China's Citywide Quarantines: Are They Ethical and Effective?

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January 27, 2020

Dear Reader,

Chinese authorities have shut down all travel into and out of Wuhan, where the coronavirus likely originated, and about a dozen other cities. Experts are split on whether China's travel bans, which restrict the movements of around 35 million people will be effective and fair to residents. In Australia, indigenous communities and archaeologists fear thousands of historic Aboriginal sites and artifacts have been destroyed by the extreme fires that have ravaged large swaths of the country. And lastly, scientists look into how humans decide whether or not to cooperate with robots.

Sunya Bhutta, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement
@sunyaaa

Public Health

China's Citywide Quarantines: Are They Ethical and Effective?

The country has shut down all travel to and from Wuhan and nearby cities in an attempt to curb the spread of a new virus

By Tanya Lewis

Evolution

Thousands of Ancient Aboriginal Sites Probably Damaged in Australian Fires

The sites are rich in cultural history, but the blazes might also reveal some unknown ones, say archaeologists

By John Pickrell,Nature magazine

Physics

What's Wrong with Physics

A physicist slams hype about multiverses, string theory, and quantum computers and calls for more diversity in his field

By John Horgan

Behavior & Society

People Don't Learn to Trust Bots 

AI elicits better cooperation through deception 

By Matthew Hutson

Medical & Biotech

CRISPR-Edited Babies Arrived, and Regulators Are Still Racing to Catch Up

One year after the world learned of He Jiankui's editing of twins, gaps in rules remain

By Alisa Opar,Nature Medicine

Math

An Introduction to the Collected Works of Frederick D. Funkle

His body of work is broad but unnervingly shallow

By Colin Adams,The Mathematical Intelligencer
FROM THE STORE

Extreme Physics

Physicists are pushing into the extreme ends of the universe as we know it—from invisible particles and colliding massive black holes to the most crushing gravitational forces ever detected and spooky quantum entanglement. The 14-billion-year-old tale of our universe is far from over, and in this eBook, we examine a wave of discovery and take a new look at old ideas.

Editor's Note: This Collector's Edition was published as Extreme Physics. The eBook adaptation contains all of the articles, but some of the artwork has been removed to optimize viewing on tablet devices. 

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