carina Nebula this week

Regulars

Tom Gauld, at home with the unsuspecting hadrons

Regulars

Twisteddoodles: The inevitable results of acronym overload

Regulars

Humans

The company that wants to fight covid-19 with vibrations

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

Regulars

This week's magazine

29 January 2022

On the cover

Environment

We can't afford to delay getting to grips with chemical pollution

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

Environment

How our environment is making us sick – and what we can do about it

Mind

David Chalmers interview: Virtual reality is as real as real reality

Health

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

Table of contents

Leaders

Environment

We can't afford to delay getting to grips with chemical pollution

News

Technology

AI learns to create images from text descriptions by destroying data

Technology

Infrared goggles and vibrating armband help people who are blind ‘see’

Health

Phage therapies for superbug infections are being tested in Belgium

Environment

Air pollution makes it harder for pollinators to find plants

New-to-science tarantula that lives inside bamboo found by YouTuber

Environment

Climate change made the past 7 years the warmest on record

Mind

Babies can tell who's closely related from whether they share saliva

Space

Yutu-2 lunar rover finds sticky soil on the far side of the moon

Health

Antibody imaging technique could make it faster to develop vaccines

Health

Antibiotic resistance killed more people than malaria or AIDS in 2019

Space

Weird black hole spewed star-forming jets 500 light years long

Environment

Gene-edited food is 5 years away in England, says government scientist

Environment

Pristine coral reef discovered in deep water off the coast of Tahiti

Health

Artificial pancreas is 'life-changing' for children with diabetes

Space

It’s official – we don’t know how fast the universe is expanding

Health

Genetically modified pig kidneys transplanted into a brain-dead person

Environment

The UK still won't say how much CO2 its Net Zero Strategy will save

Mind

Covid-19 brain fog: What we know about lingering neurological effects

Health

Is it time for Western Australia to open up and let covid-19 in?

Technology

Meta is building the world's largest AI-specific supercomputer

Health

Giving low-income US families $4000 a year boosts child brain activity

Space

The James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at its final destination

Earth

Geologists to pinpoint official birthplace of the Anthropocene in 2022

Analysis

Environment

Pollution is the forgotten global crisis and we need to tackle it now

Evolution of language can help us sift truth from lies in modern world

Aperture

Environment

Lithium fields: Beautiful from the air, trouble on the ground

Features

Environment

How our environment is making us sick – and what we can do about it

Mind

David Chalmers interview: Virtual reality is as real as real reality

Health

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

We are finally beginning to understand migraines and how to treat them

Culture

Humans

Control review: The troubling past, present and future of eugenics