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

Dino display • ALPES-DE-HAUTEPROVENCE, FRANCE

Life on earth • DERBYSHIRE, UK

Sparks fly • EPFL, SWITZERLAND

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BBC Science Focus Magazine

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DISCOVERIES

FAT CAN BURN ITSELF, SAY SCIENTISTS IN WEIGHT-LOSS BREAKTHROUGH • Initial trials indicate the body can be ‘tricked’ into turning calorie-storing white fat cells into calorie-burning beige

WHY TALKING TO ANIMALS COULD SOON BECOME A REALITY • Could artificial intelligence break through the language barrier between humans and animals?

SNACKING ON BABY CARROTS MAY IMPROVE HEART HEALTH • Tiny carrots, big benefits – eating baby carrots raises antioxidant levels and lowers inflammation, study finds

THE HUNT FOR DARK ENERGY INTENSIFIES AS SCIENTISTS CLOSE IN ON ‘CHAMELEON’ PARTICLE • A new experiment could unlock the mystery of the Universe's accelerating expansion

DECLINING POPULATIONS ARE NOT SIGNS OF ‘SPERMAGEDDON’, SAY EXPERTS • Birth rates are falling around the world, but it's not necessarily cause for alarm

MOST OF US HAVE A FIBRE DEFICIENCY AND IT COULD BE ACCELERATING OUR AGEING • Eating fibre releases fatty acids that help protect our brains. Now, experts say deficiencies could be behind the high levels of Alzheimer's and dementia

ALIEN ACTIVITY ON DISTANT PLANETS COULD BE SPOTTED BY THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE • While greenhouse gases cause problems for our climate, their signature could be a tell-tale sign of alien life on other worlds

HUGE NEW HORNED DINOSAUR IS MOST ‘BIZARRE’ AND ORNATE YET • It had a frill unlike anything we've seen before

WORMS SURVIVE THE ANTARCTIC COLD THANKS TO ‘ANTIFREEZE’ MADE BY BACTERIA • A symbiotic relationship between worm and bacteria holds the key to their cryoprotective powers

THE BATTLE OVER WHETHER SLICED BREAD REALLY IS THE BEST THING • Eating too many ultra-processed foods is bad for our health. But is the supermarket sliced loaf being unfairly maligned?

THE COSMIC FOSSIL HUNT THAT'S HELPING US SOLVE THE PARADOX AT THE HEART OF STAR FORMATION • Riddle me this: how do you gather enough cold gas to ignite a very hot star?

THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE COULD BE THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS A NEW ERA IN WOMEN'S SPORT • Clues to better training and performance could be found in the menstrual cycle

Heatstroke: how to spot it and what you can do about it • Extreme heat is behind a growing number of health issues, an increasing number of which are resulting in death

The hidden health risks of squeezing yourself into shapewear… a doctor explains • Shapewear offers a quick route to a slimmer silhouette, but it could also cause you problems

WHY ARE BILLIONAIRES BUILDING EXTRAVAGANT DOOMSDAY BUNKERS? • Luxury bunkers with flaming moats and 10-car garages… what are billionaires ‘prepping’ for? And what should the rest of us be doing?

TOUGH TECH: THE HARDIEST GEAR FOR WHATEVER THE WEATHER BRINGS • Whether it's bad weather, rough terrain or just butter-fingered handling, gadgets designed for the great outdoors need to withstand a battering. Here are...