Issue 3435 | Magazine cover date: 22 April 2023

22 April 2023

Issue 3435

Previous issue Next issue

On the cover

Features

We know how kids learn to read, so why are we failing to teach them?

How indoor air pollution affects your health and what to do about it

How smart is ChatGPT really – and how do we judge intelligence in AIs?

News

Physics confirms the best way to make a playground swing go higher

An unhackable quantum internet is being built in New York City

Skates evolved their undulating wings thanks to genome origami

Bone fragment reveals humans wore leather clothes 39,000 years ago

Early break-up of eastern African forests shaped our ape ancestors

How this moment for AI will change society forever (and how it won't)

Access our magazine content direct via our website, app or print magazine

View in the app

Check out this magazine in our easy-to-navigate mobile app

Buy this issue in print

You can purchase our magazines on back-issue from the last 4 months

Find a previous edition online

Search through our digital archive of over 30 years of magazines

AI, Artificial Intelligence concept,3d rendering,conceptual image.; Shutterstock ID 1638173785; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Technology

Regulating AI is going to be hard but big tech transparency is key

Leader

Subscriber-only

Technology

How smart is ChatGPT really – and how do we judge intelligence in AIs?

Features

Subscriber-only

Society

We know how kids learn to read, so why are we failing to teach them?

Features

Subscriber-only

Health

How indoor air pollution affects your health and what to do about it

Features

Subscriber-only

Leaders

Technology

Regulating AI is going to be hard but big tech transparency is key

Companies creating the new generation of chatbots and other generative AI are shy about sharing their code and data. That has to change

Leader

Subscriber-only

News

Life

Some anacondas can perform a strange S-shaped leap and now we know why

A mathematical model based on observing yellow anacondas in the lab shows that if they are light and muscular enough, they can jump away from danger in an S-shape motion similar to sidewinding of much smaller snakes that live in the sand

News

Subscriber-only

Some yellow anacondas can leap in an S-shape

Technology

Artificial intelligence: 5 questions answered that you should know

News

Subscriber-only

Technology

How this moment for AI will change society forever (and how it won't)

News

Subscriber-only

Environment

Great Pacific Garbage Patch hosts stable community of coastal animals

News

Free

Physics

Physics confirms the best way to make a playground swing go higher

News

Free

Physics

Physics confirms the best way to make a playground swing go higher

News

Free

Life

Early break-up of eastern African forests shaped our ape ancestors

News

Free

Humans

Bone fragment reveals humans wore leather clothes 39,000 years ago

News

Free

Physics

Graphene shows record-breaking magnetic properties at room temperature

News

Free

Life

Skates evolved their undulating wings thanks to genome origami

News

Free

Environment

Europe to become a hotspot for flash droughts caused by climate change

News

Free

Life

Zebra finches pick singing coaches based on songs they hear as embryos

News

Subscriber-only

Space

The JUICE mission to explore Jupiter’s ocean moons is about to launch

News

Free

Technology

Soft robot hand learns how to avoid butter fingers

News

Free

Life

Seahorses have a super strong gulp thanks to two spring-like tendons

News

Free

Analysis

Technology

Why do some AI researchers dismiss the potential risks to humanity?

Existential risk from AI is admittedly more speculative than pressing concerns such as its bias, but the basic solution is the same. A robust public discussion is long overdue, says David Krueger

Comment

Subscriber-only

Why do some AI researchers dismiss the potential risks to humanity?

Life

What is so special about orchids and why are there so many?

Comment

Subscriber-only

Aperture

Comment

See our pick of the entries for the Sony World Photography Awards

From a firefly panorama to a howling coyote, these are some of the finalists and shortlisted photographs for the professional competition in the 2023 Sony awards

Regulars

Free

Searching for the stars near my hometown, Pollachi, led me to the forests of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve. As I moved away from towns and their lights, the darker it got, the more I could see - fireflies, stars. I was fascinated when I saw hundreds of fireflies flashing at the edge of the forest and heard stories of trees laden with fireflies deep in the forest. Predicting the time of their peak activity, I set out to a remote area of the reserve along with forest officials. I waited for nightfall in anxiety. Flashes of green started appearing at twilight. As the place grew dark, millions of fireflies started synchronizing their flashes across several trees. Flashes started in one tree and continued across several trees in a mexican-wave like fashion. It lasted all night. I felt transported to another planet. Being under a sky full of stars, with fireflies flashing in the foreground, owls and other nocturnal creatures calling at a distance, Elephants and Leopards lurking around the corner, this was Nature as our ancestors experienced. The image, created by stacking several photographs, shows a 16 minute activity of the fireflies. ? Sriram Murali, India, 3rd Place, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2023

Features

Technology

How smart is ChatGPT really – and how do we judge intelligence in AIs?

