This week's magazine
1 October 2022
Issue 3406
On the cover
Editor's picks
Health
We are finally waking up to the causes of insomnia and how to treat it
Health
We are finally waking up to the causes of insomnia and how to treat it
Humans
Piecing together the story of ancient glass after the Beirut explosion
Humans
Rebecca Wragg Sykes on the objects that reveal the Neanderthal mind
Table of contents
News
Environment
RSPB and other nature charities raise alarm over UK government plans
Plans to relax planning laws in "investment zones" in parts of England and to abandon a scheme that rewards farmers for protecting wildlife are being widely condemned by environmentalists, including the Wildlife Trusts, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and National Trust
Environment
Brazilian election will determine the future of the Amazon rainforest
Health
Gene therapy infused into the brain eases rare condition in children
Space
Bubble of hot electrons seen hurtling around our galaxy’s black hole
Environment
Decarbonising the shipping industry will cost more than $1 trillion
Life
Web of blood vessels helps protect whales’ brains while swimming
Technology
Robot navigates indoors by tracking anomalies in magnetic fields
Space
JWST has captured an astonishing view of Neptune and its rings
Health
Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to almost 200 genetic variants
Physics
What’s the best recipe for bubble mixture? ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´s have the answer
Environment
Guatemala’s rainforest is expanding thanks to community efforts
Technology
Spoofing cyberattack can make cameras see things that aren’t there
Life
Sperm move in packs like cyclists to push through thick vaginal fluid
Space
Earth’s algae and moss could survive under the light of another star
Life
Bowhead whales live longer thanks to mutation that also shrinks testes
Technology
A third of scientists working on AI say it could cause global disaster
Space
Astronomers trace fireball in Earth’s skies to space rock that made it
Life
Cheetahs are back in India but conservationists have doubts over plan
Space
Enceladus shown to have all six of the essential elements for life
Health
Your gut microbes may influence how ill you get with malaria
Life
Lemurs hug tree trunks to cool down when temperatures top 30°C
Physics
Engine based on Maxwell’s demon concept may help us understand entropy
Technology
Too many electric cars charging at night may overload electrical grid
Environment
Bananas threatened by devastating fungus given temporary resistance
Humans
DNA records reveal mass migration from Europe into Anglo-Saxon Britain
Analysis
Environment
Wild boar appear destructive, but they make excellent conservationists
Keystone species such as wild boar, eagles and lynx were managing the planet quite well for millions of years before humans got involved. We must cherish them, says Benedict Macdonald
Space
The cosmos doesn’t work to my research schedule – but that’s OK
Features
Health
We are finally waking up to the causes of insomnia and how to treat it
Millions of people struggle with insomnia, but the sleep disorder is now a solvable problem – and the most effective therapy might involve your smartphone rather than sleeping pills
Health
We are finally waking up to the causes of insomnia and how to treat it
Humans
Rebecca Wragg Sykes on the objects that reveal the Neanderthal mind
Humans
Piecing together the story of ancient glass after the Beirut explosion
Culture
Humans
Anti-Body review: Exploring our transhuman future with dance
Who and what will we become as the future unfolds? Anti-Body at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London is a dance work that uses motion-capture tech to show how our influence extends beyond our physical bodies into the digital world
Humans
The Seed Detective review: Why we must save rare vegetables
Humans
Don’t Miss: Take part in a sci-fi adventure at London’s Science Museum
Humans
All That Breathes review: Rescuing raptors in Delhi
More
Regulars
Do men and women prefer different nose-based gestures?
Feedback digs into the latest nasal-centric investigations, while also exploring the compellingly odd ratio of The Line, a new Saudi Arabian city that is planned to be 200 metres wide and 170 kilometres long