https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/30171546/SEI_135718529.jpg ## Should we build wind turbines from wood?:

[Most wind turbines are made from a mix of materials, making them hard to recycle – but wood could offer a more sustainable alternative](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349403-should-we-build-wind-turbines-from-wood/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/01103104/SEI_135731406.jpg ## China's failure to vaccinate makes giving up on zero covid a huge risk:

[Widespread protests against China's zero-covid policy have led the country to ease some restrictions, but its failure to vaccinate older people means this could lead to millions of deaths](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349255-chinas-failure-to-vaccinate-makes-giving-up-on-zero-covid-a-huge-risk/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/30135258/SEI_135733814.jpg ## Antibiotics encoded in Neanderthal DNA could help us fight infections:

[A search of the ancient DNA of Neanderthals and Denisovans has revealed coding for extinct bacteria-killing proteins that we could revive to fight infections](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349196-antibiotics-encoded-in-neanderthal-dna-could-help-us-fight-infections/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/29112138/SEI_134550500.jpg ## COP27 saw progress on climate reparations, but more action is needed:

[The developments at COP27 resulted in a historic agreement to set up a loss and damage fund, but voices from the Global South must remain loud and united long after the climate summit, says Zareen Zahid Qureshi](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634152-700-cop27-saw-progress-on-climate-reparations-but-more-action-is-needed/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/29225158/SEI_135659099.jpg ## A quantum computer has simulated a wormhole for the first time:

[Researchers have used Google's Sycamore quantum computer to simulate a simplified wormhole for the first time, and sent a piece of quantum information through it](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349118-a-quantum-computer-has-simulated-a-wormhole-for-the-first-time/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/30123205/SEI_135720195.jpg ## Sperm-blocking vaginal gel could be a reliable contraceptive method:

[A gel that has prevented almost all of 1 billion sperm getting past the cervix in sheep could become an alternative to hormonal birth control methods but without the side effects](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2348907-sperm-blocking-vaginal-gel-could-be-a-reliable-contraceptive-method/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/30153828/SEI_135483735.jpg ## Microfibres that pollute the seas are floating homes for bacteria:

[Almost 200 species of bacteria, including one that can cause food poisoning, were found on microfibre particles from the Mediterranean Sea](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349356-microfibres-that-pollute-the-seas-are-floating-homes-for-bacteria/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/30152945/SEI_135746200.jpg ## Plastic 'Pac-Man' moves using water ripples:

[A simple device made of plastic and rubber can be controlled using ripples in water to move around obstacles](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349123-plastic-pac-man-moves-using-water-ripples/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/29213558/SEI_135501799.jpg ## COP15: What to expect at the biggest biodiversity summit in a decade:

[After a two-year delay, the COP15 summit will convene in Montreal to hammer out an agreement to address the biodiversity crisis](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349121-cop15-what-to-expect-at-the-biggest-biodiversity-summit-in-a-decade/) https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/30161635/SEI_135732474.jpg ## Ant pupae produce a nourishing liquid food for larvae and adults:

[Researchers have observed several species of ants that produce a liquid while in a pupal stage that then gets consumed by their larvae and adults, with the team expecting this to occur across all ant species](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349378-ant-pupae-produce-a-nourishing-liquid-food-for-larvae-and-adults/)