What’s behind altered sense of smell after Covid?
Some aromas smell disgusting to people with parosmia. New research helps to understand this now common condition.
Science & Technology
Searching for alien technology
The mysterious sighting of ‘Oumuamua has prompted an astrophysicist to head a new drive in the search for alien tech.
What’s behind the war on cash?
Everything is going digital, even money. But what’s behind the drive to stop us using “dirty cash”?
Virtuous cycles
Breakthroughs in the use of bacteria are helping us to build a new green economy.
Beef stakes
Climate activists have proposed an end to the livestock industry. But overhauling farming could have unintended consequences.
Dystopia by degrees
As the climate crisis deepens, so will the battle over how to tackle it. Should we expect an increase in violence?
Henrietta Lacks and the fight for genetic justice
The cells of Henrietta Lacks were harvested without her consent and have proved vital to medical research. Now her family is suing.
Deep fakes: the new front in the disinformation wars
New programs are being developed to identify and combat the rise of synthetic video, but this growing threat cannot be confronted with technology alone.
How do we warn future generations about our toxic waste?
With nuclear energy increasingly in favour again, saving our planet may depend on communicating with people 10,000 years from now.
Explosions of brilliant light
What will the most expensive telescope ever built tell us about the origins of the universe?