With accessible features illustrated with the world’s best photography, BBC Focus Magazine explains the theory behind scientific phenomena and really brings science to life. In every issue you’ll find news of the latest major scientific developments, a lively Q&A section plus exclusive and astonishing photographic reports that range from the breathtaking to the downright odd.
FROM THE EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
Blood and bone
Who needs wings? • MIZORAM, INDIA
FEEDBACK • YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND OUR MAGAZINE
LETTER OF THE MONTH
BBC Science Focus Magazine
DISCOVERIES • “We've never seen such dramatic changes in other supermassive black holes”
GRAVITATIONAL RIPPLES COULD HELP CRACK THE UNIVERSE'S SECRETS • New findings provide evidence of a ‘background hum' produced by low-frequency gravitational waves rippling across spacetime
THE COSTS OF SWITCHING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY WILL HIT THE SUPER-WEALTHY HARDEST • A new study says a future fuelled by sustainable energy is possible, if the top 10 per cent are prepared to accept some losses
WORMS CAUGHT HITCHING RIDES ON BEES BY USING ELECTRIC FIELDS • As well as hitchhiking, the nematode worms also form conga lines
A RADIATION ‘ECHO' FROM A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE IS SPREADING ACROSS THE GALAXY • The sleeping cosmological giant woke up around 200 years ago and devoured everything in the vicinity, releasing intense amounts of radiation in the process
SCIENTISTS TO TEST ‘POO TRANSPLANT' PILLS IN GROUNDBREAKING GUT HEALTH TRIAL • Your number twos could be the number-one defence against liver disease
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER WHY SPACE TRAVEL WEAKENS ASTRONAUTS' IMMUNE SYSTEMS • Astronauts routinely break out in rashes or get ill while aboard the International Space Station. Now we know why
AI USES BRAINWAVES TO PERFECT YOUR PERSONALISED PLAYLIST • Your mood and energy levels may reveal your preferred musical genres to streaming services
CHRIS PACKHAM VERSUS THE WORLD • After conquering wildlife programming, presenter Chris Packham is taking on the planet in Earth, a BBC series that sheds new light on the history of our home. He talks Noa Leach through the show's surprising science – and his guilty conscience
FIVE TIMES THE EARTH ALMOST DIED • Throughout its long history, Earth and the life on it have come perilously close to total destruction. Here are the narrow misses…
THE HUNT FOR INVISIBLE PARTICLES IS OPENING A NEW SCIENTIFIC FRONTIER • The link between theory and experiment is opening a window on to the next iteration of physics
YOU'RE HARDWIRED TO TRUST CONFIDENT VOICES… EVEN WHEN THEY'RE WRONG • Human evolution has led to us naturally believing statements that are delivered in a more assured manner
THE VAGINA'S HUGE MEDICAL POTENTIAL IS GOING UNTAPPED. BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER • Scientists are beginning to investigate the organ's potential healthcare applications… and there's a lot of them
REVIEW MEWING: CAN THE TIKTOK TREND GIVE YOU THE JAWLINE OF A MODEL? • Its supporters claim a simple tongue exercise can not only reshape your jaw and help you sleep, but can even improve your teeth. Here's what the experts say…
SIGNS OF LIFE: COULD A SUPERNOVA BE A SIGNAL? • Astronomers think aliens could use supernova explosions to inform us of their presence
OLDER DADS: ARE YOU EVER TOO OLD TO BECOME A FATHER? • What are the risks and rewards, to you and your children, of becoming a father late in life?
INNOVATIONS PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW
AI art's hidden echo chamber is about to implode • Artificial intelligence creates millions of images a day, flooding the internet. But what happens when it starts to train on its own...