Why have some people never caught covid?

It’s that time again – here’s your round-up of the best stories in science and technology from New Scientist. This week we’ve got tips on screen time, shapes in higher dimensions and a fun video of a robot driving a car. First up, a more serious topic – new research on the coronavirus.

We finally know why some people seem immune to catching covid-19

One of the big mysteries since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is why some people seemed to be immune to infection, even in the days before vaccines. Now, results from a study carried out in 2021, which involved deliberately exposing people to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, suggest that high activity levels of a certain immune system gene could be key. The results may improve vaccine and treatment development.

Pluto and the largest moon of Neptune might be siblings

I have a soft spot for Pluto, having covered the 2015 flyby of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft live from mission control, so was fascinated by this story suggesting that it could share a common origin with Triton, the largest moon of Neptune. Both are icy bodies that may have formed in the outer regions of the early solar system.

Mathematicians find odd shapes that roll like a wheel in any dimension

This mind-bending maths story requires you to think in 4, 5 or more spatial dimensions, but it’s worth a read to discover how shapes like the UK’s 20p and 50p coins, known as shapes of constant width, can be generalised into 3D, 4D and beyond, getting increasingly “small” as you move up the dimensions.

More from New Scientist

• If you’ve ever wanted to see a humanoid robot attempt to drive a car like a person, now you can.
• Our magazine cover story this week takes a deep dive into a contentious topic – just how much screen time should young people get?
• Move quickly and you can book tickets for our one-day masterclass in New York on Saturday, all about the latest research on the brain and consciousness.

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Jacob Aron, News Editor