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Quick crossword #91: Outer part of the auricle (8)

9 September 2021

Challenge your brain by solving New Scientist's weekly crosswords on your mobile, tablet or desktop


WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Year 11 pupils get tested prior to returning to school next week at The Wey Valley Academy on September 03, 2021 in Weymouth, England. Covid-19 testing stations are being installed in schools across England rather than allowing pupils to take lateral flow tests at home in efforts to better detect cases before they become outbreaks. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

Warning over coronavirus measures in England's schools

8 September 2021

Any efforts to vaccinate 12 to 15 year olds may be too late to prevent a wave of infection in England


woman sleeping on beanbags

Recommended daily health targets can save us from ourselves

8 September 2021

Our brains are wired to choose instant pleasures over long-term health, so even imperfect recommendations of how many steps we should take or hours of sleep we need are better than none


Puzzle #130: Can you solve this civilisation’s sum?

Puzzle #130: Can you solve this civilisation’s sum?

8 September 2021

Can you solve this week’s fiendish puzzle Arithmagic? Plus the answer to puzzle #129


2BWXN9F Cardboard, weighed down with bricks, fitted over soil in bottom of fruit cage to suppress weeds.

Why cutting down on digging the garden can actually be good for soil

8 September 2021

From novices to hard-core allotmenteers, all gardeners could benefit from the “no dig” method. New research suggests it may improve the soil, increase yields and reduce carbon emissions too.


5 fruit and veg, 8 hours’ sleep: Should we trust daily health targets?

5 fruit and veg, 8 hours’ sleep: Should we trust daily health targets?

8 September 2021

Many of us aim for “recommended dailies” such as 10,000 steps, 2000 calories or 2 minutes of tooth brushing. But where do these figures come from and are they supported by evidence?


Stephon Alexander interview: Is the universe a self-learning AI?

Stephon Alexander interview: Is the universe a self-learning AI?

8 September 2021

To solve the big mysteries in physics, we need to embrace fresh perspectives, says cosmologist Stephon Alexander. Here he explains why intuition is so important – and outlines one of his own wild ideas


The world is running out of microchips – here’s the solution

The world is running out of microchips – here’s the solution

8 September 2021

The chips at the heart of our digital devices are manufactured by a few large companies, but an open-source approach to design could end their dominance - with implications for everyone


Gas flaring at an oil refinery

58 per cent of oil must stay in the ground to meet 1.5°C climate goal

8 September 2021

Energy companies and nations must leave nine tenths of Earth’s coal and almost two thirds of its known oil and gas in the ground if the world is to hold temperatures to a target beyond which climate change’s impacts are dangerously amplified, researchers...


An Israeli man receives a booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine from a medical professional with Clalit Health Services at the Cinema City complex in Jerusalem Virus Outbreak , Jerusalem, Israel - 30 Aug 2021

What we know so far about booster shots and the covid-19 vaccines

8 September 2021

Some countries are already pushing ahead with covid-19 vaccine booster programmes, but rapidly rolling out third shots in wealthy countries isn’t necessarily the best plan


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