Cosmos Magazine is an award-winning literary science magazine, published in Australia but with a global reach. Cosmos Magazine presents the exciting world of science in a way that everyone can enjoy, with beautiful pictures and clear explanations of the latest developments. Discover the universe around you and what makes it tick.
STEPHEN HAWKING (1942-2018)
CONTRIBUTORS
Beneath Jupiter’s clouds
New tardigrade • Collection of the world’s favourite extremophiles grows by one.
An ultra-bright shining mystery • Source of ultra-luminous X-rays puts pressure on star model.
Quantum vibes hit the big time • Spooky entanglement steps beyond the subatomic realm.
How to build the perfect egg • Imaging reveals nanostructures that make eggshells both strong and weak.
Swiss cheese at the centre of the galaxy • Stellar black holes confirm massive prediction.
Watery clues to Venus’ habitability • Our closest neighbour could have been more suitable for life than early Earth.
Protons are like neutron stars • World-first measurement finds pressure inside a proton is 10 times greater than inside a neutron star.
Boogie-woogie bowhead whales • Arctic species lays down licks and riffs like Miles Davis playing underwater.
Neanderthal love still a one-way genetic affair • Modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA, but there is still no evidence our extinct cousins gained anything in return.
BY THE NUMBERS
Hunting optimal solutions • Computer scientists have copied the tricks of the humpback whale in the search for better algorithms.
The vision thing: stem cell procedures produce stunning results • Two clinical trials exceed expectations raising hopes for widespread blindness treatment.
A diamond’s best bend • Renowned for their hardness, diamonds turn out to be remarkably flexible at the nano-scale.
Quantum biology • After a decade of doubt it seems the photosynthetic machinery of green sulfur bacteria do show quantum superposition.
A sailcloth to reach the stars • Researchers are workshopping the specs for lightsails in preparation for interstellar travel.
DEGREES OF WARMING: IT’S UP TO THE CLOUDS • After decades of uncertainty, we’re getting better at predicting whether clouds will help to cool or cook the planet. MICHAEL LUCY explains.
Acrobotics: a revolutionary movement • CATHAL O’CONNELL reports.
“THE BMI IGNORES ELEMENTARY PHYSICS”
ORDER, MESS AND WHY BLACK HOLES GLOW • Thinking about entropy gave Stephen Hawking the link between black holes and quantum particles.
IN TWO MINDS OVER DECODING BRAINWAVES • Keeping your thoughts to yourself is getting harder.
BODY MASS INDEX MISCALCULATION • The body mass index has ignored the weight of evolution and elementary physics.
THE BMI FORMULA
JUNO’S NEW JUPITER • The goddess-inspired spacecraft is unveiling new breadths and depths of the planet’s innermost secrets. RICHARD A. LOVETT explains.
THE FEATHERED REVOLUTION • The evolutionary tale of birds is full of twists, turns and discoveries that continue to rewrite the history books. PAUL WILLIS leads us through the maze.
DINOSAUR DEINONYCHUS
INFLAMMATION OVERLOAD • New evidence suggests friendly fire from the immune system is at the heart of common diseases. DYANI LEWIS takes a closer look.
THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY INDUSTRY
HELLO QUANTUM WORLD • Serious quantum computers are finally here. What are we going to do with them? WILL KNIGHT explains.
THE VARIETIES OF QUANTUM EXPERIENCE
LOOK INTO MY EYES • ARTHROPODS SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
Coming up for airless • Belinda Ferrari grew from a bored country kid into a microbiologist who...