BBC Science Focus Magazine

All that's new and exciting in science, technology and the natural world

BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min readIntelligence (AI) & Semantics
On The BBC This Month…
Matthew Syed's new four-part series explores the ethics of space exploration, asking such questions as: Should we invest so much into leaving Earth? Should we attempt to colonise Mars? And should we send messages out into space? Available now on BBC
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
From The Editor
It feels very British to have planned three articles about heat, only for the UK to be drenched by one of the soggiest summers I can remember. That said, I'd happily choose rain over the relentless 40°C (104°F) heat that's beating down on parts of Eu
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Contributors
The head of space science at the UK Space Agency explains how NASA's Europa Clipper mission will reveal if one of Jupiter's moons has the potential for alien life. Sales of shapewear, garments that flatten your bulges, are increasing. Nish, our resid
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Dino Display
Sprawling landscapes, quaint towns, beautiful waterfalls: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is known for a lot of things. And now, it's become the proud home of two dinosaur skeletons that represent a first for France. One is closely related to the T.rex, and
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Life On Earth
What we're looking at here contains more life forms than the human populations of North and South America combined. What makes it even more impressive is that this photo only covers an area around 1mm2 and is something that we usually overlook: soil.
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Sparks Fly
How do electrical signals in your brain translate into coordinated movement? It's a question that has puzzled neuroscientists for some time, and now we're a step closer to answering it thanks to this image of a fly's brain, taken at École polytechniq
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Feedback
[email protected] BBC Science Focus, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST @sciencefocus www.facebook.com/sciencefocus @bbcsciencefocus In ‘How the Universe Will End’ (June, p62) Alastair Gunn mentions the ‘Big Slurp’, which sounds like a just-so story.
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
BBC Science Focus Magazine
EDITORIAL Editor & brand lead Daniel Bennett Managing editor Robert Banino Commissioning editor Jason Goodyer Digital editor Thomas Ling News editor Noa Leach Trends editor Tom Howarth Staff writers Alex Hughes, Holly Spanner ART Art editor Joe Eden
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min readChemistry
Fat Can Burn Itself, Say Scientists In Weight-loss Breakthrough
Who doesn't wish for an easier weightloss journey? It can be tricky to make those all-important changes to improve our diet and exercise, and trickier still to know which of the endless weight-loss fads will be the one to work for you. Of course, the
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Why Talking To Animals Could Soon Become A Reality
You may think you know your pet, but what if they could actually talk to you? Well, veterinarian Dr Jess French thinks we could be understanding animals sooner than expected and that it could be “one of the biggest and most exciting technological adv
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min readDiet & Nutrition
Snacking On Baby Carrots May Improve Heart Health
Did you think that baby carrots were just funsized versions of the carrot? Yes, they may be small, but they come with a big dose of antioxidants. A recent study has found that snacking on them three times a week can significantly increase levels of b
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
The Hunt For Dark Energy Intensifies As Scientists Close In On ‘Chameleon’ Particle
The hunt for dark energy – the elusive and, so far, hypothetical force accelerating the Universe's expansion – has a new tool: an ultra-precise instrument developed by physicists at the University of California, Berkeley. Among the leading hypotheses
BBC Science Focus Magazine5 min read
Declining Populations Are Not Signs Of ‘Spermageddon’, Say Experts
Given the influx of news stories, you'd be forgiven for thinking the human race is slowly killing itself off with pollution, microplastics and forever chemicals. Reports of falling semen counts have fuelled talk of a so-called ‘spermageddon’, while f
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min readDiet & Nutrition
Most Of Us Have A Fibre Deficiency And It Could Be Accelerating Our Ageing
Many of us could be suffering from a rapidly ageing brain caused by fibre deficiency. The dietary flaw could explain why Alzheimer's and dementia are the leading causes of death in the UK. That's according to registered dietitian Dr Emily Leeming and
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Alien Activity On Distant Planets Could Be Spotted By The James Webb Space Telescope
To any alien beings out there: if you terraform a planet (deliberately modify an environment to make it hospitable for life), we might be able to spot you. That's thanks to a new study from the University of California, Riverside, which has identifie
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Huge New Horned Dinosaur Is Most ‘Bizarre’ And Ornate Yet
The weird dinosaurs club has a new member. Lokiceratops rangiformis boasted beautiful – if somewhat dangerous – headgear to rival even the most elaborate catwalk creations. It also happens to be one of the largest, and most ornate, horned dinosaurs e
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Worms Survive The Antarctic Cold Thanks To ‘Antifreeze’ Made By Bacteria
Worms living in the depths of the Antarctic waters use antifreeze-like proteins to stay alive. But not proteins they produce themselves; rather, the bacteria inside them produce these proteins. That's according to a new study published in Science Adv
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min readDiet & Nutrition
The Battle Over Whether Sliced Bread Really Is The Best Thing
The public discourse around diet and nutrition is polarised and heated, even at the best of times. Yet the reaction I got when I inadvertently found myself at the centre of a debate about supermarket bread took me by surprise. It all kicked off after
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
The Cosmic Fossil Hunt That's Helping Us Solve The Paradox At The Heart Of Star Formation
Observations of record-breakingly distant galaxies by the James Webb Telescope (JWST) have been making the headlines lately. Just fuzzy red dots to us, those early galaxies are so bright and massive that they're challenging our understanding of galax
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
The Menstrual Cycle Could Be The Key That Unlocks A New Era In Women's Sport
While many of us may think there are just two phases in the menstrual cycle (ovulation and menstruation), it is, in fact, much more sophisticated. It involves a complex network of hormones and understanding hormonal fluctuations is becoming increasin
