Issue 3588 | Magazine cover date: 28 March 2026

This week's magazine

28 March 2026

Issue 3588

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On the cover

Culture

What to read this week: the persuasive How Flowers Made Our World

Features

The shocking fossils that show T. rex wasn't the king of the dinosaurs

The simple questions cracking the hard problem of consciousness

How working out like an astronaut can reduce back pain and slow ageing

News

Fluorescent ruby-like gems have been found on Mars for the first time

Inside the world’s first antimatter delivery service

'Zombie' cells created by transplanting genomes into dead bacteria

You can now buy a DIY quantum computer

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EAF952 the end of the road where a road dead ends into the Salton Sea with a sign and barrier

Mind

Want to live forever? There are major questions to confront, first

News

Life

The shocking fossils that show T. rex wasn't the king of the dinosaurs

Features

Astronaut running during sunset at a remote planet

Health

How working out like an astronaut can reduce back pain and slow ageing

Features

Mind

The simple questions cracking the hard problem of consciousness

Features

Leaders

Mind

Want to live forever? There are major questions to confront, first

A start-up has worked out how to preserve the brain after death – paving the way for immortality in a distant future. But beginning to reckon with this reality yields serious practical and philosophical questions

News

Physics

The mystery of how volcanic lightning happens has been solved

When particles in volcanic ash cloud rub together, some pick up positive charge and others negative – now physicists have finally elucidated how these different charges are determined

News

Humans

The ancient Goths were an ethnically diverse group

News

Health

Your partner probably wakes you up at night without you even realising

News

Space

The asteroid Ryugu has all of the main ingredients for life

News

Space

3I/ATLAS: Interstellar comet has water unlike any in our solar system

News

Physics

Particle discovered at CERN solves a 20-year-old mystery

News

Physics

Physicists create formula for how many times you can fold a crêpe

News

Humans

Neanderthals may have treated wounds with antibiotic sticky tar

News

Environment

Route-planning AI cut climate-warming contrails on over 100 flights

News

Health

Boosting the blood-brain barrier could avert brain damage in athletes

News

Environment

Ice core reveals low CO2 during warm spell 3 million years ago

News

Mind

Psychedelics may be no better than antidepressants for depression

News

Space

Fluorescent ruby-like gems have been found on Mars for the first time

News

Health

Probiotic cream that ramps up heat production could prevent frostbite

News

Space

Private company to land on asteroid Apophis as it flies close to Earth

News

Technology

Security credentials inadvertently leaked on thousands of websites

News

Physics

Inside the world’s first antimatter delivery service

News

Life

'Zombie' cells created by transplanting genomes into dead bacteria

News

Mind

Major leap towards reanimation after death as mammal's brain preserved

News

Technology

You can now buy a DIY quantum computer

News

Analysis

Environment

Will war in the Middle East accelerate the clean energy transition?

Disruption to shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has led to a spike in oil and natural gas prices, which could spur countries to boost the roll-out of renewable energy and electric vehicles

News

Aperture

Sebastian Di Domenico, Colombia, Shortlist, Latin America Professional Award, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 The Andean bear is the only bear species in South America and is listed as ?Vulnerable? on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In Colombia, the largest population of the species can be found just two hours? drive from Bogota, close to Chingaza National Park. While these curious animals are more herbivorous than many other bear species, they will occasionally kill cattle which attracts more bears into the area and increasingly puts them in contact with locals and visitors. Tourism initiatives and education might hold the key to ensuring a safe future for one of the most important Andean bear populations in Colombia.

Life

Rare Andean bear captured in stunning photograph

Shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards, this image by photographer Sebastian Di Domenico was taken in Colombia

Regulars

Features

Life

The shocking fossils that show T. rex wasn't the king of the dinosaurs

We've always thought that Tyrannosaurus rex was an unchallenged apex predator during the dying days of the dinosaurs. But a fresh look at controversial fossils has prompted palaeontology’s biggest-ever U-turn

Features

Mind

The simple questions cracking the hard problem of consciousness

Features

Health

How working out like an astronaut can reduce back pain and slow ageing

Features

Culture

Comment

Project Hail Mary is a spiritual sibling to The Martian - and it's fab

Ryan Gosling stars in the latest adaptation of an Andy Weir novel, another tale of a lone genius battling to survive in space. Bethan Ackerley thoroughly approves

Culture

Life

What to read this week: the persuasive How Flowers Made Our World

Culture

Comment

�鶹��ý recommends documentary Molly vs The Machines

Culture

Comment

Our verdict on Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt: An inspiring call to action

Culture

Space

What does it mean if the universe has extra dimensions?

Dimensions beyond the four we’re familiar with could solve a host of problems in physics and cosmology. Columnist Leah Crane explores what a higher-dimensional universe might be like – and how we could find out if we live in one

Comment

Technology

Social media is a defective product

Comment

Tom Gauld on the perils of time travel

Regulars

Twisteddoodles on going up against gravity

Regulars

How geophysicists are reverse engineering the Earth

viridien

Regulars

Comment

How big is a 'shedload'? Let's ask the nuclear physicists

Feedback is prompted by readers to investigate the size of the shed in the term 'shedload', and gets down and dirty with particle physics in the quest

Regulars

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This week's magazine

28 March 2026

On the cover

Mind

Want to live forever? There are major questions to confront, first

Life

The shocking fossils that show T. rex wasn't the king of the dinosaurs

Health

How working out like an astronaut can reduce back pain and slow ageing

Mind

The simple questions cracking the hard problem of consciousness

Table of contents

Leaders

Mind

Want to live forever? There are major questions to confront, first

News

Physics

The mystery of how volcanic lightning happens has been solved

Humans

The ancient Goths were an ethnically diverse group

Health

Your partner probably wakes you up at night without you even realising

Space

The asteroid Ryugu has all of the main ingredients for life

Space

3I/ATLAS: Interstellar comet has water unlike any in our solar system

Physics

Particle discovered at CERN solves a 20-year-old mystery

Physics

Physicists create formula for how many times you can fold a crêpe

Humans

Neanderthals may have treated wounds with antibiotic sticky tar

Environment

Route-planning AI cut climate-warming contrails on over 100 flights

Health

Boosting the blood-brain barrier could avert brain damage in athletes

Environment

Ice core reveals low CO2 during warm spell 3 million years ago

Mind

Psychedelics may be no better than antidepressants for depression

Space

Fluorescent ruby-like gems have been found on Mars for the first time

Health

Probiotic cream that ramps up heat production could prevent frostbite

Space

Private company to land on asteroid Apophis as it flies close to Earth

Technology

Security credentials inadvertently leaked on thousands of websites

Physics

Inside the world’s first antimatter delivery service

Life

'Zombie' cells created by transplanting genomes into dead bacteria

Mind

Major leap towards reanimation after death as mammal's brain preserved

Technology

You can now buy a DIY quantum computer

Analysis

Environment

Will war in the Middle East accelerate the clean energy transition?

Aperture

Life

Rare Andean bear captured in stunning photograph

Features

Life

The shocking fossils that show T. rex wasn't the king of the dinosaurs

Mind

The simple questions cracking the hard problem of consciousness

Health

How working out like an astronaut can reduce back pain and slow ageing

Culture

Comment

Project Hail Mary is a spiritual sibling to The Martian - and it's fab

Life

What to read this week: the persuasive How Flowers Made Our World

Comment

�鶹��ý recommends documentary Molly vs The Machines

Comment

Our verdict on Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt: An inspiring call to action

More