Issue 3543 | Magazine cover date: 17 May 2025

17 May 2025

Issue 3543

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On the cover

Culture

Grisly new book reveals what zombie insects can teach us

Features

The bold attempt to solve the toughest mystery at the heart of physics

The wild idea that we all get nutrients from the air that we breathe

Surprising insights into the causes of PMDD promise better treatments

News

Major US cities like New York and Seattle are sinking at a rapid rate

Europe increasingly vulnerable to hailstones the size of golfballs

All living things emit an eerie glow that is snuffed out upon death

How ancient humans survived a global climate disaster 8200 years ago

Alien megastructures would likely self-destruct before we spot them

Analysis

Does intermittent fasting improve gut health? Why it’s hard to say

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Health

The complexity of female sex hormones calls for more science, not less

Comment

Physics

The bold attempt to solve the toughest mystery at the heart of physics

Features

A Person Standing In A Foggy Rainforest BY Daniel Ernst Image ID: #14980

Health

The wild idea that we all get nutrients from the air that we breathe

Features

Health

Surprising insights into the causes of PMDD promise better treatments

Features

Leaders

Health

The complexity of female sex hormones calls for more science, not less

Women were historically excluded from health studies on the grounds that hormone fluctuations introduced "noise" into the data, and this has left us with a lack of understanding about a range of conditions

Comment

News

Technology

Quantum computers could protect our data from quantum computers

A powerful enough quantum computer could crack the encryption methods currently used to protect data around the world, but the solution might be a quantum algorithm once thought to be completely useless

News

Earth

Landslide rescuers to get help from rapid analysis of seismic data

News

Environment

A clean energy source may be lurking beneath mountain ranges

News

Health

Shingles vaccine linked with lower risk of many common heart problems

News

Physics

Nothing is stronger than quantum connections – and now we know why

News

Health

Chronic pain could be eased by learning to regulate negative emotions

News

Life

The birds upending our idea of shared parenting

News

Earth

99.999 per cent of the deep seabed remains unexplored by humans

News

Environment

Major US cities like New York and Seattle are sinking at a rapid rate

News

Life

Strange microbes give clues to the ancestor of all complex life

News

Health

Dementia cases are rising faster in China than the rest of the world

News

Life

Chimps share 'building blocks of musical rhythm' with humans

News

Environment

Europe increasingly vulnerable to hailstones the size of golfballs

News

Life

All living things emit an eerie glow that is snuffed out upon death

News

Life

Exquisite new-to-science frog species has golden legs and odd habits

News

Space

Was a famous supernova an alien invader from another galaxy?

News

Humans

How ancient humans survived a global climate disaster 8200 years ago

News

Health

Migraine drug that treats headache also eases symptoms like dizziness

News

Space

Alien megastructures would likely self-destruct before we spot them

News

Health

Parkinson's disease could be detected by listening to someone's voice

News

Life

Fossil tracks rewrite history of animals leaving water to live on land

News

Environment

See how the driest early spring in 69 years has parched a UK reservoir

News

Analysis

Health

Does intermittent fasting improve gut health? Why it’s hard to say

While intermittent fasting may be growing in popularity, relatively little is known about how it impacts our gut microbiome – for better or for worse

News

Aperture

Life

Remarkable photos highlight the haunting resilience of nature

Acclaimed photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier showcase a changing planet as part of the Photo London photography fair

Regulars

Features

Physics

The bold attempt to solve the toughest mystery at the heart of physics

Finding out whether gravity – and therefore space-time itself – is quantum in nature has long been thought impossible. But innovative new ideas might be about to help answer this crucial question

Features

Health

The wild idea that we all get nutrients from the air that we breathe

Features

Health

Surprising insights into the causes of PMDD promise better treatments

Features

Culture

EWXH9C THE MARTIAN (2015) MATT DAMON RIDLEY SCOTT (DIR)

Space

A doe-eyed look at space exploration is inadequate for the zeitgeist

In highly politicised times, is living off-world something we should entertain, let alone do? Adriana Marais's futurist dream Out of This World and Into the Next feels tone deaf

Culture

Life

Grisly new book reveals what zombie insects can teach us

Culture

Humans

New Scientist recommends Curious Cures: Medicine in the medieval world

Culture

Earth

Joshua Oppenheimer's The End is a superb musical set in the end times

Culture

2T1GT7B Artwork of Accelerating Universe

Physics

How dark energy findings may inspire a new generation of physics nerds

The discovery of the cosmic acceleration problem truly inspired me as a teenage physics nerd. Recent, related revelations about dark energy will hopefully capture the interest of today’s young science geeks, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Comment

Space

Already know the Big Dipper? There's more to this group of stars

Regulars

BrainTwister #73: Square dance

Regulars

Technology

When it comes to crime, you can't algorithm your way to safety

Comment

Tom Gauld on giving credit where it's due

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on a cunning new strategy to avoid extinction

Regulars

Comment

Who needs Eurovision when we have the Dance Your PhD contest?

As Eurovision looms, Feedback enjoys discovering more about the winners of this year's Dance Your PhD contest, who have an original take on chemesthesis, the sense that detects the heat of chillies and the coolness of menthol

Regulars

This week's magazine

17 May 2025

On the cover

Health

The complexity of female sex hormones calls for more science, not less

Physics

The bold attempt to solve the toughest mystery at the heart of physics

Health

The wild idea that we all get nutrients from the air that we breathe

Health

Surprising insights into the causes of PMDD promise better treatments

Table of contents

Leaders

Health

The complexity of female sex hormones calls for more science, not less

News

Technology

Quantum computers could protect our data from quantum computers

Earth

Landslide rescuers to get help from rapid analysis of seismic data

Environment

A clean energy source may be lurking beneath mountain ranges

Health

Shingles vaccine linked with lower risk of many common heart problems

Physics

Nothing is stronger than quantum connections – and now we know why

Health

Chronic pain could be eased by learning to regulate negative emotions

Life

The birds upending our idea of shared parenting

Earth

99.999 per cent of the deep seabed remains unexplored by humans

Environment

Major US cities like New York and Seattle are sinking at a rapid rate

Life

Strange microbes give clues to the ancestor of all complex life

Health

Dementia cases are rising faster in China than the rest of the world

Life

Chimps share 'building blocks of musical rhythm' with humans

Environment

Europe increasingly vulnerable to hailstones the size of golfballs

Life

All living things emit an eerie glow that is snuffed out upon death

Life

Exquisite new-to-science frog species has golden legs and odd habits

Space

Was a famous supernova an alien invader from another galaxy?

Humans

How ancient humans survived a global climate disaster 8200 years ago

Health

Migraine drug that treats headache also eases symptoms like dizziness

Space

Alien megastructures would likely self-destruct before we spot them

Health

Parkinson's disease could be detected by listening to someone's voice

Life

Fossil tracks rewrite history of animals leaving water to live on land

Environment

See how the driest early spring in 69 years has parched a UK reservoir

Analysis

Health

Does intermittent fasting improve gut health? Why it’s hard to say

Aperture

Life

Remarkable photos highlight the haunting resilience of nature

Features

Physics

The bold attempt to solve the toughest mystery at the heart of physics

Health

The wild idea that we all get nutrients from the air that we breathe

Health

Surprising insights into the causes of PMDD promise better treatments

Culture

Space

A doe-eyed look at space exploration is inadequate for the zeitgeist

Life

Grisly new book reveals what zombie insects can teach us

Humans

New Scientist recommends Curious Cures: Medicine in the medieval world