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Elsewhere on New Scientist
We must go the extra mile • Renewed political will is vital to help the “forgotten” millions left with long covid
New Scientist
Chinese station caught from above
AI could discover wonder materials • We know of about 48,000 inorganic crystal structures, which can give materials a range of properties. Now, an AI from Google DeepMind has predicted millions more, finds Alex Wilkins
A new way to estimate maximum lifespan could help us extend it
Odd way black holes lose energy may solve cosmic puzzle
Physicists find ultimate limit for how accurate clocks can be
Robots with spongy paws could navigate uneven terrain
Did Homo naledi bury its dead? • Earlier this year, researchers claimed that extinct hominin Homo naledi buried its dead and produced rock art, but now others say the evidence is “non-existent”, finds Michael Marshall
Analysis Dietary guidance • Is it healthy for older people to be slightly overweight? UK dietitians say people over 65 need greater fat reserves. Why are they contradicting most other guidelines, asks Clare Wilson
‘Insect-eye’ compass navigates by the sun even on cloudy days
Earliest supernovae spotted? • The James Webb Space Telescope may have glimpsed the explosions of the earliest stars
AI deduces sewing pattern from a photo of clothing
Saviour or sinner? • Carbon dioxide removal tech, once seen as an impractical and unhelpful distraction amid efforts to cut emissions, now has big money backing it. Will it pay off, asks James Dinneen
Mysterious high-energy cosmic ray smashes into Earth
Lack of sleep before surgery may mean a painful recovery
AIs can trick each other into doing things they aren’t supposed to
Nutrient found in milk and beef shows anticancer promise
Old coal mines could store wind energy • Plan to use excess output from wind turbines to heat water in pits may be tested next year
Babies may start to learn language before they are born
Space travel and erectile problems
Flying defibrillators offer quick response
Penguin chest spots help birds recognise their partners
Really brief
Keeping our cool • Despite pessimism, limiting global warming to well below 2°C is with in our grasp, says Jakob Thomäe
Wild Wild Life • Beavering away Many farmers are opposed to reintroducing beavers, but these engineers can help protect us from flooding and droughts as the climate hots up, finds Michael Le Page
Dust to dust
Your letters
Give the gift of science • From AI’s attempts to create a masterpiece to how to be more dog, there’s nothing like a book as a gift. Just take a look at our round-up, says Simon Ings
Our picture editor shares 2023’s best photobooks
Wrap up the best of sci-fi • Discover the science fiction to give to the optimists, pessimists, hedonists or intellectual thrill-seekers in your life, says Sally Adee
The wonder particle • Could a resurgent hypothetical particle called the axion solve all of the biggest mysteries of the universe? Jonathan O’Callaghan investigates
All the answers
Long covid, four years on • With millions of people affected by lingering symptoms after covid-19 infection, have we finally got a handle on this complex, post-viral condition and how to treat it, asks…