The world’s population is now 7.7 billion. As we grapple with a global pandemic and the worsening problems of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental destruction, many researchers argue that it’s time to confront how our own rising numbers factor in, and examine our assumptions about the relationship between population growth and economic stability. New Scientist went in search of meaningful answers to a uniquely contentious question: are there just too many of us on the planet? Read

Here are the best stories in science this week ⁠ ⁠ Leading AIs from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google opted to use nuclear weapons in simulated war games in 95 per cent of cases. Expert birdwatchers have changes in their brain structure compared with novices, which probably help them better identify birds and may even protect against age-related cognitive decline. A cream that directly disrupts the underlying causes of the skin patches seen in the condition vitiligo will be made available on the NHS