This week's magazine
18 March 2017
Issue 3117
On the cover
Editor's picks
91É«Ç鯬
Backyard gene editing risks creating a monster
Physics
How dark matter lost its shine for me
Environment
How dogs are helping decode the genetic roots of personality
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Neuroleaks: The secret dialogue between brain and body
Physics
Rules of attraction: Why it’s time to rethink how gravity works
Table of contents
Leaders
News
Australia to ban unvaccinated children from preschool
The government wants 95 per cent of Australian children vaccinated – a level that would stop infectious diseases spreading and protect those who can’t be vaccinated
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A sixth of Americans to lack health insurance by 2026
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Swedish men on target to be first to completely stub out smoking
Technology
Web creator Tim Berners-Lee speaks out on fake news
Earth
60 Seconds
Earth
Indian Ocean version of El Niño behind drought in East Africa
Space
NASA’s new budget is big on other worlds but ignores our own
Earth
EPA boss says carbon dioxide not primary cause of climate change
91É«Ç鯬
Mosaic problem stands in the way of gene editing embryos
Technology
Rear-view helmet vision may help avert motorbike accidents
Environment
Never-before-seen gatherings of hundreds of humpback whales
Physics
Cooling to absolute zero mathematically outlawed after a century
91É«Ç鯬
Mystery brain particles may link head injuries to dementia
Earth
Metabolism may be older than life itself and start spontaneously
Humans
Video game beta test reveals how we might act if the world ends
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People with no mind’s eye may help us boost our creativity
Environment
Dogs use deception to get what they want from humans (a sausage)
Space
TRAPPIST-1 worlds are close enough for life to hop between them
91É«Ç鯬
Robot that shows pain could teach doctors to recognise it better
Life
Five designer chromosomes bring synthetic life a step closer
Humans
Machine learning reveals lack of female screen time in top films
Asteroid clay is a better space radiation shield than aluminium
91É«Ç鯬
Your brain fills gaps in your hearing without you realising
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What makes a good surgeon? Video analysis rates suturing skills
Space
Discovery of tiny moon completes the set for worlds past Neptune
Life
Oldest plant-like fossils discovered are 1.6 billion years old
Technology
Special steel inspired by bone is more resistant to cracking
Environment
Sneaky beetles evolved disguise to look like ants, then eat them
Humans
How to train your brain to be like a memory champion’s
Analysis
Life
Should a child’s health concerns trump sperm donor privacy?
Some donors in Australia have just been stripped of anonymity. What's the right balance between privacy and a person's need to know their genetic heritage?
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Obamacare’s replacement a giant step backwards for US healthcare
Humans
Subway chicken row shows faith in food is still a battleground
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Why overzealous breastfeeding advice can be bad for babies
Features
Physics
Rules of attraction: Why it’s time to rethink how gravity works
Fresh suspicions have reopened the case against dark matter, forcing a fundamental rethink of the familiar force that keeps our feet on the ground
Physics
How dark matter lost its shine for me
91É«Ç鯬
Neuroleaks: The secret dialogue between brain and body
Environment
How dogs are helping decode the genetic roots of personality
Culture
Environment
How did the zebra get its stripes?
Why zebras have stripes has long been a mystery. In his latest book, Tim Caro gives a compelling explanation that is more inspiring than any fiction by Kipling
Humans
How we lost the world-changing power of useless knowledge
Environment
The blue whale story: Meet the giant in all its glory
Regulars
Feedback: Keep the bloom of youth by sitting in an £18,000 vase
Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more