New Scientist International Edition - July 30, 2022

60 Pages·2022·37.2 MB·English

This week’s issue
On the 46 Do you daydream 36 Feature
too much?
cover
“ Cosmic
14 The climate secrets
webs are
36 Your brief guide to hidden in ancient art
everything ever the largest
An inventory of the 7 Monkeypox declared
universe, from rogue a global emergency and oldest
planets to the cosmic web
things in the
universe”
16 Laser-guided lightning
54 How to cure hiccups
11 Gene-edited dogs
Vol 255 No 3397 20 Rethinking the causes
Cover image: Ben Giles of depression
News Features
8 ‘Net zero’ aviation 36 Inventory of the universe
Even “green” flights will News Your cosmic guide to
still cause warming everything in this galaxy
and beyond
9 Early universe
James Webb Space Telescope 46 Maladaptive daydreaming
spots oldest galaxy The dark side of too much
mind wandering
10 AI bias
DALL-E 2 image generator
covertly edits requests to
diversify output
Views The back pages
27 Comment 51 Science with children
Access to nature must be a Beyond the bicarb volcano
right, says Mya-Rose Craig
53 Puzzles
28 The columnist Try our crossword, quick quiz
How green is your lawn, and logic puzzle
asks Beronda L. Montgomery
54 Almost the last word
30 Letters At what height do compasses
On the search for a diet stop working?
that extends lifespan
55 Tom Gauld for
32 Culture New Scientist
Two new books seek to A cartoonist’s take on the world
understand our universe
56 Feedback
N
34 Culture columnist KLEI Instagram scams and gifts
E
Sally Adee on solarpunk LIC from badgers: the week
A
novel The Moonday Letters 14 Ancient art Rock engravings could reveal Australia’s climate history in weird
30 July 2022 | New Scientist | 1
Elsewhere
on New Scientist
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academy.newscientist.com
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Podcast Safely does it How to enjoy coastal wildlife without doing any harm
Weekly
Following record temperatures
in the UK, the team members are Video Newsletter
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Bison biodiversity Wild Wild Life
how people can prepare for more
Essential guide
extreme weather events. They Four European bison have been As summer vacations begin
also talk about what China is released into ancient woodland in the northern hemisphere,
planning to do onboard its in south-east England, part of a news and digital director Penny How does the sun work?
new space station. Plus, by rewilding project. The aim is to Sarchet is looking at coastal Why does the moon matter?
converting astronomical data explore the potential benefits wildlife and what you can do Is there alien life? Knowledge of
into music, we can now hear these large animals can have on to enjoy it without causing any our solar system has reached new
what a black hole might sound woodland habitats. It is the first harm. Plus, she introduces a heights – but there is still much to
like. The team shares two time bison have been introduced newly identified, mysterious discover about our nearest planets
beautiful pieces composed for an to the UK. New Scientist met the sponge, and discusses penguins and the worlds beyond. Explore
immersive new production called team behind the project, including that change their accents. more in the latest New Scientist
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2 | New Scientist | 30 July 2022

The leader
Monkeypox failings
More could have been done to prevent a global emergency
THE World Health Organization has finally Throughout this period, we have had because infectious diseases don’t care
sounded its most serious alarm over smallpox vaccines and treatments that about borders. An emerging disease
the spread of monkeypox, declaring it a also work for monkeypox, but they anywhere has the potential to become
“public health emergency of international haven’t been used. There has also been a problem everywhere.
concern”, just as it did for covid-19 in 2020. plenty of time to develop more effective Having missed the opportunity to
Many researchers think this decision treatments and vaccines specifically prevent this monkeypox outbreak in the
should have been taken a month ago for monkeypox, but it didn’t happen. first place, the response in many countries
when the WHO first considered it. The has also been inadequate. For instance, in
“ We need to do more to
disease is spreading rapidly around the the US there have been major issues with
ensure other emerging
world, with more than 16,000 cases testing and with the roll-out of vaccines –
diseases never go global”
confirmed so far this year (see page 7). much as there were with the coronavirus.
But the real issue isn’t this delay. It is All this is alarming, not just because
that we have had decades to stop this Why? Because almost all the cases efforts to halt this outbreak appear to be
outbreak happening and failed to do so. were in Black people in low-income failing. Sadly, it also suggests the world
We have known monkeypox can jump countries in certain parts of Africa. hasn’t learned much from the covid-19
to people since the 1970s. In particular, There is a moral imperative for richer pandemic, in particular the importance
after an outbreak in Nigeria in 2017, there nations to help tackle preventable of acting early. There are other emerging
were warnings that human-to-human diseases in poorer places. It is also in the diseases around the world. We need to
transmission seemed to be increasing. self-interest of richer countries to do so, do more to ensure they never go global. ❚
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30 July 2022 | New Scientist | 5
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News
Room with a view Corvid palace saved Infection risk Hot stuff A pinch of salt
China’s Tiangong Lab for clever birds Concerns raised over When mammals Oceans in Saturn’s
space station gets secures funds to hospital-acquired became warm- moon Enceladus may
a new module p12 stay open p16 covid-19 p19 blooded p20 be right for life p24
A monkeypox
vaccination centre
in New York
people required hospitalisation.
In the current outbreak, there
have been five confirmed deaths
from the disease in Africa so far,
according to the WHO, although
dozens more are suspected.
There have been no deaths
reported elsewhere.
Symptoms of monkeypox
include fever, headaches, fatigue
and a rash. The rash typically
develops on the face first and
then on other parts of the body.
The WHO reports that the
UK is also planning to list
inflammation of the lining
Z
O
N
U of the rectum as a symptom.
M
O
D Designating monkeypox as a
R
A
DU global emergency means that the
E
RS/ outbreak is unprecedented, affects
E
T
EU multiple countries and requires
R
a coordinated international
Diseases response, said Hugh Adler at
Monkeypox emergency the Liverpool School of Tropical
Medicine in the UK, in a statement
to the UK’s Science Media Centre.
“Naming this a public health
As cases surge, the WHO has raised its alert level and said nations emergency of international
concern adds political weight
must do more to combat the disease, reports Jason Arunn Murugesu
and urgency to this situation,”
he said. “It ensures that this
THE World Health Organization emergency, with director-general is more likely to occur in people outbreak can be prioritised.”
(WHO) has declared monkeypox Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who have had multiple sexual Countries already experiencing
a global health emergency. It acting as a tiebreaker. Some partners recently. monkeypox cases have been told
announced on 23 July that the members of the panel argued One way monkeypox is thought by the WHO to raise awareness
spread of the viral infection that the disease isn’t so severe and to spread is through skin-to-skin among those most at risk and
constitutes a “public health that case numbers don’t seem to contact, including sex, but until to increase their efforts to
emergency of international be rising exponentially, while this year, there was no indication identify and isolate people
concern”, its highest alert level, others countered that confirmed that this form of transmission with the disease. These places
putting it on a par with the case numbers are probably an was particularly prominent. should also step up vaccination
coronavirus pandemic and underestimate and that the programmes, they have been told.
“ Declaring a public health
global efforts to eradicate polio. disease requires a coordinated Imvanex, also known as
emergency adds political
The decision follows more international response. Jynneos in the US, is a smallpox
weight and urgency to
than 16,000 reported cases of Monkeypox can affect anybody, vaccine that is also effective
this situation”
monkeypox across 75 countries but the vast majority of cases have against monkeypox. It was
this year. There have been more been in men who have sex with approved for use against
than 2000 in the UK so far, men, according to the WHO. It A study published last week, which monkeypox in the European
according to the UK Health reported that 99 per cent of cases analysed monkeypox cases in 16 Union this week. People most at
Security Agency (UKHSA). have been in this group in the UK, countries, found that just 0.8 per risk of infection in the UK have
But the WHO panel behind the US, Canada and Spain, the cent of cases were probably caused been offered the vaccine and
decision was split on whether to countries that have provided the by non-sexual close contact. The the UKHSA has recently secured
declare monkeypox a global most data to the WHO. The disease study also found that 13 per cent of another 100,000 doses of the jab. ❚
30 July 2022 | New Scientist | 7
News
Climate change
‘Net-zero’ aviation won’t be enough
Efforts to make flying greener mostly only account for carbon dioxide emissions
Adam Vaughan
FLIGHTS will endanger the Paris decarbonise aviation. The main technologies to power them and Climate Change, doi.org/h567).
climate agreement’s goals if one of these non-CO2 effects is the how much CO2 would need to be “This new study makes a
efforts to achieve net-zero aviation contrails that form because of the removed from the atmosphere by compelling case for moving away
don’t account for the warming soot, aerosols and water vapour trees or machines to hit net zero. from carbon-neutral aviation as
effect of streaks of clouds created released by aircraft engines. “Without a very strong reduction the main policy goal, and focusing
by planes, a study has found. “We found the mitigation in demand and without very rapid, on climate-neutral aviation
The research comes after the efforts needed to get aviation almost infeasible switches to clean instead,” says Paul Williams
UK government announced its to a place where it’s compatible technologies, we would in all cases at Reading University, UK.
Jet Zero Strategy on 19 July, with a with the Paris agreement are need to deploy carbon removal to The study indicates that new
target of cutting carbon emissions enormous,” says Brazzola. a very large extent,” she says. fuels and flight technologies, from
from flights to net zero by 2050 Her team explored future The team’s modelling hydrogen to batteries, will need to
(see page 23 for more on UK plans). scenarios of demand for flights, suggests that failing to account be developed and deployed rapidly
Nicoletta Brazzola at ETH Zurich for aviation’s non-CO2 effects to stand a chance of reaching
in Switzerland and her colleagues Planes warm the planet by would ignore 90 per cent of climate neutrality. It also suggests
found that even if such efforts to creating contrails as well as future flights’ contribution that the aviation sector’s short-
reduce emissions succeed, the by directly emitting carbon to climate change (Nature term carbon-offsetting plan for
world’s aviation sector could reducing its impact on climate
increase average temperatures change won’t be enough.
by between 0.1°C and 0.4°C. Brazzola’s team found that
The world has already warmed even with a moderate increase
by 1.1°C since the industrial in demand for flights, the status
revolution, so the extra warming quo of jet fuel and offsetting
could compromise the Paris deal’s would require an area the size of
aim of holding temperature rises Germany to be planted with trees
to 1.5°C, says Brazzola’s team. to compensate for planes’ effects.
The warming comes from the “Continuing flying with
ways flights heat the atmosphere passenger jet fuels and offsetting
O
T
beyond the carbon dioxide O carbon removal is a very unviable
H
P
6
emitted by burning jet fuel, 0 pathway,” says Brazzola. Reaching
K/
C
which is the only impact currently O climate neutrality will require
T
S
R
counted by international and E curbing the world’s appetite
T
T
most national efforts to HU for flights too, she adds.  ❚
S
Health
We don’t actually
they have growing pains, but that that mentioned growth or growing said they aren’t. Only seven studies
know what ‘growing is inaccurate based on our findings,” pains in adolescents. They looked said the condition could be due to
says Mary O’Keeffe at the University at how each study defined growing growth, and two said the pains had
pains’ are
of Sydney in Australia, who led the pains based on the type, location, nothing to do with growth.
review. Most children diagnosed duration, timing, severity and The closest the research came
THE term “growing pains” is often with growing pains are told the pain age of onset of pain, as well as to consensus was on pain location:
used to refer to sore or aching limbs will subside with age and that they the pain’s relationship with activity 50 per cent of studies concluded
in children. Yet, there is no clear can take children’s ibuprofen or and physical examinations. that growing pains primarily affect
definition of what growing pains paracetamol (acetaminophen) to They found contradictions in the legs. Others identified the arms,
are, and now it looks like they may manage the discomfort if needed. multiple areas. For example, 14 per back, groin or shoulders as the
not be related to growth at all. “If a health professional is giving cent of studies claimed that growing main pain locations (Pediatrics,
A recent analysis of studies about a diagnosis, it needs to be based on pains are persistent while 5 per cent DOI: 10.1542/2020-052578).
growing pains notes that 93 per sound evidence. They need to be “If I was a doctor, I would stop
cent make no mention of how the sure that growing is the cause, but “K ids and teens are being using the term, as currently it
symptoms of bone or muscle pain we don’t know this,” says O’Keeffe. told they have growing doesn’t seem to serve a purpose,”
are related to growth. To investigate, she and her pains, but that is inaccurate says O’Keeffe.  ❚
“Kids and teens are being told colleagues identified 147 studies based on our findings” Grace Wade
8 | New Scientist | 30 July 2022