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This week's magazine

13 May 2023

Issue 3438

New Scientist issue 3438 cover
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On the cover

Features
What is the AI alignment problem and how can it be solved?
How we could discover quantum gravity without rebuilding space-time
The mental tricks you can use in your lifelong pursuit of happiness
Emergence: The mysterious concept that holds the key to consciousness
What is longtermism and why do its critics think it is dangerous?
Why the mind-body connection is vital to understanding consciousness
Why symmetry is so fundamental to our understanding of the universe
Why the origins of life remain a mystery – and how we will crack it
To create a wormhole that doesn't collapse, you need exotic matter
Ageing is inevitable, but we may soon treat it like any other disease
Why virtual particles don’t exist but do explain reality – for now
The weird truth about calories and why food labels get them so wrong
Why the causes of poor mental health may share a common root
Analysis
Dozens of countries have tamed malaria, but can we eradicate it?
News
ChatGPT seems to be trained on copyrighted books like Harry Potter
Stem cells treat diabetes without triggering immune response in mice
Regulars
Why watering your plants at midday won't damage their leaves
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Editor's picks

Artificial intelligence (AI), data mining, deep learning modern computer technologies.

Technology

With AI exploiting businesses’ data, when do we get paid and by whom?

News
Flowers petals and leaves forming brain shape inside male's head silhouette made out of grass on yellow background.

Health

Why the causes of poor mental health may share a common root

Features
PRJWHE Nutrition facts label on box of crackers - USA

Health

The weird truth about calories and why food labels get them so wrong

Features
2J1JM3H Patterns in a pond. Cropped shot of a finger touching water to form ripples.

Physics

Why virtual particles don’t exist but do explain reality – for now

Features
Snowflake on a dark blue background; Shutterstock ID 1006197640; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Physics

Why symmetry is so fundamental to our understanding of the universe

Features
Unicellular green algae with large cells.; Shutterstock ID 1042159933; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Life

Why the origins of life remain a mystery – and how we will crack it

Features
CE8NB6 Illustration showing galaxy giant whirlpool in space galaxy's effect on space image shows how gravity galaxy warps local

Physics

To create a wormhole that doesn't collapse, you need exotic matter

Features
Website of ChatGPT 4 on a smartphone. AI chatbot on OpenAI website. Afyonkarahisar, Turkey - April 3, 2023.; Shutterstock ID 2284532473; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Technology

What is the AI alignment problem and how can it be solved?

Features
Droplet in water depicting emergence

Physics

Emergence: The mysterious concept that holds the key to consciousness

Features
Winding road in colorful desert landscape, Valley of Fire State Park, NV.; Shutterstock ID 289529552; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Humans

What is longtermism and why do its critics think it is dangerous?

Features
A front view of a young brunette woman carrying two bags of garden waste that is to be composted and reused. She is working on a community space garden in Hexham in the North East of England with a group of friends.

Humans

The mental tricks you can use in your lifelong pursuit of happiness

Features
Digital generated image of low poly net structured transparent data brain made out of golden wires with glowing blue edges against purple background.

Mind

Why the mind-body connection is vital to understanding consciousness

Features
MORCAMBE, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 22: Despite inclement weather pensioners raise a happy smile as they perform the famously British dance of comedians Morcambe and Wise next to a statue of Eric Morcambe, at Morcambe Bayon June 22, 2006, in Morcambe, England. Confidence & Happiness specialist, Scientist Cliff Arnall from the University of Cardiff has identified June 23, 2006 as being the happiest day of the year. His calculations were based on outdoor activity, nature, social interaction, childhood summers, positive memories, temperature and holidays. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Health

Ageing is inevitable, but we may soon treat it like any other disease

Features
Quantum particles, quantum computer, galaxy-like ; Shutterstock ID 2194720327; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Physics

How we could discover quantum gravity without rebuilding space-time

Features

Table of contents

Leaders

Artificial intelligence (AI), data mining, deep learning modern computer technologies.

Technology

With AI exploiting businesses’ data, when do we get paid and by whom?

