Issue 3464 | Magazine cover date: 11 November 2023

11 November 2023

Issue 3464

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On the cover

Features

A second big bang? The radical idea rewriting dark matter’s origins

Sweeteners: The bitter truth about low-calorie sugar substitutes

The surprising life and avoidable demise of Earth’s remarkable oases

News

Why is there a shortage of ADHD drugs and what can people do?

Bits of an ancient planet called Theia may be buried in Earth’s mantle

Rats can use imagination to mentally recreate places they've visited

Skull shows man survived surgery to ease brain pressure 2700 years ago

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Physics

Our sketchy understanding of the big bang is ripe for reimagining

News

Physics

A second big bang? The radical idea rewriting dark matter’s origins

Features

Sugar-replacing tablets with a spoon on a pink background.; Shutterstock ID 1326637646; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Health

Sweeteners: The bitter truth about low-calorie sugar substitutes

Features

Umm al-Ma Lake - Idyllic oasis in the Awbari Sand Sea, Sahara Desert, Libya; Shutterstock ID 72697231; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Environment

The surprising life and avoidable demise of Earth’s remarkable oases

Features

Leaders

Physics

Our sketchy understanding of the big bang is ripe for reimagining

Cosmologists have come to see the early universe as a whole series of transformations, or phase transitions, opening the door to intriguing possibilities for what really happened during the big bang

News

Health

Mysterious cannabis-induced vomiting syndrome is on the rise

A growing number of heavy cannabis users – especially young people – are showing up in emergency rooms with prolonged vomiting due to cannabis hyperemesis syndrome

News

Health

Why is there a shortage of ADHD drugs and what can people do?

News

Health

Tall children may be at greater risk of some forms of heart disease

News

Earth

Bits of an ancient planet called Theia may be buried in Earth’s mantle

News

Environment

Hydrogen is a green fuel despite small warming effect from pipe leaks

News

Health

Sperm sense what they are swimming through and adapt their behaviour

News

Life

Chimpanzees use high ground to scope out rival groups

News

Mind

Rats can use imagination to mentally recreate places they've visited

News

Humans

Earliest known war in Europe was a Stone Age conflict 5000 years ago

News

Health

DNA vaccines coding for live viruses could soon be tested in people

News

Technology

Swarm of robots can make collective decisions by imitating bees

News

Space

Lucy spacecraft found another asteroid behind the asteroid Dinkinesh

News

Humans

Skull shows man survived surgery to ease brain pressure 2700 years ago

News

Environment

Ocean heat could supply essentially endless clean energy to islands

News

Health

Eight healthy habits that could slow your rate of ageing

News

Physics

Quantum batteries could charge better by breaking rules of causality

News

Environment

Twin ocean climate anomalies may trigger heat and drought in 2024

News

Life

Rats squeak with happiness when they are with another rat

News

Health

Left-handed people have a slight advantage in badminton

News

Health

Spine stimulator lets man with severe Parkinson's walk without falling

News

Space

Euclid space telescope releases its first stunning full-colour images

News

Space

The sun is smaller than we thought it was

News

Analysis

Technology

What did the UK's AI Safety Summit actually achieve?

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's much-publicised AI summit at Bletchley Park has come to an end, and the result seems to be a promise to hold more summits. At this rate, legislation will struggle to keep pace with the development of AI

News

Space

Why we need to bring stellar astrophysics into the real world

Comment

Health

We need a wake-up call when it comes to adolescent sleep

News

Aperture

Les scientifiques du CNRS et de l?universit? chilienne d?Antofagasta collectent des ?chantillons et de l?eau sur la Laguna Roja au nord du Chili. Avec un petit canot pneumatique, ils vont s?aventurer sur ce lac d?arsenic pour r?colter avec une bouteille sp?ciale, de l?eau ? diff?rente profondeur pour faire des analyses chimiques et voir si des microorganismes arrivent ? vivre dans ces conditions extr?mes.

