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This week's magazine

13 July 2024

Issue 3499

New Scientist issue 3499 cover
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Editor's picks

Quantum computer isolated on black. Golden gear, quantum computing, quantum cryptography, steampunk, Q bits, parallel computing. 3D illustration, 3D render; Shutterstock ID 2218001269; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Technology

Governments bans on quantum computer exports have no basis in science

Leader

Free
How a simple physics experiment could reveal the “dark dimension”

Physics

How a simple physics experiment could reveal the “dark dimension”

Features

Subscriber-only
Why did humans evolve big brains? A new idea bodes ill for our future

Humans

Why did humans evolve big brains? A new idea bodes ill for our future

Features

Subscriber-only
The vital viruses that shape your microbiome and your health

Health

The vital viruses that shape your microbiome and your health

Features

Subscriber-only

Table of contents

Leaders

Quantum computer isolated on black. Golden gear, quantum computing, quantum cryptography, steampunk, Q bits, parallel computing. 3D illustration, 3D render; Shutterstock ID 2218001269; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Technology

Governments bans on quantum computer exports have no basis in science

Several nations around the world have placed arbitrary limits on the export of quantum computers, despite today's devices having little practical use. The restrictions are counterproductive and at odds with the scientific method

Leader

Free

News

Technology

Multiple nations enact mysterious export controls on quantum computers

Identical wording placing limits on the export of quantum computers has appeared in regulations across the globe. There doesn't seem to be any scientific reason for the controls, and all can be traced to secret international discussions

News

Free

The small-spotted catshark, sandy dogfish, lesser-spotted dogfish, Rough-hound, Morgay (Scyliorhinus canicula).; Shutterstock ID 1668575857; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Life

More than 100 shark species may face major population declines by 2100

News

Free

Physics

Incredibly complex mazes discovered in structure of bizarre crystals

News

Free

Humans

Ancient Denisovans hunted snow leopards on the Tibetan plateau

News

Free

Aerial view of south London including London Bridge, The Shard skyscraper and River Thame

Environment

Making roofs white or reflective is the best way to keep a city cool

News

Free

Technology

Google creates self-replicating life from digital 'primordial soup'

News

Subscriber-only

Technology

Computer viruses can spread by using ChatGPT to write sneaky emails

News

Subscriber-only

Average facial temperatures of 50-60-year old women ageing slowly (left), as predicted (middle) or fast (right)

Health

The temperature of your face could help diagnose medical conditions

News

Subscriber-only

Humans

50,000-year-old picture of a pig is the oldest known narrative art

News

Free

Life

Vivid snake species with blue lips and yellow eyes is new to science

News

Free

Environment

'Butter' made from CO2 could pave the way for food without farming

News

Subscriber-only

2X4A38G Roasted pistachio in bowl. Healthy snack, vegetarian food full of protein, beer snack.

Mathematics

Physicists figured out the ideal container size for pistachio shells

News

Subscriber-only

Environment

Flower farm could supply nickel for electric vehicle batteries

News

Subscriber-only

Chemistry

Weird form of 'dangling' ice spotted in space for the first time

News

Subscriber-only

Humans

Britain saw centuries of economic growth under Roman rule

News

Free

Health

Gene therapy could prevent the tau tangles linked with Alzheimer's

News

Subscriber-only

Life

Stunning blue-skinned frog is a rare genetic mutant

News

Free

Analysis

Environment

Thousands of US dams may be unprepared for extreme rain

Many dams in the US were designed decades ago using estimates of precipitation based on outdated science – and that makes them more vulnerable to warming-driven extreme weather

Analysis

Subscriber-only

Health

Is ultra-processed food unhealthy? Here's why no one can agree

Analysis

Subscriber-only

What would Earth look like in 25 years? I asked the experts

Earth

What would Earth look like in 25 years? I asked the experts

Comment

Subscriber-only

Why taking our grief out into nature can help us heal

Mind

Why taking our grief out into nature can help us heal

Comment

Subscriber-only

Aperture

Arctic Dragon ? Carina Letelier Baeza (Chile) This impressive aurora, which seemingly takes the form of a dragon, was the result of a geomagnetic storm (level G2) generated by a coronal mass ejection. The photo was captured at the Arctic Henge, which was one of the only places in Iceland with clear skies that night. Taken with a Nikon D810A camera, 14 mm f/1.8, ISO 6,400, 2.5-second exposure Location: Raufarh?fn, Iceland, 25 February 2023

Space

These stunning images made the shortlist for space photo competition

See some of the dazzling pictures that were shortlisted for the annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition

Regulars

Free

Features

Why did humans evolve big brains? A new idea bodes ill for our future

Humans

Why did humans evolve big brains? A new idea bodes ill for our future

Recent fossil finds suggest that big brains weren't an evolutionary asset to our ancestors but evolved by accident – and are likely to shrink again in the near future

Features

Subscriber-only

The vital viruses that shape your microbiome and your health

Health

The vital viruses that shape your microbiome and your health

Features

Subscriber-only

How a simple physics experiment could reveal the “dark dimension”

Physics

How a simple physics experiment could reveal the “dark dimension”

Features

Subscriber-only

Culture

Why do teenagers take such risks? A new book has some answers

Comment

Why do teenagers take such risks? A new book has some answers

An eye-opening new book by psychologist Lucy Foulkes lifts the lid on the surprisingly rational strategies behind the risky behaviours of adolescence, finds Catherine de Lange

Culture

Subscriber-only

Futuristic sci-fi flying cars fly over the night wet highway, through the night city. The concept of the future. 3D Rendering; Shutterstock ID 1555294988; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Comment

Why many inventions, from flying cars to smart robots, fail to launch

Culture

Subscriber-only

All Systems Red

Comment

New Scientist recommends Martha Wells's sci-fi novella All Systems Red

Culture

Subscriber-only

Episode 2. Rashida Jones in

Comment

Cute housebot Sunny lures us into an intriguing and flawed TV show

Culture

Subscriber-only

More

partial view of gardener in apron cutting rose with pruning shears; Shutterstock ID 692944225; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Life

Why you shouldn't believe claims you can grow a rose in a potato

Social media assures us that we can grow a rose cutting in a raw potato. But you're better off sticking with tried and tested methods of rose propagation, says James Wong

Regulars

Subscriber-only

BrainTwister #28: Dice differences

BrainTwister #28: Dice differences

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Tom Gauld:

Tom Gauld: "How are your experiments going?"

Regulars

Free

Twisteddoodles on a cute new addition to the team

Twisteddoodles on a cute new addition to the team

Regulars

Free

Regulars

'Unprecedented and inconceivable': pylon falls over after nuts removed

'Unprecedented and inconceivable': pylon falls over after nuts removed

Feedback wonders if a little engineering knowhow might have come in handy in Glorit, New Zealand, where procedures were seemingly ignored during maintenance of an electrical power pylon

Regulars

Free

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

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