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This week's magazine

22 November 2025

Issue 3570

New Scientist issue 3570 cover
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Editor's picks

DA0WKD 3D render of an overweight female medical skeleton walking with knee joints highlighted

Health

How a new way of thinking about fat could transform your health

Comment
People searching for quasicrystals in a surreal pink and blue landscape, reminiscent of a quasicrystal's non-repeating atomic structure

Chemistry

Why quasicrystals shouldn’t exist but are turning up in strange places

Features
The vital, overlooked role of body fat in shaping your health and mind

Health

The vital, overlooked role of body fat in shaping your health and mind

Features
A cave showing ancient rock art

Humans

We can finally hear the long-hidden music of the Stone Age

Features

Table of contents

Leaders

DA0WKD 3D render of an overweight female medical skeleton walking with knee joints highlighted

Health

How a new way of thinking about fat could transform your health

Body fat, often reviled, is actually a vital organ that contributes to your health and well-being. It is time for us to stop vilifying fat and to start exploring how we can harness its power

Comment

News

Technology

AI power use forecast finds the industry far off track to net zero

Several large tech firms that are active in AI have set goals to hit net zero by 2030, but a new forecast of the energy and water required to run large data centres shows they’re unlikely to meet those targets

News

Earth

When rift lakes dry up it can cause earthquakes and eruptions

News

Health

Ultrasound may boost survival after a stroke by clearing brain debris

News

Space

Huge cloud of plasma belched out by star 130 light years away

News

Technology

IBM has unveiled two unprecedentedly complex quantum computers

News

Technology

Static electricity can remove frost from windows using little energy

News

Health

At-home hypnosis relieves menopausal hot flushes

News

Chemistry

Chemical computer can recognise patterns and perform multiple tasks

News

Health

Strongest evidence yet that the Epstein-Barr virus causes lupus

News

Environment

Fossil fuel emissions rise again – but China's are levelling off

News

Humans

Ancient silver goblet preserves oldest known image of cosmic creation

News

Health

Sex could help wounds heal faster by reducing stress

News

Health

Why aren't young people having sex any more?

News

Life

Oldest ever RNA sample recovered from woolly mammoth

News

Space

Mystery deepens as isolated galaxy forms stars with no obvious fuel

News

Life

Parasitic ant tricks workers into killing their queen, then usurps her

News

Health

Cuts and scrapes may be slower to heal in redheads

News

Environment

Rapid melt from Antarctica could help preserve crucial ocean current

News

Deforestation in the Amazon continues during COP30

News

Aperture

Dramatic images show where water and humanity meet

Environment

Dramatic images show where water and humanity meet

Taken from the book Lo-TEK Water, these shots explore how traditional ecological knowledge is being used to create a more sustainable future

Regulars

Features

A cave showing ancient rock art

Humans

We can finally hear the long-hidden music of the Stone Age

Ancient rock art was meant to be heard as well as seen and now acoustic archaeologists are bringing the sounds of prehistoric rituals to life

Features

Chemistry

Why quasicrystals shouldn’t exist but are turning up in strange places

Features

Health

The vital, overlooked role of body fat in shaping your health and mind

Features

Culture

Quantum computer core. Light rays passing through the nanoscale crystal core of a quantum computer. Quantum computers, which are under development, are based on quantum mechanics and the principle of representing information in quantum bits (qubits) using quantum properties. This could involve optical properties of chemically doped crystals, like the one shown here. Quantum computing has the potential to massively increase computing power.

Physics

An ambitious look at quantum physics is fun – but overdoes it a little

Attempts to describe quantum physics are rarely enjoyable, but Paul Davies' zeal in Quantum 2.0 sometimes steers too close to hype, finds Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

Culture

Health

A fascinatingly grisly guide to replacing and repairing body parts

Culture

Life

New Scientist recommends the Society of Wildlife Artists' annual expo

Culture

Physics

Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe discuss their new spacebound album, Liminal

Culture

More

Adolf Hitler

Humans

Analysing Hitler's DNA for a TV gimmick tells us nothing useful

To understand Adolf Hitler, we need to look at his personal life and the wider societal and historical context - analysing his DNA for a TV gimmick tells us nothing, says Michael Le Page

Comment

Physics

The forgotten women of quantum physics

Comment

Technology

Imagining a future where smart glasses allow 'AI slop' to be avoided

Comment

Life

Is there any evidence that playing music to plants is beneficial?

Regulars

Health

Cars are getting bigger. This is a problem for us and for the planet

Comment

Tom Gauld on plans for an exciting new technology

Regulars

Twisteddoodles: Something in the lab isn't working...

Regulars

Regulars

Who finds dad jokes funniest? The answer might not astonish you

Who finds dad jokes funniest? The answer might not astonish you

Feedback is delighted to discover that two academics have taken a scholarly interest in dad jokes, but is unsurprised by their key finding: the people who most enjoy dad jokes are dads

Regulars

Regulars

Letters

Regulars

The last word

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