BBC Science Focus Magazine

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

ON THE BBC THIS MONTH…

CONTRIBUTORS

WANT MORE?

EYE OPENER • Birthday wishes

EYE OPENER • Let's work together RAJA AMPAT, INDONESIA

EYE OPENER • Show your stripes DOVER, UK

FEEBACK • YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND OUR MAGAZINE

BBC Science Focus Magazine

EERIE ‘SONG’ OF TWINKLING STARS DRIVES UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR NUCLEAR CORES • Taking a musical approach helps scientists determine how much a star should shine

NEW AI COULD IDENTIFY VIRAL ‘DARK MATTER’ OF NEXT PANDEMIC • The early warning system is based on machine learning and could have predicted the emergence of the COVID variants

ANT HONEY USED IN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN MEDICINE COULD INSPIRE POWERFUL NEW ANTIBIOTICS • It’s a first for Western science, but Indigenous Australians have been using the honeypot ant medicinally for thousands of years

MOTHERS ARE FORCED TO FIGHT A NUTRIENT WAR WITH THEIR UNBORN BABIES • A study on mice enabled scientists to discover that children inherit ‘greedy genes’ from fathers

RARE ’ULTRACOOL’ BROWN DWARF STAR FOUND EMITTING RADIO WAVES • Unusual radio signals have led astronomers to a surprising astronomical object

SCIENTISTS PRODUCE THE FIRST CELLULAR MAP OF THE HUMAN INTESTINE • Fluorescent antibodies reveal the atlas of cell ‘neighbourhoods’ that cooperate to protect you

DEEP-SEA MINING • Why the next gold rush is happening at the bottom of the ocean

PALEO IS A FLINTSTONE FANTASY • ‘Big farmer’ has changed our digestive capabilities… and that’s just one of the reasons why you can’t eat like a caveman

WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BANG SINGULARITY? • The Big Bang marks the beginning of the Universe, right? The physicists brave enough to look beyond it aren’t so sure

DON’T KICK THE ROBOT • If something's got no feelings, you can’t hurt it, right? So where’s the harm?

REALITY CHECK THE SCIENCES BEHIND THE HEADLINES LIVE FACIAL RECOGNITION: THE MET POLICE’S CONTROVERSIAL NEW TECH • It has already been used at high-profile events, despite concerns about the privacy, accuracy and bias of this AI-driven system

SKIN CANCER: CASES ARE RISING. WHAT CAN WE DO? • Annual cases are expected to reach 2.7 million by 2040

HAY FEVER: IS IT REALLY GETTING WORSE? • Hay fever sufferers say their allergies are getting worse… and climate change could be to blame

INNOVATIONS PREPARE YOUR SELF FOR TOMORROW

Artificial intelligence discovers drugs to fight ageing • Researchers at the University of Edinburgh use machine learning algorithm to identify drugs with potential new applications in minutes

Five of the best BBQs for the summer • There are hundreds of BBQs on the market, all boasting their own impressive features. But which is the best? The BBC Science Focus team picks their faves…

Ideas we like… • Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

IDEAS WE DON’T LIKE…

SAY AHHH • EVERY LIVING THING HAS TO EAT SOMEHOW… WHATEVER TYPE OF MOUTH IT MIGHT HAVE. AND THERE ARE SOME TRULY BIZARRE MOUTHS IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. SOME OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLES ARE ENOUGH TO LEAVE YOU SLACK-JAWED

THE POWER OF HABIT • Our lives are filled with habitual behaviours, both good and bad, but how do they form and how can we build better ones?

JUST ONE THING • Dr Michael Mosley investigates the...