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This week's magazine

18 May 2024

Issue 3491

New Scientist issue 3491 cover
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Editor's picks

Why it's vital we fight prejudices about the elderly once and for all

Health

Why it's vital we fight prejudices about the elderly once and for all

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An older woman with white hair holds a magnifying glass up to her face, showing a younger woman with brown hair. How we view ageing can change how we age ourselves

Mind

How overcoming negative attitudes to ageing can make you live longer

Features
We are about to hear echoes in the fabric of space for the first time

Space

We are about to hear echoes in the fabric of space for the first time

Features
Black or Guatemalan Howler Monkey, alouatta pigra or caraya, sitting on a tree in Belize jungle and howling like crazy. They are also found in Mexico and Guatemala.; Shutterstock ID 650139160; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Environment

How an audacious sonic survey could help revive damaged rainforests

Features

Table of contents

Leaders

Why it's vital we fight prejudices about the elderly once and for all

Health

Why it's vital we fight prejudices about the elderly once and for all

Ageism is a widespread global prejudice. It's about time we started acknowledging our unconscious bias towards old age – not least because our own future health depends on it

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Technology

Hackers can steal data by messing with a computer's processor

Software that has been blocked from connecting to the internet should be secure from hacking attempts, but now researchers have found a way to sneak data out by varying the speed of the computer's processor

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Environment

Renewables supply 30 per cent of global electricity for the first time

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Technology

DeepMind AI can predict how drugs interact with proteins

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Life

Sperm whale clicks could be the closest thing to a human language yet

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Life

Longest-living cat breeds revealed by life expectancy study

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Physics

Fusion reactors could create ingredients for a nuclear weapon in weeks

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Health

Flu vaccine for children linked to pneumonia risk for their relatives

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Space

Mars is blasting plasma out of its atmosphere into space

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Life

Monkeys can learn to tap to the beat of the Backstreet Boys

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Life

Pigs seem less stressed if their barn is scented with lavender

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Mathematics

Game theory shows we can never learn perfectly from our mistakes

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Space

Invisible 'dark radiation' may explain a big problem with dark energy

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Technology

DeepMind is experimenting with a nearly indestructible robot hand

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Health

Heavy or painful menstrual periods are linked to worse exam results

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Humans

Oldest known human viruses found hidden within Neanderthal bones

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Health

Extreme exercise may help you live longer without stressing your heart

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Health

Having more children protects parents’ brains from age-related decline

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Space

Dozens of stars show signs of hosting advanced alien civilisations

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Space

Mystery of 'impossible' star resolved by three-body solution

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Humans

Did humans evolve to chase down prey over long distances?

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Environment

Sticky oil sprayed onto plants offers alternative to pesticides

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Health

Edible gel prevents and treats alcohol intoxication in mice

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Analysis

Life

Can genetically modifying a rare marsupial save it from extinction?

Researchers are aiming to make the northern quoll resistant to the toxic cane toads wiping it out in Australia, but little progress has been made

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Health

Does using the internet make us happier or sadder?

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Mind

How the US used science to wage psychological war

Comment

Environment

Why a new literary prize for climate fiction will make a difference

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Aperture

India - Sikkim - Farmers removing the hull from the rice in a paddy field located in the outskirts of Gangtok.

Environment

Take a photographic tour around the world's first fully organic state

All farmland in the Indian state of Sikkim, shown in these images, has been certified organic since 2016, and local authorities say the change is already improving wildlife populations and the area's arid soil

Regulars

Features

Black or Guatemalan Howler Monkey, alouatta pigra or caraya, sitting on a tree in Belize jungle and howling like crazy. They are also found in Mexico and Guatemala.; Shutterstock ID 650139160; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Environment

How an audacious sonic survey could help revive damaged rainforests

The world’s largest "ecoacoustic" survey, listening to Costa Rican rainforests, could pave the way for a network of sensors listening to the planet’s biodiversity in real time

Features

Space

We are about to hear echoes in the fabric of space for the first time

Features

Mind

How overcoming negative attitudes to ageing can make you live longer

Features

Culture

Mammals,28-04-2024,Heat,5 - Heat,Elephants, Zebra and Springbok gather in high densities at one of the dwindling waterholes in Etosha Salt pan, Namibia. ,BBC Studios,Screen Grab

Comment

Attenborough dominates our pick of 2024's best documentaries to date

Enjoy the year's top documentaries so far, including David Attenborough on the rise of the mammals and a profile of Victor Glover, soon to be the first Black astronaut to orbit the moon

Culture

Comment

The man transforming data from two dramatic storms into music

Culture

Comment

Creativity's origins are probably too complex for simple explanations

Culture

More

Young african american woman and caucasian men sitting on benches in the London city and having fun discussion. Commuters on break.

Society

Dear David: How do I reconnect with old friends?

The research shows that getting back in touch with old friends is easier, and more welcome, than you might think, says David Robson, in his new evidence-based advice column

Regulars

BrainTwister #20: Factor-finding mission

Regulars

Tom Gauld on cars of the future

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on a scientific study into procrastination

Regulars

Regulars

Beans, beans, do they really make you fart? 51¶¯Âþs investigate

Beans, beans, do they really make you fart? 51¶¯Âþs investigate

Feedback gets wind of new research into flatulence, and reminds us all of past studies into "the gas-producing ability of Boston baked beans"

Regulars

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

The last word

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