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Cryptic crossword #92: Lizards hide near outskirts of Knossos (6)

15 September 2022

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

View of Moon limb with Earth rising on the horizon. Footprints as an evidence of people being there or great forgery. Collage. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.; Shutterstock ID 1454730908; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Why we should go back to the moon – and this time to build a home

14 September 2022

Achieving a lunar outpost is important not as a means of escaping our home planet, but learning better ways to thrive on it

World Standards Day approaches – but there is no standard date for it

14 September 2022

Feedback explores the differing global thinking about when World Standards Day should be celebrated, while also looking into the proper way to prepare a cup of tea, and measurements for the annoyance levels of snoring

This week’s new questions

14 September 2022

How fast would you have to travel to be able to run on water? And would life on Earth be different if the moon provided no light?

2F7R4DY Volume button close-up on TV remote control with braille

Why do even numbers feel ‘right’ to me, and odd ones ‘wrong’? (Part 2)

14 September 2022

More readers suggestions on why odd numbers feel wrong, including a need to stay balanced and avoid threats to our survival

DRE532 Elephant (Loxodonta africana) waving its trunk sitting in the waterhole of Gwarrie Pan, Addo Elephant Park, South Africa

Why do we have pubic hair but other animals, like elephants, don’t?

14 September 2022

People have evolved pubic hair to prevent friction or pointy plants injuring our private parts, say our readers

This photograph is of the sky over north London on Wednesday 15th June at 8:13 am. The picture Is cropped to centre the image. The effect was not due to camera or glass of vehicle photo was taken from and looked identical to naked eye. What can have caused the contrails to end so evenly? No aircraft were immediately apparent, it did turn out to be a remarkable hot day. I am assuming my passenger?s suggestion of a glitch in the matrix leading to an incomplete sky rendering is incorrect- can you or your readers provide a more sensible explanation

Why do some contrails run in parallel and end abruptly in the sky?

14 September 2022

When multiple planes fly through adjacent air layers that differ in humidity and temperature, this can leave evenly spaced contrails that end suddenly, say our readers

Puzzle #185: Can you work out how much money Matthew has to spend?

14 September 2022

Can you solve this week’s arithmetical puzzle, Cheque out? Plus the answer to puzzle #184

Cold water swimming should be introduced as a public health measure

14 September 2022

Outdoor swimming helps reduce inflammation, which is linked to health issues ranging from heart disease to depression. It should be widely adopted as a public health measure, says Mark Harper