Life David Attenborough is one of a kind, for better or worse People often ask who might replace the nature broadcaster, who turns 100 this week. The truth is that he’s irreplaceable, but a wide range of voices are attempting to fill his shoes. Comment
Technology Humanoid robots may be about to break the 100-metre sprint record Robots can now run a half-marathon faster than humans and are rapidly homing in on the men's 100-metre sprint record. But why are companies so keen to create speedy robots that have no obvious application in homes or factories? News
Environment Will Colombia summit kick-start the end of the fossil fuel era? With progress at COP climate meetings stalling, 57 countries took part in the first of a new series of conferences aiming to develop road maps away from fossil fuels, but big emitters like China and the US were absent News
Technology Former Soviet scientific megastructures captured in striking photos Eric Lusito crossed the former Soviet Union to explore vast scientific sites, some of which have been deserted for years, for his new book Regulars
Physics The 50-year quest to create a quantum spin liquid may finally be over Creating quantum entanglement inside a solid material is tricky in the lab – but crystals buried in the earth could be growing it naturally. Now one scientist says he has proof he’s found them Features
Life New Scientist recommends Attenborough documentary Making Life on Earth The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week Culture
Mind How your heart rate variability can offer an insight into your mind Smartwatches commonly use heart rate variability to monitor stress. Columnist Helen Thomson explores what this metric actually tells us, and whether it could also predict and diagnose depression – and help improve your mental health more generally Comment
Comment Less nostalgia, more pain: scientists study 1763 Eurovision songs Feedback discovers that the prevailing themes of Eurovision songs may come and go, but the urge to win stays the same. Regulars