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Additional sections include puzzles, cartoons, feedback, and columns addressing AI use, climate overshoot, and scientific questions such as neutrino mass and sea-level risk.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/new-scientist-issue-3618-weekly-24-october-2026/640036/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/new-scientist-issue-3618-weekly-24-october-2026/640036.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"McGucket","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-03","2026-10-22",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":33},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What are the main stories featured in this issue?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"Key features cover the controversial legacy of a “male” theory of autism, renewed debate about the identity of the first Americans, and science updates ranging from dark matter detection to a neutrino mass mystery.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How does the issue address timekeeping and scientific measurement?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"It reports that scientists vote to abolish the leap second, reflecting an update to how timekeeping is handled in scientific contexts.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What does the leader article say about climate warming and overshoot?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"It argues that warming beyond 1.5°C leaves lasting marks, describes ecosystem and ice-sheet impacts, and frames “overshoot, peak, decline” as a decision-making challenge while questioning whether damage can be reversible.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},640036,1793087285,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":33,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},1236954412713,"https://us-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","THE CONTROVERSIAL LEGACY OF A ‘MALE’THEORY OF AUTISM  \nFRESH DEBATE OVER THE IDENTITY OF THE FIRST AMERICANS  \nIS PHYSICS NEXT TO GET TORN APART BY AI?  \nWEEKLY 24 October 2026  \nTHE NEXT BIG  \nTHING  \nA tiny particle, a massive breakthrough, and a whole new understanding of reality  \nNo3618 £7.95 CAN$11.99  \nPLUS  \nGIANT BACTERIA IN YOUR GUT  \nRETURN OF THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE  \nWORLD’S OLDEST SHIPWRECK  \nThis week’s issue  \nOn the cover  \n32 The next big (small) thing  \nA tiny particle, a massive breakthrough, and a whole new understanding of reality  \nNews  \n4 On the rise  \nEl Niño has already caused some sea levels to increase  \n11 No more stitch in time  \nScientists vote to abolish the leap second  \n14 Ancient open-air gallery  \nUnique rock art site showshow people lived alongside art 26,000years ago  \nViews  \n19 Dark matter detection  \nChanda Prescod-Weinstein on whether dark matter acts like a particle or a wave  \n20 Sniffle-free season  \nA positive mindset may help us avoid colds, finds David Robson  \n22 Aperture  \nSeabirds get a helping hand  \n24 Culture  \nWhy we should find empowerment in numbers  \n31 Letters  \nThere is plenty of reason to worry about how AI is used  \nVol 272 No 3618  \nCover image: Simon Bailly  \n36 The controversial legacy of a ‘male’theory of autism  \n40 Fresh debate over the identity of the first Americans  \n6 Is physics next to get torn apart by AI?  \n10 Giant bacteria in your gut  \n26 Return of The Time Traveler’s Wife 11 World’s oldest shipwreck  \nNews  \n8 Ice loss warning Even if oceans cool, Thwaites glacier may still melt  \nALEX MAZUR/ BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY  \n32 Features  \n“In the standard model, neutrinos don’t have mass–but we know they do”  \nFeatures  \n32 The riddle of the neutrino  \nNew Scientist visits the latest detector attempting to solve the mystery of the neutrino’s mass  \n36 Simon Baron-Cohen profile  \nThe controversial legacy of a ‘male’theory of autism  \n40 The first Americans  \nDebate reignites over the identity of the original settlers in the Americas  \nThe back pages  \n45 Puzzles  \nTry our crossword, puzzle and quick quiz  \n46 Almost the last word  \nHow different would Earth be if only anaerobic life existed?  \n47 Tom Gauld for New Scientist  \nA cartoonist’stake on the world  \n48 Feedback  \nFollowing up on how active – or not – our feline friends are  \n48 Twisteddoodles for New Scientist  \nPicturing the lighter side of life  \n24 October 2026 |New Scientist|1  \nThe leader  \nCan we fix it?  \nWe can exceed 1.5°Cof warming and comeback down, but the overshoot years will hurt  \nTHERMOMETERS, at least traditionally, don’t remember. Mercury expandsin response to heat energy, and the red line rises. The temperature falls, the mercury contracts, the line descends. Yesterday’s measurement has no bearing on today’s.  \nBut even if thermometers can’t measure it, rising temperatures leave a lasting mark. Forests die, ice sheets melt and species go extinct. Now that the world is withintouching distance of 1.5°C of warming, we are getting hints of the climate chaos we can expect over the coming century. So how bad will it be, and is the damage reversible?  \nThis isn’t just an abstract question. Last month, the United Nations finally acknowledged that holding warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels would  \nPUBLISHING & COMMERCIAL  \nDisplay advertising  \nTel +44 (0)203 615 6456 [Email](Email displayads@newscientist.com)[ displayads@newscientist.com](Email displayads@newscientist.com)[ ](Email displayads@newscientist.com)Sales director Claudia Nicoletti Partnership growth lead Joe Teal Agency partner Daniel Sinclair  \nNew Scientist Events  \nTel +44 (0)[203 615 6554](203 615 6554 Email live@newscientist.com)[ Email](203 615 6554 Email live@newscientist.com)[ live@newscientist.com](203 615 6554 Email live@newscientist.com)[ ](203 615 6554 Email live@newscientist.com)Sales director Jacqui McCarron Sales manager Maureen Ignacio Head of product delivery Henry Gomm Events and projects manage","cbCaipFPiLkFN78A","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipFPiLkFN78A","pdf",12396045,52,"English","# On the rise\n## News\n# No more stitch in time\n# Ancient open-air gallery\n# Dark matter detection\n# Sniffle-free season\n# Aperture\n# Culture\n# Letters\n# The leader\n## Can we fix it?","[{\"question\":\"What are the main stories featured in this issue?\",\"answer\":\"Key features cover the controversial legacy of a “male” theory of autism, renewed debate about the identity of the first Americans, and science updates ranging from dark matter detection to a neutrino mass mystery.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the issue address timekeeping and scientific measurement?\",\"answer\":\"It reports that scientists vote to abolish the leap second, reflecting an update to how timekeeping is handled in scientific contexts.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the leader article say about climate warming and overshoot?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that warming beyond 1.5°C leaves lasting marks, describes ecosystem and ice-sheet impacts, and frames “overshoot, peak, decline” as a decision-making challenge while questioning whether damage can be reversible.\"}]","New Scientist - Issue 3618 - Weekly 24 October 2026 | PDF",1792707120,131]