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 Academy Video Academy “ Bison do Greener Living: Your guide to climate things that change and leading a more sustainable life no other The world’s climate is changing. animals do, It isn’t too late to reduce your M impact on global warming R O like creating F through green living, however. TT A L This CPD-accredited course will E/P little dust R U arm you with the knowledge to T C PI implement simple changes to AIN baths” L P your life that will help lessen your Y B L environmental footprint and let O P E E you live more sustainably. D Reuse, recycle What are the best ways to live more sustainably? academy.newscientist.com NS Live Newsletter Schools’ Day For the first time at our event in London, New Scientist Live has a dedicated day just for schools. We have a packed programme of engaging talks and a show floor full of interactive demonstrations, M O C all dedicated to bringing science L. P E R to life. Visit with your class at U T A London ExCel on 7 October. D/N R A T newscientistlive.com US M X E L A 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 hot and bothered and discuss 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 Black Hole Symphony. the UK’s first bison rangers. Essential Guide. newscientist.com/ newscientist.com/nspod youtube.com/newscientist sign-up shop.newscientist.com 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. ❚ PUBLISHING & COMMERCIAL EDITORIAL Commercial and events director Adrian Newton Chief executive Nina Wright Editor-in-chief Emily Wilson Executive assistant Lorraine Lodge Magazine editor Catherine de Lange Display advertising Team administrator Olivia Abbott News and digital director Penny Sarchet Tel +44 (0)203 615 6456 Email [email protected] Creative director Craig Mackie Sales director Justin Viljoen Finance & operations Account manager Matthew Belmoh Chief financial officer Amee Dixon News Partnerships account manager David Allard Financial controller Taryn Skorjenko News editor Jacob Aron Commercial finance manager Charlotte Thabit Assistant news editors Chris Simms, Recruitment advertising Commercial finance manager Anna Labuz Alexandra Thompson, Sam Wong Tel +44 (0)203 615 6458 Email [email protected] Management accountant Charlie Robinson Reporters (UK) Michael Le Page, Matthew Sparkes, Recruitment sales manager Viren Vadgama Adam Vaughan, Clare Wilson, (Aus) Alice Klein Key account manager Deepak Wagjiani Human resources Trainees Jason Arunn Murugesu, Alex Wilkins New Scientist Events Human resources director Shirley Spencer Intern Carissa Wong HR business partner Katy Le Poidevin Tel +44 (0)203 615 6554 Email [email protected] Digital Sales director Jacqui McCarron Audience editor Alexander McNamara Head of event production Martin Davies Podcast editor Rowan Hooper Head of product management (Events, Courses Web team Emily Bates, Matt Hambly, Chen Ly, David Stock & Commercial Projects) Henry Gomm Features Marketing manager Emiley Partington CONTACT US Events and projects executive Georgia Peart Deputy head of features Daniel Cossins, Helen Thomson Production executive Isabella Springbett newscientist.com/contact Editors Abigail Beall, Anna Demming, Kate Douglas, Alison George, Joshua Howgego New Scientist Discovery Tours General & media enquiries Feature writer Graham Lawton Director Kevin Currie UK Tel+44 (0)203 615 6500 Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT Culture and Community Marketing & Data Australia 58 Gipps Street, Collingwood, Victoria 3066 Comment and culture editor Alison Flood Marketing director Jo Adams US PO Box 80247, Portland, OR 97280 Senior culture editor Liz Else Director of performance marketing and audience development Jeffrey Baker UK Newsstand Subeditors Head of campaign marketing James Nicholson Marketforce UK Ltd Tel +44 (0)33 0390 6555 Chief subeditor Eleanor Parsons Head of customer experience Emma Robinson Syndication Bethan Ackerley, Tom Campbell, Jon White Head of audience data Rachael Dunderdale Tribune Content Agency Tel +44 (0)20 7588 7588 Trainee Tom Leslie Data and analytics manager Ebun Rotimi Email [email protected] Design Senior email marketing executive Natalie Valls Art editor Julia Lee Email marketing executive Ffion Evans Subscriptions Joe Hetzel, Ryan Wills Digital marketing manager Jonathan Schnaider newscientist.com/subscription Senior customer experience One year print subscription (51 issues) UK £270 Picture desk marketing manager Esha Bhabuta Tel +44 (0)330 333 9470 Picture editor Helen Benians Senior marketing executive Sahad Ahmed Email [email protected] Tim Boddy Marketing assistant Charlotte Weeks Post New Scientist, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Production Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH Digital Products Production manager Joanne Keogh Digital product development director Laurence Taylor Production coordinator Carl Latter Head of learning experience Finola Lang © 2022 New Scientist Ltd, England. 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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