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Watch 100 Jim Al-Khalili A brief history of fascinating gravity science talks! Watch mind-expanding talks from Henry Marsh neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, geneticist A life in David Reich, mathematician Hannah brain surgery Fry, astronaut Tim Peake and four other inspiring scientists. Over the coming weeks we will be adding more inspiring talks, exclusively available to our valued subscribers. Not a subscriber? Visit newscientist.com/12042 Tim Peake Hannah Fry To the ends of How to be the Earth and human in the age beyond of the machine David Reich The truth about us, and where we come from Subscribe now Tara Shears Jess Wade Why hasn’t Plastic the LHC found electronics anything new? Save 77% (…or has it?) + FREE book worth $35 Visit newscientist.com/12042 or call 1 888 822 3242 and quote 12042 CONTENTS newscientist.com/issue/3206 Management Executive chairman Bernard Gray Chief executive Nina Wright Finance director Jenni Prince Chief technology officer Chris Corderoy Marketing director Jo Adams Human resources Shirley Spencer Non-executive director Louise Rogers Publishing and commercial HR co-ordinator Serena Robinson Facilities manager Ricci Welch Executive assistants Sarah Gauld, Lorraine Lodge Receptionist Alice Catling Display advertising GEORGE RUDY/SHUTTERSTOCK GEORGE Tel +1 617 283 3213 EYEVINE/ STANDARD NING EVE/ LUCY YOUNG Email [email protected] Commercial director Chris Martin Volume 240 No 3206 This Week Police are turning to AI to predict violent crime 6 Lynne Garcia, Richard Holliman, Justin Viljoen, Henry Vowden, Helen Williams Recruitment advertising On the cover Leaders Features Tel +1 617 283 3213 Email [email protected] 22 From tinsel to turkey 5 Gene-editing humans has huge 30 The truth about supplements Recruitment sales manager Mike Black A scientific guide to an potential, but caution is needed. It’s not just what you eat… but Isabell Cavill, Nicola Cubeddu Key account manager Viren Vadgama ethical Christmas Make it a green Christmas how you eat it US sales manager Jeanne Shapiro 36 The dark sector Dark matter Marketing 30 Why supplements don’t work particles crossing into the regular Head of marketing Lucy Dunwell It’s not just what you eat… News world could open portals to the Nashitha Suren, David Hunt, Chloe Thompson but how you eat it 6 THIS WEEK Police are turning to universe’s hidden realm Web development AI to predict serious violent crime. 40 The missing city on the plains Maria Moreno Garrido, Tom McQuillan, Amardeep Sian 7 CRISPR babies World’s first gene-edited babies We may have unearthed one of New Scientist Live Have the first gene-edited announced America’s biggest pre-Columbian Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1206 humans been born? settlements Email [email protected] 8 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY Rats Events director Adrian Newton Creative director Valerie Jamieson Plus A door to the dark universe (36). make friends with robots. A new Sales director Jacqui McCarron Mars mission latest (10). Robot painkiller problem. Mini placentas Culture Exhibition sales manager Charles Mostyn Event manager Henry Gomm rats (8). First farmers (15). Best grown in the lab. Anti-pollution 44 Great reads The best science Marketing executive Sasha Marks science books of the year (44) masks for cyclists put to the test. books to give this Christmas US Newsstand Martian probe set to hunt 46 Strange stories Our pick of the Tel +1 212 237 7987 marsquakes. Parkinson’s link to year’s best fiction and sci-fi Distributed by Time/Warner Retail, Sales and Marketing, 260 Cherry Hill Road, brain’s autopilot mode. UK told to 47 Hive life How we are unlocking Parsippany, NJ 07054 embrace hybrid heating. How we the secrets of honeybees Syndication became farmers. Seagrass loss. PLUS: This week’s cultural picks Tribune Content Agency Knocking out glandular fever virus Tel 1 800 637 4082 relieves MS. Tsunami trap Email [email protected] Regulars Subscriptions newscientist.com/subscribe 19 IN BRIEF “Fitbits” for chickens. 28 APERTURE Tel 1 888 822 3242 or +1 636 736 4901 Some fathers pass extra DNA on Albatrosses sit and wait Email [email protected] to their children. Sick ants protect 52 LETTERS Post New Scientist, PO Box 3806, Chesterfield MO 63006-9953 their peers. Light test for diabetes The world has failed the rainforest 55 FROM THE ARCHIVES Exploding bombs in the Arctic Analysis 56 FEEDBACK 22 INSIGHT The ultimate guide Celery spirit guide FREE BOOK to having an ethical Christmas 57 THE LAST WORD Mind. Full WORTH 26 COMMENT US shouldn’t slap Ski slope catwalk $35 The perfect present stuffed export controls on AI. Carbon with ideas and discoveries pricing is an economic charade GREAT GIFTS from $49.99 27 ANALYSIS There is no evidence newscientist.com/12051 Brexit vote made England more depressed 1 December 2018 | NewScientist | 3 WHAT IF TIME STARTED FLOWING BACKWARDS? WHAT IF THE RUSSIANS GOT TO THE MOON FIRST? WHAT IF DINOSAURS STILL RULED THE EARTH? AVAILABLE NOW newscientist.com/books LEADERS Editor Emily Wilson Art editor Craig Mackie Executive editor Richard Webb News News editor Penny Sarchet Editors Jacob Aron, Timothy Revell Reporters (UK) Jessica Hamzelou Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Sam Wong (US) Leah Crane, Chelsea Whyte (Aus) Alice Klein Features Head of features Catherine de Lange and Rowan Hooper Editors Gilead Amit, Julia Brown, Kate Douglas, Alison George, Joshua Howgego, Tiffany O’Callaghan Feature writers Daniel Cossins, Graham Lawton PLAINPICTURE/AURORA PHOTOS/ROBERT BENSON PHOTOS/ROBERT PLAINPICTURE/AURORA Culture and Community Editors Liz Else, Mike Holderness, Simon Ings, Frank Swain Subeditors Safety must come first Chief subeditor Eleanor Parsons Tom Campbell, Chris Simms, Jon White Gene-editing humans has huge potential, but caution is needed Design Kathryn Brazier, Joe Hetzel, Dave Johnston, Ryan Wills SINCE the amazing potential a pair of twin girls (see page 7). tool for improving health. Picture desk of CRISPR gene editing became The researchers were, according So, while more needs to be done Chief picture editor Adam Goff Kirstin Kidd, David Stock clear, scientists have held many to reports, trying to make to prevent rogue experiments, summits and discussions on the individuals immune to HIV we shouldn’t regard our genome Production Alan Blagrove, Anne Marie Conlon, subject. Indeed, the latest was by deleting a single protein. as sacred and inviolable, either. Melanie Green getting under way in Hong Kong The experiment, as reported We are all involuntary Contact us as New Scientist went to press. so far, wouldn’t have been legal participants in the wildly newscientist.com/contact The message that has emerged in Europe, Australia or Canada. unethical experiment called General & media enquiries from all this talking is crystal (In China, there are only guidelines [email protected] evolution. Each of us is born with US clear: it is far too soon to attempt against it.) And many think it is around 100 new mutations. Even 210 Broadway #201 germline genome editing in unethical. There are already many healthy people harbour many Cambridge, MA 02139 Tel +1 617 283 3213 humans – the process by which other ways to prevent HIV, and we thousands of harmful mutations. UK the genome of an individual is don’t know if deleting this protein Germline genome editing could 25 Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ES edited in such a way that the is effective and safe. What’s more, help change this and allow future Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1200 change is heritable. we don’t even know if the process generations to live much longer AUSTRALIA PO Box 2315, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012 But on Monday came the of CRISPR gene editing is safe. and healthier lives. We are still a news that a team in China has – However, there is no doubt that long way from this point, but we it claims – created the world’s in the future, editing our germline won’t get there at all if countries first genetically edited humans, could be an extremely powerful go too far and ban all research. ■ minimising the impact of some Make it a green Xmas of the worst festive excesses. Whether it is making your own THE gradual drift of the festive Put simply, most people in gifts, cutting down on meat or © 2018 New Scientist Ltd, England. season into November or even the West are buying too much even just reusing wrapping paper, New Scientist ISSN 0262 4079 is published weekly except for the last week in December earlier is enough to elicit a “Bah stuff, eating too much food and there are loads of ways to give by New Scientist Ltd, England. humbug” from even the jolliest then throwing too much of it you a warm holiday glow inside. New Scientist (Online) ISSN 2059 5387 New Scientist Limited, 387 Park Avenue old elf. Christmas early-sliding in the bin. Thankfully, we have Or if you must buy something, South, New York, NY 10016 is mostly driven by struggling an antidote in the form of the at least let it feed your mind – Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and other mailing offices shops trying to prop up sales ultimate guide for shrinking see our guide to the best books Postmaster: Send address changes to with an end-of-year push, but it the environmental footprint of the year (page 44). New Scientist, PO Box 3806, Chesterfield, MO 63006-9953, USA. is indicative of a larger problem: of your Christmas (see page 22). And hey, at least we waited Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper the rampant consumerism that This doesn’t mean celebrating until December to break out and printed in USA by Fry Communications Inc, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 is despoiling the planet.