BBC Science Focus Magazine5 min read
Heatstroke: How To Spot It And What You Can Do About It
This summer the news has been awash with alarming reports of deaths due to heat stroke in countries all over the globe. According to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, extreme heat events are increasing in frequency and
BBC Science Focus Magazine4 min read
The Hidden Health Risks Of Squeezing Yourself Into Shapewear… A Doctor Explains
Body-shaping undergarments, more commonly known as shapewear, have exploded in popularity in recent years. In a society increasingly focused on appearance and self-image, shapewear claims to offer a quick and relatively affordable solution to boost c
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
Why Are Billionaires Building Extravagant Doomsday Bunkers?
Having spent fortunes on extending their lifespans, reversing their ages and blasting themselves into space, the latest trend for the super-rich is prepping for doomsday. More specifically, building massive underground bunkers for themselves. While t
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
Tough Tech: The Hardiest Gear For Whatever The Weather Brings
We can all pretend we aren't reliant on tech, but the act goes out the window as soon as our gadgets get low on charge. While a power bank can give you a slight top-up, sometimes you just need something with more juice. That's where the Anker SOLIX C
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Ideas We Like…
Can the Smart Swim 2 goggles improve your swimming ability? Yes. Can they make you an Olympic swimmer? Well, no. That takes the sort of dedication that most of us don't have. But what these goggles will do is track your pace, stroke rate, stroke coun
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Ideas We Don't Like…
On its website, Qudi proudly states its mission is to “make the process of communication between people brighter and easier.” So, does Qudi make a translation tool? Or perhaps a way to communicate in loud places? No, it makes a face mask that uses fl
BBC Science Focus Magazine7 min read
A Dangerous New Trend
In 2020 sailors off the Iberian peninsula began reporting that orcas were ‘attacking’ their vessels. From the Strait of Gibraltar to the coasts of Galicia and the seas off Portugal and Morocco, the fivetonne apex predators, capable of swimming at 48k
BBC Science Focus Magazine8 min read
Signs of life
Are we alone? One of the big questions that people would like to answer is whether life exists elsewhere in the Universe. Given the scale of the Universe, planetary scientists have tended to focus on whether life exists elsewhere in our Solar System.
BBC Science Focus Magazine8 min read
Too Hot to Live
If you have ever languished in a sauna, you'll know how enervating the combination of extreme heat and high humidity can be. Now, imagine being in a sauna wherein the temperature and humidity just keep climbing and climbing. Very quickly the experien
BBC Science Focus Magazine11 min read
What Are We Getting Wrong About Adult ADHD?
Unless you've been paying ironically little attention in recent years, you'll have noticed the significant rise in adults being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD. While some people blame this on scho
BBC Science Focus Magazine4 min read
What Decides Where My Body Fat Is Stored?
One of the biggest factors that determines where fat is stored in your body is your sex. Men tend to store fat around their abdomen, whereas women are more likely to store it on their thighs, bums and hips. “From the point of view of childbirth and c
BBC Science Focus Magazine7 min read
Q&A YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Turbulence is a normal part of flying, hence the sick bags. But it can be dangerous. In May this year, a flight travelling from London to Singapore had to make an emergency landing after hitting severe turbulence over Myanmar. The incident left one m
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
The Proboscis Monkey
With its big, bulbous hooter, the proboscis monkey is one of the most recognisable primates in the world. In the past, it was said that their noses were so big, they had to hold them to one side to eat, but this isn't true. They eat just fine. Endemi
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Astronomy For Beginners
After a relatively sparse period of meteor activity in the spring, things really ramp up in summer. A number of showers combine to produce decent amounts of meteors throughout this period, the highlight occurring in August as the annual Perseid showe
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
For generations of kids raised on Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes, quicksand was a danger that seemed to lurk around every corner. One false step and you could meet a slow and suffocating demise! Turns out, your chances of being swallowed by a bottomless
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Why Do Cats Get The Zoomies After Pooping?
Ah, the zoomies. There's nothing quite like watching your cat pinging off the walls like a pinball. One minute they're flying across the sofa, the next, they're launching themselves at the lampshade. They're here, there and everywhere, all at once. T
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Why Is It So Difficult To Remember Our Dreams?
Difficulty recalling dreams has been linked with various factors, such as attitude (if you're more interested in dreams you're more likely to recall them). Research also suggests that women can typically recall slightly more dreams than men. The way
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
What Is The Strongest Insect On Earth?
And the gold medal goes to… the horned dung beetle (Onthophagus taurus)! It can pull 1,141 times its own weight, equivalent to an adult human pulling six doubledecker buses full of other humans. How do we know? Scientists from Queen Mary University o
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
What Would Happen To A Human Body In The Vacuum Of Space?
If you're thrown out of a spaceship without a spacesuit, you'll pass out in 15 seconds and die in a couple of minutes from oxygen deprivation. Your corpse will balloon slightly, as the nitrogen in your blood comes out of solution and forms bubbles un
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Crossword
7 Carry out directions on dramatic section (5) 9 Genuine son went in to do well (7) 10 Get comfortable with republican colonist (7) 11 Thankless, wrapping joint (5) 12 Strange trance from divine drink (6) 13 Credit deity with emergency (6) 16 Remove
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
Beat The Heat
How are you supposed to get 40 winks when it feels like the temperature in your bedroom is pushing 40°C (104°F)? As our climate warms and intense heatwaves become more common, scientists note that temperatures are rising faster at night than during t

BBC Science Focus Magazine

More Issues From BBC Science Focus Magazine