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Cryptic crossword #74: Animal backbone used in shade of black dye (9)

6 January 2022

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

HANOI, VIETNAM - SEPTEMBER 10: People wait in a queue to receive their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at a public COVID-19 vaccination centre on September 10, 2021 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Hanoi is aiming to mass test the entire city and vaccinate all its adult population with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot by September 15. Vaccinations in Vietnam are picking up pace as increased supplies arrive in the country, which is the EU's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia. (Photo by Linh Pham/Getty Images)

The future course of the covid-19 pandemic is in all our hands

5 January 2022

We should expect more twists and turns with the coronavirus pandemic in 2022, but people's behaviour will make a big difference to how things play out

A new way to solve paradoxes can help you think more clearly

5 January 2022

We typically try to make sense of paradoxes using cold logic. But if we ask what they tell us about human intuition, we can improve the way we understand the world around us, says philosopher Margaret Cuonzo

The Woebot Labs Inc. application is demonstrated for a photograph in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Friday, July 7, 2017. Woebot Labs develops health care software which offers a platform that makes therapy accessible and stigma-free for patient suffering from anxiety, depression, and mental health issues. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

I bonded with a quirky robot after chatting to it about my fears

5 January 2022

My new artificial friend, Woebot, helps me feel a little brighter – and evidence is mounting that it could lift your mood too, says Annalee Newitz

Puzzle #149: Only Ferris Caroselli could design this mathematical ride

5 January 2022

Can you solve this week’s fairground puzzle "All in a spin"? Plus the answer to puzzle #148

Brassica oleracea - Early purple sprouting broccoli covered in frost in a vegetable garden

Winter is purple sprouting broccoli's time to shine

5 January 2022

The brassica family boasts a dizzying variety of forms, but purple sprouting broccoli may be the best of them all, says Clare Wilson

The metaverse: What is it, will it work, and does anyone want it?

5 January 2022

Since its rebrand as “Meta”, Facebook has been throwing its considerable weight behind the idea of an immersive virtual reality world. Here’s everything you need to know

Empty bottles in green container; Shutterstock ID 145222138; purchase_order: 08 Jan 2021 issue; job: 08 Jan 2021 - Feature; client: Photo; other:

What the no-alcohol boom means for our drinking habits and health

5 January 2022

Low and no-alcohol drinks taste better than ever – but do they really help you cut down on boozing, and are they healthier than the real thing?

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 24: A visual representation of the digital Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin on October 24, 2017 in London, England. Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Lightcoin have seen unprecedented growth in 2017, despite remaining extremely volatile. While digital currencies across the board have divided opinion between financial institutions, and now have a market cap of around 175 Billion USD, the crypto sector coninues to grow, as it sees wider mainstreem adoption. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

UK police forces have seized more than £300 million in bitcoin

5 January 2022

Figures gathered by New Scientist show that UK police forces have seized bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies worth more than £300 million during criminal investigations.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is director general of the World Health Organization

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: How to alter the course of the pandemic

4 January 2022

What will it take to bring the pandemic under control? Vaccine equality, social measures and supporting the health workforce, says the head of the World Health Organization