FROM THE EDITOR

The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve come

A fresh new look

AMBALANGODA, SRI LANKA

High-tech chandeliers

EHNINGEN, GERMANY

Spilt milk

FRENCH POLYNESIA

FEEDBACK

YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND OUR MAGAZINE

Mathematicians declare a new class of shape

Not like your typical circle or square, the flexible ‘soft cell’ is seen throughout nature

Largest ever black hole jet pair discovered in the distant Universe

The finding may help to shed light on the formation of early galaxies

The carbon footprints of the super-rich are much bigger than we thought

It’s likely we’ve grossly underestimated the super-rich’s share of responsibility for the climate crisis

The hidden obstacle sabotaging every decision you make

You may not realise it, but your brain assumes you know everything – and that could be creating conflict in your life

Strange space discovery could finally unlock the mystery of dark matter

Surprising traces of antimatter may reopen the search for WIMPs

Octopuses punch fish to keep them in order

The fisticuffs occur during cooperative hunting trips

Drinking bottled water is much worse for you than water from a tap

Think bottled water is safer than tap water? Think again

When are we moving to Mars?

With wars raging and environmental collapse on the horizon, the idea of escaping to start again on another planet is gaining appeal. Both NASA and the Chinese are working on lunar bases. But how soon before the rest of us can take to the stars? And what about the planet we’d leave behind?

Food processing isn’t necessarily a bad thing

COMMENT

Here’s how the Sun will end all life on Earth

COMMENT

The real reasons women are losing more sleep than men

COMMENT

Mega-buildings are now slowing Earth’s spin. Here’s what that means for the planet

REVIEW

Why you should never take health advice from a 100-year-old

Living longer is a goal for many of us. But should we be following the lifestyles of those that live past 100?

I TRIED PROF DAVID NUTT’S HANGOVER-FREE ALCOHOL ALTERNATIVE OF THE FUTURE

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

TIKTOK SHOP: INSIDE DE THE CHEAP MARKETPLACE

The TikTok Shop sells tech at unbeatably low prices. But does any of it measure up to the more expensive equivalents? Alex Hughes finds out

IDEAS WE LIKE…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

IDEAS WE DON’T LIKE...

…A FACE-SCANNING DOOR LOCK Lock and key

ARE WE THE ONLY SPECIES TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A STONE AGE?

GETTY IMAGES X2 ILLUSTRATION: NATALIA KOKKINOS The Stone

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

PETE LAWRENCE Astronomy DR HELEN PILCHER Nature

WHAT’S THE STRONGEST ACID IN THE WORLD?

In movies, a strong acid is something that’ll

WHY DOES MY ARM AND LEG HAIR HAVE GROWTH LIMITS, BUT MY HEAD HAIR DOESN’T?

Human hair growth is regulated by cycles. Each

THE LUNGFISH

In 1836, European scientists discovered a peculiar animal

HOW CAN I TELL IF I’VE GOT HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by glands in

WHAT IS MEXICO’S BLUE HOLE?

The world’s deepest blue hole (marine sinkhole) lies

WHAT MAKES THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET SO GOOD FOR US?

The Mediterranean diet may help you live longer,

YOU CAN BE DECLARED DEAD, BUT CAN YOU BE DECLARED ALIVE?

Most people are declared alive by their birth

HOW TO SEE: MARS AND THE BEEHIVE

WHEN: NOVEMBER/EARLY WINTER

SHOULD I BE POURING CASTOR OIL INTO MY BELLY BUTTON?

People pouring castor oil into their belly buttons

IS IT SAFE TO RUN EVERY DAY, OR SHOULD I DITCH MY RUN STREAK TO SAVE MY KNEES?

A running streak, where you run every day

COULD MARINE CLOUD BRIGHTENING HELP US FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE?

NASA, GETTY IMAGES ILLUSTRATION: NATALIA KOKKINOS The theory

HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN A SPECIES IS GENUINELY NEW?

We know because of three little letters…

LINES IN THE SAND

How artificial intelligence is shedding light on the biggest mystery in archaeology

WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT… WITH OIL

Could swilling cooking oil around your mouth really help your oral hygiene?

Gene‒editing discovery could reverse ageing

GENETICS

GHOST DETECTOR

Currently under construction, the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is set to unlock the secrets of nature’s most elusive subatomic particle: the neutrino. It may ultimately provide the missing pieces of the unified ‘Theory of Everything’

MUSIC FOR A DISTRACTED GENERATION

The number of things competing for our attention is often overwhelming. Can dreamy soundscapes created with neuroscience help our bewildered brains to concentrate?

THE INTERNET OF ANIMALS

SCIENTISTS ARE USING ELECTRONIC TAGS AND SATELLITES TO TRACK WILD ANIMALS AND CREATE A DATA NETWORK THAT COULD HELP US ADDRESS THE BIODIVERSITY CRISIS

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM REBOOT

IGNORE THE PSEUDO-SCIENCE SUPPLEMENTS PROMISING TO CRUSH INFLAMMATION AND WARD OFF ILLNESS. HERE’S THE TRUTH ABOUT RECALIBRATING YOUR BODY’S DEFENCES FOR LONG-TERM HEALTH AND LONGEVITY

GOOD COP, BAD COP

AN IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT FIGHTS ONLY WHEN NEEDED IS GREAT. BUT AN IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT’S STUCK WAGING A CONSTANT WAR COULD BE DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD

SECURE YOUR PERIMETER

SOME ENEMIES WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY IN, BUT THERE ARE SIMPLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO FORTIFY YOUR DEFENCES

THYMUS LAST WORDS

THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT YOUR THYMUS IS ‘OVER THE HILL’ BY THE TIME YOU TURN 30. BUT THERE ARE TREATMENTS IN DEVELOPMENT THAT MIGHT GIVE THIS KEY PART OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

TURN IT OFF AND ON AGAIN

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, HIT ‘RESTORE TO FACTORY SETTINGS’. IF IT WORKS FOR SMARTPHONES, COULD IT WORK FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM?

RALLY THE TROOPS

TO WIN ANY BATTLE YOU NEED TO CALIBRATE YOUR FORCES TO THE PARTICULAR ADVERSARY YOU FACE AND ENSURE THEY’RE ALL AIMING FOR THE CORRECT TARGET

Should we scrap daylight saving time?

THE BIG QUESTION