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Beyond weird • As quantum theory turns 100, let’s celebrate its power – and provocation

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A layover at the lake

First synapse engineered in mammals • An artificial electrical synapse has been created in mouse brains thanks to gene editing, a technique that could be used to help treat mental health conditions, finds Chris Simms

No, the dire wolf isn’t back • Claims that the dire wolf has been brought back from extinction are not what they seem, says Michael Le Page

Space could emerge from time • An investigation of the behaviour of a single quantum bit through time has uncovered a tantalising similarity to the geometry of three-dimensional space, finds Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

Analysis Recycling • Should we give up on recycling plastic? Globally, only a small percentage of the plastic we use is recycled – but new technologies could change the picture drastically, finds Madeleine Cuff

Denisovan discovery in Taiwan • Fossil extends the known range of these ancient humans by thousands of kilometres

World’s first baby born by IVF done mostly by a machine

Methane-eating bacteria ready to tackle emissions

Dolphins still harmed by banned chemicals

Trees capture toxic fingerprint of gold mining

AI-powered chilli spray could safely deter bears

Rethinking dinosaurs’ decline • A drop in the fossil count doesn’t mean that dinosaurs were doomed before killer asteroid hit

How to make a great cup of coffee with fewer beans

Our deepest effect on the planet • The draining of the Aral Sea for agriculture has caused Earth’s upper mantle to rise

Settlement found from the golden age of ancient Egypt

A day on Uranus is longer than we thought

Blood test suggests preeclampsia risk

The future’s bright • The idea that the rise of tech means today’s young people are less intelligent than previous generations is rife – but wrong, says Dean Burnett

Field notes from space-time • Conflict resolution General relativity is an astonishingly beautiful theory, and grappling with why it disagrees with quantum mechanics is a joy, says Chanda

Living giants

Dreams of the powerful • Exposing the origins of the outlandish and downright scary dreams of tech billionaires makes for a disturbing but important book, finds Jeff Hecht

Making waves • Why is saying no so hard? Alison George explores a fascinating book with some novel ideas

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The TV column • Same as it ever was? Black Mirror’s new season is a mixed bag, ranging from a sublimely plotted romp to one of the worst episodes to date. And it’s still playing fast and loose with its sci-fi concepts, finds Bethan Ackerley

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OUR QUANTUM CENTURY 100

WHAT IS QUANTUM THEORY?

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF QUANTUM THEORY • The seeds of quantum theory were sown by Albert Einstein and others as early as 1905. But the theory came together properly 100 years ago in 1925 – and has exerted its influence ever since, as this timeline shows.

OUR QUANTUM POWERED FUTURE • Of all the novel quantum technologies under development, quantum computing is the most likely to transform science and society. But how exactly will it do that? Karmela Padavic-Callaghan investigates

THE MEANING OF QUANTUMNESS •...