Issue 3339 | Magazine cover date: 19 June 2021

This week's magazine

19 June 2021

Issue 3339

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On the cover

Features

The essential guide to the algorithms that run your life

The biggest flaw in human decision-making – and how to fix it

Inside the race to rescue clues to Earth’s past from melting glaciers

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A single honeybee has cloned itself hundreds of millions of times

Quantum microscope can examine cells in unprecedented detail

Thousands of mysterious radio signals blast through the universe daily

China's Zhurong Mars rover took a group selfie with its lander

Your dog may not like you as much as you think it does

You can catch covid-19 twice, but the second bout is likely to be mild

Analysis

Calories on food packets are wrong – it's time to change that

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Technology

We must all learn more about the algorithms that shape our daily lives

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Earth

Inside the race to rescue clues to Earth’s past from melting glaciers

Features

Technology

The essential guide to the algorithms that run your life

Features

Humans

The biggest flaw in human decision-making – and how to fix it

Features

Leaders

Technology

We must all learn more about the algorithms that shape our daily lives

IT IS hard to go a single day without hearing about the two huge crises that humanity is grappling with right now, the covid-19 pandemic and the climate emergency. In both cases, science and technology have been crucial in identifying the problems and their possible solutions. Those two issues might seem like quite enough to …

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Environment

Slump in electronics sales due to pandemic could help tackle e-waste

E-waste at a recycling plant in Massachusetts The covid-19 pandemic has caused a slump in the sale of electronic devices and a resulting fall in electronic waste, UN researchers have found. This may offer governments an opportunity to improve e-waste recycling , but the decline in sales has mostly affected poorer countries, which could widen …

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Space

Wind from supermassive black holes may help small galaxies thrive

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Life

Whale that travelled halfway around the world sets migration record

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Life

A single honeybee has cloned itself hundreds of millions of times

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Technology

Quantum microscope can examine cells in unprecedented detail

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Space

Thousands of mysterious radio signals blast through the universe daily

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Technology

Google is using AI to design processors that run AI more efficiently

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Life

Many female animals are evolving to look more attractive to mates

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Health

Laughing gas has shown potential as a treatment for depression

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Life

Some early land-dwelling amphibians evolved back into aquatic species

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Chemistry

Robotic chemist may be able to recreate Earth’s primordial soup

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Technology

DARPA drone interceptor seems to be armed with a form of Silly String

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Health

Zero-covid countries have done best and it's not too late to switch

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Earth

Uttarakhand flood was caused by rare rock and glacier avalanche

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Life

The deep sea hosts twice as many shapes of fish as shallow waters

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Space

Dark matter is slowing down the slab of stars at our galaxy’s centre

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Space

China's Zhurong Mars rover took a group selfie with its lander

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Physics

Merging galaxies throw shade on alternative dark matter theory

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Health

Dogs that detect seizures may be sniffing out the scent of human fear

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Life

Fox-breeding experiment suggests domestication can boost brain size

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Life

Female seahorses cheat on their mate when they can no longer smell him

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Health

Delta variant doubles risk of covid-19 hospitalisations, study shows

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Life

Your dog may not like you as much as you think it does

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Health

You can catch covid-19 twice, but the second bout is likely to be mild

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Analysis

Health

We are witnessing an accelerated shift in how people view food

IN OUR information-saturated digital age , where we can pick and choose our own narrative about how the world works, I have often wondered if this has an impact on the rate of cultural change. As an ethnobotanist trained to study our cultural attitude towards plants and their uses, I have been witnessing with total …

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Health

Calories on food packets are wrong – it's time to change that

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Aperture

Space

NASA image captures powerful energy at the heart of the Milky Way

Source X-ray: NASA/CXC/UMass/Q.D. Wang; Radio: NRF/SARAO/MeerKAT POWERFUL threads of energy interweave at the heart of the Milky Way in this spectacular image released by NASA. It is designed to give a broader view of the centre of our galaxy and provide insight into solar weather. The image was created using data from two telescopes : …