Businesses are increasingly feeling hard done by when it comes to artificial intelligence exploiting their data. It is time we figured out who is going to foot the bill

News

News

Technology

How Elon Musk and Reddit are leading a war on AI web scraping

The long-accepted practice of search engines scraping content from websites is being re-examined now that the data is being used to build valuable artificial intelligence tools

News

Space

We've seen a star devouring a planet for the first time

News

Health

Australia to ban nicotine-free vapes in push to end recreational use

News

Technology

Mechanical backpack boosts the sensation of jumping in virtual reality

News

Health

Ultrasound opens brain barrier so drugs can reach aggressive tumours

News

Life

Woolly mammoths had testosterone surges like those of male elephants

News

Life

Apes have the same willingness to share food as small children

News

Chemistry

Decades-old mystery about photosynthesis finally solved

News

Space

Remnants of the universe's first stars may have been found

News

Humans

DNA from 25,000-year-old tooth pendant reveals woman who wore it

News

Environment

Extreme rainfall could lead to 'big disaster' for rice yield in China

News

Life

Ancient bacteria genome reconstructed from Neanderthal tooth gunk

News

Health

Brain surgery before birth fixes abnormal blood vessel in fetus

News

Technology

ChatGPT seems to be trained on copyrighted books like Harry Potter

News

Life

Gannets' blue eyes turn black after an infection with bird flu

News

Environment

Lab-grown meat could be 25 times worse for the climate than beef

News

Health

Stem cells treat diabetes without triggering immune response in mice

News

Environment

14,000 oil and gas wells remain unplugged in the Gulf of Mexico

News

Environment

Antarctic ice melt may be reversible due to rising land beneath

News

Analysis

A child receives the RTS malaria vaccine in Gisambai, Kenya, in March

Health

Dozens of countries have tamed malaria, but can we eradicate it?

Many countries and territories have malaria-free status, however, this may be very difficult to achieve in parts of Africa where the parasite is endemic

News

Society

Why we shouldn't fill our minds with endless tales of dystopia

Comment

Society

'I've found my people': Why being a fan can be transformative

News

Aperture

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA InsectWeek22Over18-FIRSTPLACE-Burford.

Comment

See a prize-winning photograph of mating golden-tabbed robber flies

Pete Burford, who only took up macro photography two years ago, has won the Insect Week Photography Competition 2022 for this stunning close-up shot

Regulars

Features

Website of ChatGPT 4 on a smartphone. AI chatbot on OpenAI website. Afyonkarahisar, Turkey - April 3, 2023.; Shutterstock ID 2284532473; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Technology

What is the AI alignment problem and how can it be solved?

Artificial intelligence systems will do what you ask but not necessarily what you meant. The challenge is to make sure they act in line with human’s complex, nuanced values

Features

Physics

How we could discover quantum gravity without rebuilding space-time

Features

Humans

The mental tricks you can use in your lifelong pursuit of happiness

Features

Physics

Emergence: The mysterious concept that holds the key to consciousness

Features

Humans

What is longtermism and why do its critics think it is dangerous?

Features

Mind

Why the mind-body connection is vital to understanding consciousness

Features

Physics

Why symmetry is so fundamental to our understanding of the universe

Features

Life

Why the origins of life remain a mystery – and how we will crack it

Features

Physics

To create a wormhole that doesn't collapse, you need exotic matter

Features

Health

Ageing is inevitable, but we may soon treat it like any other disease

Features

Physics

Why virtual particles don’t exist but do explain reality – for now

Features

Health

The weird truth about calories and why food labels get them so wrong

Features

Health

Why the causes of poor mental health may share a common root

Features

Culture

MRS. DAVIS --

Comment

Mrs. Davis and Class of '09 review: AI anxieties abound in TV sci-fi

Hostility, scepticism and general disquiet towards artificial intelligence run through two new sci-fi shows, Mrs. Davis and Class of '09, but they have very different styles

Culture

Comment

The Experience Machine review: How our brains predict the daily world

Culture

Comment

Don't Miss: Destination Cosmos delivers a magical tour of the universe

Culture

Comment

Silo review: With apocalypses everywhere, can a new TV show deliver?

Culture

More

Woman cares for plants, watering green shoots from a watering can at sunset. Farming or gardening concept. Bottom view.

Life

Why watering your plants at midday won't damage their leaves

It is a long-held idea that midday watering will scorch plants' foliage and damage their health – but this isn’t supported by the evidence, says James Wong

Regulars

Puzzle #221: How did each team do in the Logical World Cup?

Regulars

Tom Gauld on failing to open a portal to another dimension

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on the difference between worms and ladybirds

Regulars

Regulars

Scientists wonder if space tourists will want to have sex in orbit

Scientists wonder if space tourists will want to have sex in orbit

Feedback digs into a new paper about "uncontrolled human conception" beyond Earth and sniffs around new research into the aroma of brewed coffee

Regulars

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

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