Vol 272 No 3617 - October 17, 2026 - Bracing for El Niño

Oct 23, 2026

New Scientist Vol 272 No 3617 (October 17, 2026) leads with a feature on El Niño emergency, explaining how extreme, yet predictable, weather swings—floods, droughts, cyclones, and wildfires—can be prepared for, and what global governments and infrastructure investments may change. Inside, the issue covers hidden health risks, new giant waterlily species, aging and longevity research, AI and maths concerns, cancer targeting advances, and science in daily life through puzzles, letters, and cartoon commentary.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages52

Reading Time2 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

The leader

Bracing for El Niño

On the cover

El Niño emergency

News

Views

Features

The back pages

Puzzles

Letters

Feedback

This week’s issue On the cover 4 El Niño emergency How it became a recordbreaking monster Why it could irreversibly change the planet The most ambitious ways to stop it News 14 Hidden health risk Nearly 1 in 10 younger adults have plaque in their arteries 14 Giant finding New species of giant waterlily described in Colombia 16 Ageing gracefully How a 194-year-old tortoise’s DNA fights off ageing Views 19 Maths’ existential crisis Hannah Fry on what’s happening with AI and maths 20 Sweet tooth Alice Klein looks into how much sugar infants should eat 22 Aperture A look back at all the fun of New Scientist Live 26 Culture A compelling book argues we should cautiously embrace AI 31 Letters Simulated reality question opens a can of worms Vol 272 No 3617 Cover image: Ryan Wills/Adobe Stock 19 Hannah Fry on the AI crisis engulfing maths 36 A revolutionary way to beat even the worst cancers 20 How eating sugar asa child changes you forever 15 Ultra-fast asteroids 15 The Neanderthals’wooden age 16 Invisible tattoos 36 Features “Being able to identify exactly what makesa cancer tick is having an incredible impact” Aperture 22 A roarsometime New Scientist Live brought delight to attendees ALISTAIR VERYARD Features 32 AI’s inner life Do AIs already process data in away that gives rise to consciousness? 36 Cancer in the crosshairs A new way of targeting tumours is helping people survive even the worst cancers 40 Panoramic cosmic views NASA’s latest telescope will help solve our biggest questions The back pages 45 Puzzles Try our crossword, puzzle and quick quiz 46 Almost the last word Are humans the only animals that cry? 46 Tom Gauld for New Scientist A cartoonist’stake on the world 48 Feedback A look into an unusual Star Trek partnership 48 Twisteddoodles for New Scientist Picturing the lighter side of life 17 October 2026 | New Scientist|1 The leader Bracing forEl Niño We knowhow the climate will respond in the coming months, but are we ready? EL NIÑO brings weather of opposite extremes–floods, droughts, cyclones, wildfires–to opposite sides of the planet. But we often forget that most of this extreme weather is highly predictable. For example, all eight strong El Niños in the past 70 years have caused drought in Indonesia. All major models predict the current record El Niño will lead toa dry autumn and winter there. Soit’s little surprise that Indonesia is struggling with worsening drought and wildfires. Similarly predictable effects will be seen worldwide over the next year (seepage 4). Because of this predictability, some experts argue that there are no“natural”disasters. With enough preparation, rich societies should be able to withstand almost any extreme weather. Some PUBLISHING & COMMERCIAL Display advertising Tel +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 New Scientist Events Tel +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 manager Georgia Hill Events and projects executive Ciara Lucas New Scientist Discovery Tours [Email](Email tours@newscientist.com)[ tours@newscientist.com](Email tours@newscientist.com)[ ](Email tours@newscientist.com)Director Kevin Currie Head of travel marketing Ginny Smith Head of travel product Lara Paxton Travel product manager Pip Orchard Marketing & Data Chief customer officer Claire Overstall Head of campaign marketing James Nicholson Subscription acquisiti

FAQs

Why does the issue say El Niño impacts are often predictable?

It argues that extreme weather extremes tied to El Niño are forecastable because past events show consistent effects and major models predict current patterns.

What major theme is presented in the “Hidden health risk” section?

It focuses on a cardiovascular concern: nearly 1 in 10 younger adults have plaque in their arteries.

Which topics in this issue connect science research to real-world outcomes?

It highlights cancer survival strategies, DNA-related aging insights from a 194-year-old tortoise, and how ultrafast asteroid and other discoveries can inform future questions and interventions.

Oct 23, 2026

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