Following claims that an AI has shown "sparks of artificial general intelligence", what are we to make of the hype surrounding this technology? AI expert Melanie Mitchell is your guide

Features

Subscriber-only

Society

We know how kids learn to read, so why are we failing to teach them?

Features

Subscriber-only

Health

How indoor air pollution affects your health and what to do about it

Features

Subscriber-only

Culture

Comment

Dead Ringers review: A triumphant reimagining of Cronenberg's classic

Remaking a cult psychological thriller like Dead Ringers is a seriously tough ask. Amazingly, a six-parter starring Rachel Weisz as twin gynaecologists is a standalone triumph, says Bethan Ackerley

Culture

Subscriber-only

Dead Ringers review: A triumphant reimagining of Cronenberg's classic

Comment

The Seaweed Revolution review: How to save the world with seaweed

Culture

Subscriber-only

Comment

The Battle for Your Brain review: A guide to neuro nightmares ahead

Culture

Subscriber-only

Comment

Don't Miss: Netflix dystopia Sweet Tooth returns, with Gus on the run

Culture

Subscriber-only

Twisteddoodles: We need you to highlight your research on social media

This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles

Regulars

Free

Twisteddoodles: We need you to highlight your research on social media

Tom Gauld: Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration

Regulars

Free

Puzzle #218: Can you work out how many children are in each group?

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Humans

What is really going on when we microwave our food?

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Regulars

Enumerating the trivial superpowers our readers possess

After putting out a call, Feedback reveals the latest crop of trivial superpowers claimed by readers – abilities that seem mundane to those who have them, but extraordinary to those less blessed

Regulars

Subscriber-only

This week's magazine

22 April 2023

On the cover

Technology

Regulating AI is going to be hard but big tech transparency is key

Technology

How smart is ChatGPT really – and how do we judge intelligence in AIs?

Society

We know how kids learn to read, so why are we failing to teach them?

Health

How indoor air pollution affects your health and what to do about it

Table of contents

Leaders

Technology

Regulating AI is going to be hard but big tech transparency is key

News

Life

Some anacondas can perform a strange S-shaped leap and now we know why

Technology

Artificial intelligence: 5 questions answered that you should know

Technology

How this moment for AI will change society forever (and how it won't)

Environment

Great Pacific Garbage Patch hosts stable community of coastal animals

Physics

Physics confirms the best way to make a playground swing go higher

Physics

Physics confirms the best way to make a playground swing go higher

Life

Early break-up of eastern African forests shaped our ape ancestors

Humans

Bone fragment reveals humans wore leather clothes 39,000 years ago

Physics

Graphene shows record-breaking magnetic properties at room temperature

Life

Skates evolved their undulating wings thanks to genome origami

Environment

Europe to become a hotspot for flash droughts caused by climate change

Life

Zebra finches pick singing coaches based on songs they hear as embryos

Space

The JUICE mission to explore Jupiter’s ocean moons is about to launch

Technology

Soft robot hand learns how to avoid butter fingers

Life

Seahorses have a super strong gulp thanks to two spring-like tendons

Analysis

Technology

Why do some AI researchers dismiss the potential risks to humanity?

Life

What is so special about orchids and why are there so many?

Aperture

Comment

See our pick of the entries for the Sony World Photography Awards

Features

Technology

How smart is ChatGPT really – and how do we judge intelligence in AIs?

Society

We know how kids learn to read, so why are we failing to teach them?

Health

How indoor air pollution affects your health and what to do about it

Culture

Comment

Dead Ringers review: A triumphant reimagining of Cronenberg's classic

Comment

The Seaweed Revolution review: How to save the world with seaweed

Comment

The Battle for Your Brain review: A guide to neuro nightmares ahead

Comment

Don't Miss: Netflix dystopia Sweet Tooth returns, with Gus on the run

More

Twisteddoodles: We need you to highlight your research on social media

Tom Gauld: Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration

Puzzle #218: Can you work out how many children are in each group?

Humans

What is really going on when we microwave our food?

Regulars

Enumerating the trivial superpowers our readers possess

Regulars

Letters