51¶¯Âþ

This week's magazine

3 May 2008

Issue 2654

New Scientist issue 2654 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

Four radical routes to a theory of everything

Space

Four radical routes to a theory of everything

Features
Burying biomass to fight climate change

Earth

Burying biomass to fight climate change

Features
Heroes for hard times

Heroes for hard times

Features
How stem-cell advances will transform medicine

Health

How stem-cell advances will transform medicine

Features
Sin cities: The geometry of crime

Life

Sin cities: The geometry of crime

Features

Table of contents

51¶¯Âþ

Malicious hardware may be next hacker tool

Technology

Malicious hardware may be next hacker tool

As if computer viruses and worms aren't enough of a nuisance, malicious hardware, which will be much more difficult to detect, could soon become a threat too. Today, computer viruses, which are programs downloaded either as an email attachment or when someone visits a website, are responsible for most computer attacks. Hackers use them to …

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

'Missing link' of electronics makes an appearance

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Bluetooth gives spies a window into your life

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Gizmo

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Emergency 2.0 is coming to a website near you

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Cellphone scanner could screen for cancer

51¶¯Âþ

Technology

Google ranks images for better picture searches

51¶¯Âþ

Space

Martian air creates monster sand dunes

51¶¯Âþ

Life

Slow movers opt for a single sex

51¶¯Âþ

Life

First sunflower farms uncovered in Mexican dig

51¶¯Âþ

Health

Blood-pressure pill may also aid weight loss

51¶¯Âþ

Health

Enzyme could be malaria's weakest link

51¶¯Âþ

Life

Earth 'noise' could attract alien invaders

51¶¯Âþ

Life

Why alcohol makes you loosen up and lash out

51¶¯Âþ

Earth

Solar shield would damage the ozone layer

51¶¯Âþ

Life

'Sexy' voice gives fertile women away

51¶¯Âþ

Life

Sabre-toothed 'bear' terrorised early humans

51¶¯Âþ

Earth

Did dinosaur-killing asteroid ignite an oily tinderbox?

51¶¯Âþ

Physics

Quantum effects may explain water's weirdness

51¶¯Âþ

Life

Do birds see with quantum eyes?

51¶¯Âþ

Soundbites

51¶¯Âþ

Life

Intelligence can be improved with training

51¶¯Âþ

Health

Fetal cells could help fight off breast cancer

51¶¯Âþ

Health

Past patients could provide fast flu vaccine

51¶¯Âþ

Earth

Censorship exposed at US environment agency

51¶¯Âþ

Health

Artifical blood deaths cause trial concerns

51¶¯Âþ

Genetic rights are enshrined in US law

51¶¯Âþ

Earth

Poor forecasting undermines climate debate

51¶¯Âþ

60 Seconds

51¶¯Âþ

Earth

Women farmers face eviction in biofuels boom

51¶¯Âþ

Earth

Don't stop hurricanes, guide them

51¶¯Âþ

Health

Gene therapy 'reverses' blindness

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.

Comment: What lies beneath the makeup?

TRYING to hold back the ravages of time is an expensive business. People around the world spend a staggering $290 billion a year on over-the-counter beauty products. Cosmetics companies invest a fortune – around 2 per cent of their sales – on researching and developing new products. These ample budgets mean cosmetic houses are able …

Opinion

Editorial: Even climate models have their limits

Opinion

Editorial: Still no substitute for embryonic stem cells

Opinion

Commentary: Our mirror on morality

Opinion

Interview: The man who found Mars on Earth

Opinion

Features

Four radical routes to a theory of everything

Space

Four radical routes to a theory of everything

THESE days it seems like every physicist is an Indiana Jones on the hunt for the Holy Grail, a theory that can unite the fractured worlds of quantum mechanics and general relativity – Einstein's theory of gravity – and bring order to the universe. Some call it a "theory of everything", some call it "quantum …

Features

Earth

Burying biomass to fight climate change

Features

Heroes for hard times

Features

Health

How stem-cell advances will transform medicine

Features

Life

Sin cities: The geometry of crime

Features

More

Insider: Biotechnology under the spotlight

Insider: Biotechnology under the spotlight

Genetic modification CHRIS LEAVER has spent years talking about his work. He speaks to MPs and the media, visits schools, and attends debates, putting into practice his avowed belief that scientists who work in controversial areas must engage with other sections of society. "You need to bring the public along with you," he says. "The …

Careers

Life

Boléro: 'Beautiful symptom of a terrible disease'

Books & Arts

Life

Review: What is Life? by Ed Regis

Books & Arts

Review: Titan Unveiled by Ralph Lorenz and Jacqueline Mitton

Books & Arts

Review: Mirroring People by Marco Iacoboni

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

How to walk through walls THANKS to Ian Chapple of the European Patent Office for alerting us to the "Walking through walls training system". That is the title of US Patent Application 20060014125 , filed by John St Clair of San Juan, Puerto Rico, back in 2006. A session with a famous web search engine …

Regulars

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

The last word

Browse past issues

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