51¶¯Âþ

This week's magazine

3 July 2004

Issue 2454

New Scientist issue 2454 cover
Previous issue Next issue
arrow
View in the app
Check out this magazine in our easy-to-navigate mobile app
arrow
Find a previous edition online
Search through our digital archive of over 30 years of magazines

Editor's picks

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

The power of five

Features
New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Nesperennub unwound

Features
New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

The rise and fall of the wonder-drugs

Features
New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Hit cancer where it hurts

Features

Table of contents

51¶¯Âþ

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Technology

Robotic wheels that just keep rolling along

A GAGGLE of miniature robots are falling over themselves in a Japanese lab. But they are not malfunctioning: it is the way they have been designed to move. The wheel-shaped robots, which are just 4 centimetres in diameter and 1 centimetre thick, were built by Shinichi Hirai and Yuuta Sugiyama at Ritsumeikan University in Kusatsu. …

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Fair cop

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Fill 'er up for bullet proofing

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Shaken, not stirred

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Let software catch the game for you

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Welding breakthrough means stronger planes

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Cutting edge

51¶¯Âþ

Better by design

51¶¯Âþ

Not too hot, not too cold

51¶¯Âþ

How penguin dads keep fish for chicks

51¶¯Âþ

Twin mysteries beneath the Antarctic ice

51¶¯Âþ

In theory, they should be dead…

51¶¯Âþ

Soundbites

51¶¯Âþ

The plants that self-compost

51¶¯Âþ

Bird flu becoming more dangerous

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Bad driving holds the secret to traffic forecasts

51¶¯Âþ

Humans

High-protein diet, low fertility?

51¶¯Âþ

Humans

Narcotic khat gets sperm going

51¶¯Âþ

Keep eggs in the dark for friendlier chicks

51¶¯Âþ

Make it strong, make it glassy

51¶¯Âþ

Humans

Cancer drugs tame rogue womb cells

51¶¯Âþ

Air pollution damages DNA long before birth

51¶¯Âþ

Space

Gravity test for string theory

51¶¯Âþ

How babies become addicted to their mothers

51¶¯Âþ

Releasing Nemo proves a disaster for native fish

51¶¯Âþ

The famous early bird strikes again

51¶¯Âþ

Mad or unlucky?

51¶¯Âþ

Plan for plenty

51¶¯Âþ

Puberty inducer?

51¶¯Âþ

60 Seconds

51¶¯Âþ

If the speed of light can change…

51¶¯Âþ

Humans

An audit of war and occupation

51¶¯Âþ

Nuclear future gets the thumbs-up

51¶¯Âþ

First for fertility

51¶¯Âþ

Galileo fudged

51¶¯Âþ

Opinion

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Humans

Westminster diary

ARGENTINE farmers have been experimenting with genetically modified soya (51¶¯Âþ, 17 April, p 40) . They thought that, used together with potent herbicides, the GM soya would solve many of the country's agricultural problems. Now the crop is being blamed for an environmental crisis threatening Argentina's fragile economic recovery. As chair of the all-party …

Opinion

To calm troubled waters

Opinion

It's time to plug into renewable power

Opinion

Feeding Africa

Opinion

Calling all would-be fathers

Opinion

Features

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Nesperennub unwound

Ancient Egyptians who wanted to enjoy the afterlife needed the services of a skilled embalmer. But even if your relatives hired the best, that didn't guarantee you would reach the next world suitably intact. Evidence from surviving mummies suggests some Egyptians made their final journey with a leg, a liver or other vital part missing, …

Features

The rise and fall of the wonder-drugs

Features

Hit cancer where it hurts

Features

The power of five

Features

More

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

A Sheltered Life: The unexpected history of the giant tortoise by Paul Chambers and other books

THE extinction of the dinosaurian reptiles obviously had nothing to do with human stupidity and ignorance, but responsibility for the loss of the remaining big reptiles does lie with us. In their different ways, these three new books on giant tortoises, iguanas and the extinct giant megalanid lizards of Australasia all tell the same sorry …

Books & Arts

Regulars

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Feedback

PASSWORDS can be a nuisance, especially when they are needed for an emergency system and the operator can't remember them. Wouldn't it be better if managements decreed that systems intended for emergencies had all their passwords set to the same thing, something like 0000000? Then we could all sleep better knowing that a forgotten password …

Regulars

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

The last word

Browse past issues

View all
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop