14 November 2020 | New Scientist | 1On the
cover34 The great population
debate
Are there simply too many
of us on this planet?16 Mystery space signals
Radio burst tracked to its origin
for the first timeNews
Views
Features
15 Animal evolution
Which were the first animals,
sponges or comb jellies?17 Iceberg, dead ahead
Massive chunk of ice is on
collision course with island17 Plastic tragedy
Marine creatures, including
most whales and sea turtles,
are full of plastic23 Comment
Covid-19 care home rules are
too strict, says June Andrews24 The columnist
How close are we to giving
up cars, asks Graham Lawton26 Letters
Is there a better way than
having another lockdown?28 Aperture
Nesting heron picture
wins drone photo prize30 Culture
Ammonite shows the hard
work involved in palaeontology51 Stargazing at home
See new suns being born52 Puzzles
Try our crossword, quick quiz
and logic problem54 Almost the last word
Readers explain the science
of frizzy hair and crying55 Tom Gauld for
New Scientist
A cartoonist’s take on the world56 Feedback
March of the planet-conquering
pencils – the week in weird34 The population debate
Is the pandemic just the latest
indication that there are too
many of us on Earth?41 Hardwired to hug
Evolutionary science can explain
why social distancing doesn’t
come easy to us46 Riddle of the sand dunes
We are closer than ever to
understanding why they existThe back pages
32 Our minds shape the future Sci-fi anthology Escape Pod reviewed
Vol 248 No 3308
Cover image: Vanessa Branchi8 New vaccine hope
How excited should we be?10 Animals with
coronavirus
Why it’s dangerous when the
virus jumps from humans41 Hardwired to hug
There’s a reason social
distancing can be a struggleSHUNLI^ ZHAO/GET
TY
IMAGESCulture
15 Sponges v jellies: which
came first? 21 Paper-clip squid
46 Solving the riddle of the
sand dunes 14 5 billion EarthsThis week’s issue
46 Features
“ Exactly how
and why
sand dunes
form in the
way they do
eludes us”