New Scientist Australian Edition 19-Sep-20

Virtual events What we don’t know about black holes Astronomer Chris Impey reveals what makes black holes so special and why they still haven’t given up all of their secrets. Available on demand now. newscientist.com/science-events Podcasts Weekly The healthy eating revolution; China’s cosmic ambitions; Russia’s pursuit of gene-editing technology. Plus: the world’s greatest mammal. newscientist.com/podcasts Newsletter Launchpad Our free newsletter sends you on a weekly voyage across the universe and beyond. This week: are there really signs of life on Venus? newscientist.com/sign-up/launchpad Online Video The microorganisms that live inside us are every bit as vital as our heart, our lungs and even our brain – and a healthy diet can give them a boost. Science with Sam explains all. youtube.com/newscientist…

Virtual events What we don’t know about black holes Astronomer Chris Impey reveals what makes black holes so special and why they still haven’t given up all of their secrets. Available on demand now. newscientist.com/science-events Podcasts Weekly The healthy eating revolution; China’s cosmic ambitions; Russia’s pursuit of gene-editing technology. Plus: the world’s greatest mammal. newscientist.com/podcasts Newsletter Launchpad Our free newsletter sends you on a weekly voyage across the universe and beyond. This week: are there really signs of life on Venus? newscientist.com/sign-up/launchpad Online Video The microorganisms that live inside us are every bit as vital as our heart, our lungs and even our brain – and a healthy diet can give them a boost. Science with Sam explains all. youtube.com/newscientist…

Each year, in our Christmas edition, we talk about what to expect in science in the 12 months ahead. So back in December 2019, what did we see in our crystal ball for 2020? Here is that list: a giant leap in our knowledge of early humans, crunch time for anti-ageing, a crucial year for the climate, mounting fears over foreign interference and misinformation online, pioneering treatments for old enemies like cancer and steps forward on plastics and human health. You may notice something rather large missing from that list – which is why crystal-ball-gazing is quite definitely not a science. “The journalism we produce at New Scientist has changed very quickly because of the pandemic” Nine months on, because of that missing item, the way in which New Scientist…

Each year, in our Christmas edition, we talk about what to expect in science in the 12 months ahead. So back in December 2019, what did we see in our crystal ball for 2020? Here is that list: a giant leap in our knowledge of early humans, crunch time for anti-ageing, a crucial year for the climate, mounting fears over foreign interference and misinformation online, pioneering treatments for old enemies like cancer and steps forward on plastics and human health. You may notice something rather large missing from that list – which is why crystal-ball-gazing is quite definitely not a science. “The journalism we produce at New Scientist has changed very quickly because of the pandemic” Nine months on, because of that missing item, the way in which New Scientist is produced has changed…

MOST people still don’t have any level of immunity to the virus behind covid-19. But there is a growing risk that some of us are becoming immune to the enormous numbers that this pandemic is throwing out on a weekly basis. As New Scientist went to press, the world was on track to exceed a million deaths from covid-19 within days (see page 10). That is a number that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to become blasé about. Early in the pandemic, US President Donald Trump suggested covid-19 wasn’t as bad as the flu. He was wrong. In a bad year, the flu kills up to 650,000 people globally. Covid-19 has killed far more, with three months of the year still to go – and won’t stop when Auld Lang Syne is sung,…

MOST people still don’t have any level of immunity to the virus behind covid-19. But there is a growing risk that some of us are becoming immune to the enormous numbers that this pandemic is throwing out on a weekly basis. As New Scientist went to press, the world was on track to exceed a million deaths from covid-19 within days (see page 10). That is a number that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to become blasé about. Early in the pandemic, US President Donald Trump suggested covid-19 wasn’t as bad as the flu. He was wrong. In a bad year, the flu kills up to 650,000 people globally. Covid-19 has killed far more, with three months of the year still to go – and won’t stop when Auld Lang Syne…