Life

Chile's Atacama salt flats captured in spectacular drone shot

Photographer Olivier Grunewald is documenting the work of researchers studying the origins of life in the inhospitable waters of the Salar de Atacama

Regulars

Features

Physics

A second big bang? The radical idea rewriting dark matter’s origins

The enduring mystery of dark matter has led some physicists to propose that it was forged in a distinct moment of cosmic creation, potentially transforming our view of the early universe

Features

Health

Sweeteners: The bitter truth about low-calorie sugar substitutes

Features

Environment

The surprising life and avoidable demise of Earth’s remarkable oases

Features

Culture

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 31: Elon Musk attends Heidi Klum's 2022 Hallowe'en Party at Sake No Hana at Moxy LES on October 31, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

Comment

Breaking Twitter review: Musk's Twitter storm reads like a film script

Ben Mezrich's story of how the SpaceX billionaire got tangled up in Twitter may end up a hit as a movie – but not as a book

Culture

New Scientist recommends Being You and The Man Without Qualities

Culture

Comment

The Future review: Doom is booming in a wild tale with a major twist

Culture

Comment

How Migration Really Works review: Prepare to have your mind changed

Culture

sprouted barley; Shutterstock ID 33767392; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Chemistry

Homemade malt is the key to baking the perfect loaf of bread

The secret to a perfect, golden loaf (or tasty brew) is an enzyme in malt. And making your own is easy – it just takes some barley grains, water and a bit of patience, says Sam Wong

Regulars

Puzzle #247: Can you work out how many badges Grandad needs to buy?

Regulars

Tom Gauld on the adventures of AI-Chessbot-5000

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on ways to make a research journal more appealing

Regulars

What could stop wrong-organ surgical errors? Being careful, says study

Feedback eyes up a retrospective study of surgical errors in France, and is delighted to discover the authors have found an easy fix - the implementation of a 'safety culture'

Regulars

This week's magazine

11 November 2023

On the cover

Physics

Our sketchy understanding of the big bang is ripe for reimagining

Physics

A second big bang? The radical idea rewriting dark matter’s origins

Health

Sweeteners: The bitter truth about low-calorie sugar substitutes

Environment

The surprising life and avoidable demise of Earth’s remarkable oases

Table of contents

Leaders

Physics

Our sketchy understanding of the big bang is ripe for reimagining

News

Health

Mysterious cannabis-induced vomiting syndrome is on the rise

Health

Why is there a shortage of ADHD drugs and what can people do?

Health

Tall children may be at greater risk of some forms of heart disease

Earth

Bits of an ancient planet called Theia may be buried in Earth’s mantle

Environment

Hydrogen is a green fuel despite small warming effect from pipe leaks

Health

Sperm sense what they are swimming through and adapt their behaviour

Life

Chimpanzees use high ground to scope out rival groups

Mind

Rats can use imagination to mentally recreate places they've visited

Humans

Earliest known war in Europe was a Stone Age conflict 5000 years ago

Health

DNA vaccines coding for live viruses could soon be tested in people

Technology

Swarm of robots can make collective decisions by imitating bees

Space

Lucy spacecraft found another asteroid behind the asteroid Dinkinesh

Humans

Skull shows man survived surgery to ease brain pressure 2700 years ago

Environment

Ocean heat could supply essentially endless clean energy to islands

Health

Eight healthy habits that could slow your rate of ageing

Physics

Quantum batteries could charge better by breaking rules of causality

Environment

Twin ocean climate anomalies may trigger heat and drought in 2024

Life

Rats squeak with happiness when they are with another rat

Health

Left-handed people have a slight advantage in badminton

Health

Spine stimulator lets man with severe Parkinson's walk without falling

Space

Euclid space telescope releases its first stunning full-colour images

Space

The sun is smaller than we thought it was

Analysis

Technology

What did the UK's AI Safety Summit actually achieve?

Space

Why we need to bring stellar astrophysics into the real world

Health

We need a wake-up call when it comes to adolescent sleep

Aperture

Life

Chile's Atacama salt flats captured in spectacular drone shot

Features

Physics

A second big bang? The radical idea rewriting dark matter’s origins

Health

Sweeteners: The bitter truth about low-calorie sugar substitutes

Environment

The surprising life and avoidable demise of Earth’s remarkable oases

Culture

Comment

Breaking Twitter review: Musk's Twitter storm reads like a film script