Regulars

Features

Technology

The essential guide to the algorithms that run your life

From shaping what we read and buy to diagnosing illness, algorithms play a key role in every aspect of our lives. Here’s what you need to know about the most important ones

Features

Humans

The biggest flaw in human decision-making – and how to fix it

Features

Earth

Inside the race to rescue clues to Earth’s past from melting glaciers

Features

Culture

David Attenborough pictured in the Maasai Mara, Kenya

Environment

Breaking Boundaries review: Attenborough on climate change facts

David Attenborough pictured in the Maasai Mara, Kenya For most of David Attenborough’s 70-odd years on television, the question of life and death has been framed in terms of predator versus prey. It is only relatively recently that his documentaries have started to address the danger of the climate crisis confronting us all. In last …

Culture

Humans

How an activist from Malawi changed the minds of US climate sceptics

Culture

Humans

Don’t Miss: Fantastic Beasts at London’s Natural History Museum

Culture

Humans

Parallel review: A multiverse movie packed with sharp ideas

Culture

Humans

How gardeners can help plant-eating insects instead of killing them

AS MOST of the UK recovers from a frigid April and a soggy May, its gardens are starting to perk up. That means so are caterpillars, aphids such as greenflies, and other plant-feeding invertebrates generally seen as the gardener's foes. A common reaction to seeing prized plants covered with bugs is to reach for the …

Regulars

Puzzle #118: Can you help Alice find the right box for her artwork?

Regulars

Tom Gauld: The four types of discovery

Regulars

Twisteddoodles: 'Which of my features do you require right now?'

Regulars

That time the weather was forecast to be 152 degrees

Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more

Regulars

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This week's magazine

19 June 2021

On the cover

Technology

We must all learn more about the algorithms that shape our daily lives

Earth

Inside the race to rescue clues to Earth’s past from melting glaciers

Technology

The essential guide to the algorithms that run your life

Humans

The biggest flaw in human decision-making – and how to fix it

Table of contents

Leaders

Technology

We must all learn more about the algorithms that shape our daily lives

51����

Environment

Slump in electronics sales due to pandemic could help tackle e-waste

Space

Wind from supermassive black holes may help small galaxies thrive

Life

Whale that travelled halfway around the world sets migration record

Life

A single honeybee has cloned itself hundreds of millions of times

Technology

Quantum microscope can examine cells in unprecedented detail

Space

Thousands of mysterious radio signals blast through the universe daily

Technology

Google is using AI to design processors that run AI more efficiently

Life

Many female animals are evolving to look more attractive to mates

Health

Laughing gas has shown potential as a treatment for depression

Life

Some early land-dwelling amphibians evolved back into aquatic species

Chemistry

Robotic chemist may be able to recreate Earth’s primordial soup

Technology

DARPA drone interceptor seems to be armed with a form of Silly String

Health

Zero-covid countries have done best and it's not too late to switch

Earth

Uttarakhand flood was caused by rare rock and glacier avalanche

Life

The deep sea hosts twice as many shapes of fish as shallow waters

Space

Dark matter is slowing down the slab of stars at our galaxy’s centre

Space

China's Zhurong Mars rover took a group selfie with its lander

Physics

Merging galaxies throw shade on alternative dark matter theory

Health

Dogs that detect seizures may be sniffing out the scent of human fear

Life

Fox-breeding experiment suggests domestication can boost brain size

Life

Female seahorses cheat on their mate when they can no longer smell him

Health

Delta variant doubles risk of covid-19 hospitalisations, study shows

Life

Your dog may not like you as much as you think it does

Health

You can catch covid-19 twice, but the second bout is likely to be mild

Analysis

Health

We are witnessing an accelerated shift in how people view food

Health

Calories on food packets are wrong – it's time to change that

Aperture

Space

NASA image captures powerful energy at the heart of the Milky Way

Features

Technology

The essential guide to the algorithms that run your life

Humans

The biggest flaw in human decision-making – and how to fix it

Earth

Inside the race to rescue clues to Earth’s past from melting glaciers

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