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Twisteddoodles: Up next on the tour is this traffic light

14 October 2021

This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles

Tom Gauld: Will Linda get the lead researcher job?

14 October 2021

Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon

Cryptic crossword #68: Pain-in-the-neck partner of Watson (5)

14 October 2021

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

Dangerous Zika Infected Mosquito Skin Bite. Leishmaniasis, Encephalitis, Yellow Fever, Dengue, Malaria Disease, Mayaro or Zika Virus Infectious Culex Mosquito Parasite Insect Macro.

This week’s new questions

13 October 2021

We are often told not to panic when a crisis is looming, so when is the right time to do so? And what would be the ecological consequences if mosquitoes were eradicated?

KMXN2B Beautiful fun happy smiling African American couple wearing white shirts laying in grass, faces of woman and man next to eachother in opposite

Grinning is a sign of aggression in animals, so why do humans smile?

13 October 2021

One reader introduces us to his grinning Dalmation dog to shed further light on how smiling evolved

2D6CTBM Wedding candy bar with different colored bright cupcakes, macaroons, cakes, jelly and fruits.

What is the difference between a cake, a sponge and a biscuit?

13 October 2021

Do cakes, biscuits and sponges owe their differences to air or moisture? Or is it down to heat-induced lattices of protein and starch. Our readers discuss

Absolute zero is the lowest temperature but is there an upper limit?

13 October 2021

Yes, there is a highest possible temperature, but calculating it isn’t straightforward, explain our readers

Puzzle #135: How do you hit the jackpot on this machine?

13 October 2021

Can you solve this week’s fiendish puzzle "You don’t know jackpot"? Plus the answer to puzzle #134

Why psychologists can't decide if moral disgust is even a thing

13 October 2021

Psychology is split on what exactly disgust is, but the evidence is starting to come in, says Ana Aznar

Covid-19 RNA vaccine, illustration. The vaccine consists of strands of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) encased in a lipid nanoparticle sphere. The mRNA codes for a mutated version of the viral spike protein found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes Covid-19. When injected into the body the mRNA is taken up by the body's cells, which manufacture copies of the protein. The proteins stimulate an immune response, causing the body to produce antibodies against the spike protein. This means that the body is primed to attack the virus should it be encountered after vaccination, preventing disease. The first RNA vaccine approved for human use, developed against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus by Pfizer/BioNTech, was approved in the UK on 2nd December 2020. 2DYDTXH Covid-19 RNA vaccine, illustration.

The mRNA technology behind covid-19 vaccines can transform medicine

13 October 2021

The success of coronavirus vaccines has been a rare bright spot in the devastation of the pandemic, and the mRNA technology behind some of them offers a way to revolutionise how we treat many illnesses