Issue 3542 | Magazine cover date: 10 May 2025

10 May 2025

Issue 3542

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On the cover

Features

How to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life

What 7 fiendishly hard puzzles tell us about the nature of mathematics

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out

News

Housework robots are a step closer as they learn to work in any home

Hijacked cicadas play music like a cyborg loudspeaker

Dark energy bombshell sparks race to find a new model of the universe

Bitter argument breaks out over controversial theory of consciousness

Best evidence yet that dolphin whistles are like a shared language

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Glowing bright rays of light from an old, open wooden dark brown treasure chest, the concept of a surprise, gift, pandora's box; Shutterstock ID 2226392419; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Mind

Science is a Pandora's box – but we should open it anyway

Comment

Health

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out

Features

Mathematics

What 7 fiendishly hard puzzles tell us about the nature of mathematics

Features

Mind

How to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life

Features

Leaders

Mind

Science is a Pandora's box – but we should open it anyway

We are often warned of the consequences of knowing too much, but even when scientific ideas have the potential to be harmful we should still seek to understand them

Comment

News

Earth

Earthquakes could be an overlooked source of underground hydrogen fuel

Laboratory measurements of crushed quartz suggest earthquakes generate huge volumes of hydrogen underground, a potential source of energy for life below the surface – and people above it

News

Technology

Housework robots are a step closer as they learn to work in any home

News

Chemistry

A new version of the periodic table could change how we measure time

News

Health

Air filters in classrooms reduce sick days by more than 10 per cent

News

Technology

Hijacked cicadas play music like a cyborg loudspeaker

News

Space

Dark energy bombshell sparks race to find a new model of the universe

News

Health

Our wounds heal slower than the cuts and scrapes of other primates

News

Environment

Microplastics could be hampering the ocean’s ability to capture carbon

News

Health

Key component of dark chocolate might have an anti-ageing effect

News

Mind

Bitter argument breaks out over controversial theory of consciousness

News

Life

How Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years without going blind

News

Health

Drugs like Wegovy can be effective at treating fatty liver disease

News

Health

Your washing machine may not actually rid clothes of harmful bacteria

News

Environment

Disastrous back-to-back heatwaves and droughts surge across Eurasia

News

Health

Innovative antivenom may work against the world's deadliest snakes

News

Health

Our cells can divide in a completely unexpected way

News

Environment

Extreme heat poses Spanish-style blackout threat to UK electrical grid

News

Health

Brain signals can change the gut microbiome in as little as 2 hours

News

Technology

Quantum computers don’t always need more qubits – just add chaos

News

Humans

Ireland's iconic megalithic tombs may have had an unexpected function

News

Life

Best evidence yet that dolphin whistles are like a shared language

News

Space

Colourful group of galaxies offers peek into history of the universe

News

Aperture

Guatemala - Tabil - Maya ladies collect corn, an essential crop that is also part of their traditional cultural heritage. Corn is used to make tortilla, served at each meal, but also soups.

Environment

These photos reveal the unique agricultural system of the Maya people

Combining sustainability, climate resilience and environmental preservation, the ancient “milpa” system of the Maya revealed in these images has been practiced for millennia

Regulars

Features

Mind

How to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life

From anger to envy, research is revealing how to shift your mental state and put bad feelings to good use – with benefits for longevity, relationships and mental health

Features

Mathematics

What 7 fiendishly hard puzzles tell us about the nature of mathematics

Features

Health

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out

Features

Culture

2YF8KFA A man takes the ice bath in frozen lake, the icy water providing a refreshing and invigorating experience during winter swimming

Health

An expert's new book unravels the amazing secrets of the vagus nerve

Kevin Tracey's authoritative look at the vagus nerve and its healing potential is comprehensive and compelling, cutting through the hype

Culture

Mathematics

Marcus du Sautoy's new book is good on maths, less so on the arts

Culture

Life

New Scientist recommends the Oscar-winning animation Flow

Culture

Environment

Climate drama Families Like Ours deserves to be a word-of-mouth hit

Culture

Cute white pet rat portrait with black background. Front on symmetrical view of face with paw under chin. Rattus norvegicus domestica.; Shutterstock ID 1198791742; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Life

What if we could experience life as another species?

In this latest instalment of our speculative column Future Chronicles, an imagined history of future inventions, Rowan Hooper explores the pros (and cons) of networking our brains with those of other animals

Comment

Mind

Can we get better at spotting when someone is lying?

Regulars

BrainTwister #72: Match up

Regulars

Tom Gauld on the joys of a sunny day

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on the moon's awkward emo phase

Regulars

Society

Don't ban kids from social media; create a site that works for them

Comment

Regulars

Comment

Would snails be better than whales for explaining big data? Maybe

Feedback's proposal that the genome of the blue whale could be used to communicate the scale of large datasets is knocked back by a reader with a radical alternative suggestion

Regulars

This week's magazine

10 May 2025

On the cover

Mind

Science is a Pandora's box – but we should open it anyway

Health

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out

Mathematics

What 7 fiendishly hard puzzles tell us about the nature of mathematics

Mind

How to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life

Table of contents

Leaders

Mind

Science is a Pandora's box – but we should open it anyway

News

Earth

Earthquakes could be an overlooked source of underground hydrogen fuel

Technology

Housework robots are a step closer as they learn to work in any home

Chemistry

A new version of the periodic table could change how we measure time

Health

Air filters in classrooms reduce sick days by more than 10 per cent

Technology

Hijacked cicadas play music like a cyborg loudspeaker

Space

Dark energy bombshell sparks race to find a new model of the universe

Health

Our wounds heal slower than the cuts and scrapes of other primates

Environment

Microplastics could be hampering the ocean’s ability to capture carbon

Health

Key component of dark chocolate might have an anti-ageing effect

Mind

Bitter argument breaks out over controversial theory of consciousness

Life

How Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years without going blind

Health

Drugs like Wegovy can be effective at treating fatty liver disease

Health

Your washing machine may not actually rid clothes of harmful bacteria

Environment

Disastrous back-to-back heatwaves and droughts surge across Eurasia

Health

Innovative antivenom may work against the world's deadliest snakes

Health

Our cells can divide in a completely unexpected way

Environment

Extreme heat poses Spanish-style blackout threat to UK electrical grid

Health

Brain signals can change the gut microbiome in as little as 2 hours

Technology

Quantum computers don’t always need more qubits – just add chaos

Humans

Ireland's iconic megalithic tombs may have had an unexpected function

Life

Best evidence yet that dolphin whistles are like a shared language

Space

Colourful group of galaxies offers peek into history of the universe

Aperture

Environment

These photos reveal the unique agricultural system of the Maya people

Features

Mind

How to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life

Mathematics

What 7 fiendishly hard puzzles tell us about the nature of mathematics

Health

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out

Culture

Health

An expert's new book unravels the amazing secrets of the vagus nerve

Mathematics

Marcus du Sautoy's new book is good on maths, less so on the arts

Life

New Scientist recommends the Oscar-winning animation Flow

Environment

Climate drama Families Like Ours deserves to be a word-of-mouth hit

More