This week's magazine

Table of contents

Leaders

Environment

Fighting climate change means avoiding doomism as well as denial

It can be difficult to know how worried we should be about the increasing effects of climate change, but embracing the new science of climate attribution and looking rationally at the progress we have made will help us take further action

News

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News

Life

Young cupboard spiders sometimes turn cannibal and eat their siblings

Juveniles of a common household spider have been shown to eat their siblings in the lab, and they are probably doing it in our cupboards too

News

Health

Vaccine shows promise against the virus linked to multiple sclerosis

News

Life

Crocodiles can sense how distressed human babies are from their cries

News

Space

Russia chases former Soviet glory with Luna 25 moon mission

News

Space

Mars used to have wet and dry seasons similar to ones on Earth

News

Mind

The audiobook you listen to before bed can shape your dreams

News

Space

Brown dwarf is locked in a destructive 2-hour orbit with a tiny star

News

Life

Ocean bacteria may be closest relatives of mitochondria in our cells

News

Physics

LK-99: Mounting evidence suggests material is not a superconductor

News

Health

Blood test could aid the diagnosis of 52 conditions including cancer

News

Life

Female stick insect clones itself despite having sex with males

News

Environment

What made July 2023 the hottest month ever recorded?

News

Environment

Is climate change accelerating and is it worse than we expected?

News

Environment

The renewable energy revolution is happening faster than you think

News

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Analysis

Health

Ultra-processed foods have a bad reputation – is it backed by science?

The relationship between ultra-processed foods and health isn’t as clear-cut as many make it seem, and in some cases eating such foods might actually be beneficial to health

News

Environment

Why knowing how climate change contributes to extreme weather is key

News

Physics

Why Isaac Newton's laws still give physicists a lot to think about

Comment

Environment

Spreading climate doom may make it harder to halt global warming

News

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Aperture

Life

Photos capture mission to rescue seagrass meadows in the the Baltic

Seagrass is a crucial marine ecosystem that is being lost to climate change. Researchers in Germany are trying to help the meadows flourish again

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Features

Environment

Extreme heat: Inside the expedition to find out how humans can adapt

Climate change means extreme heat will become the norm for millions across the world. We joined an experiment in the Saudi Arabian desert designed to find out what that means for our brains and bodies

Features

Mind

Gesture is a uniquely powerful tool. Here's how to make the most of it

Features

Space

A guide to cosmic fireworks, from stellar flares to black-hole beacons

Features

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Culture

Comment

From One Cell review: Embryology and the future of medicine

From marigolds to human babies, most complex organisms start as a single-celled embryo. In his new book, Ben Stanger explores what our humble origins could teach us about health and disease

Culture

Comment

Game of Edges review: Inside story of how data is transforming sport

Culture

Comment

New Scientist recommends: The Poison Garden near Alnwick Castle

Culture

Comment

Bridge review: An essential entrant into the multiverse genre

Culture

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More

Mathematics

The easy tricks that can maximise your lottery winnings

From avoiding the number seven to picking numbers over 31, mathematician Peter Rowlett has a few psychological strategies for improving your chances when playing the lottery

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Puzzle #235: How can you guarantee you’ll win a soft toy at the fair?

Regulars

Tom Gauld reveals the Venn diagram of a flying object

Regulars

Twisteddoodles: Mixing chemicals - fiction versus reality

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Is it AI or just short for Alan? A reader rages against the machine

A Feedback fan, first name Alan, tells us about the disconcertingly similar appearance of the abbreviation for artificial intelligence and the shortened version of his moniker

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Letters

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The last word