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.
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SOMETHING’S RUMBLING ON THE RED PLANET • Mounting evidence suggests Mars isn’t dead
Scientists identify gut bacteria linked to neurodegenerative conditions • A study on worms points to gut bacteria that can kick-start Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and ones that can counteract these conditions
In numbers
New study bolsters support for ‘magic mushroom’ treatment for depression
Mystery of the pterosaurs and their ridiculously long necks is finally solved
Miniature replica of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night created using a ‘laser paintbrush’
Scientists train a computer to learn like a human
Future counsellor robots could comfort humans with a simple pat on the hand
Good month Bad month
The ‘if I fits, I sits’ instinct: cats will sit in a box even it’s an optical illusion
Feeling itchy? Sensor detects scratching to tell doctors how bad eczema is • The device could be used to develop drugs and other treatments for skin conditions
Could you cope without natural light for 40 days? • The Deep Time project saw 15 volunteers sign up to spend over month in a cave beneath the Pyrenees with no access to natural light or clocks. Most of them want to go back…
MICROPLASTICS: ARE THEY HARMING ME, AND CAN I DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? • Tiny plastic fragments are found in every environment on Earth, even those with no human inhabitants. Dr Stephanie Wright, who studies toxicology in the environment, explains the dangers
CLIMATE CHANGE: CAN THE NEW TARGETS GET US TO NET ZERO? • The UK government is aiming for an emissions cut of 78 per cent, compared with levels in 1990. They want to achieve this by 2035. Is this feasible?
BMI: IT’S FLAWED, SO WHY DO WE USE IT? • A report published by the Women and Equalities Committee says that the use of the Body Mass Index should be scrapped. Is there a better way to calculate if you’re a healthy weight?
INNOVATIONS • PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW
Meet the drone slayer • The cannon fires microwaves to take down swarms of attack UAVs
Introducing your digital twin… • Imagine a Star Trek-style body scanner that examines your body in such depth that it can produce a 3D computerised model to track your health. Jeff Kaditz didn’t just imagine it, he built one. He’s the CEO of QBio, a US start-up that wants to facilitate a data-led, personalised approach to medicine. The firm’s scanner measures hundreds of biomarkers in a person’s body and tracks them over time in a so-called digital twin – a sort of databank-cum-avatar of your body. Here, he tells us what the physical exam of the future looks like and how it will revolutionise healthcare.
Ideas we like…
INSTALLING A NEW AGE OF HUMANITY • FROM REALITY-ENHANCING IMPLANTS TO BRAIN-CONTROLLED EXOSKELETONS, BREAKTHROUGHS IN BIO-TECH HAVE FUELLED A NEW FUSION OF MACHINERY AND ORGANIC MATTER. HERE WE SPEAK TO THE CYBORGS WHO ARE HELPING HUMANITY TRANSCEND ITS BIOLOGICAL LIMITS, ONE DEVICE AT A TIME
JUST ONE THING… • Being healthy and fit demands hard work, dedication and time. Or does it? Dr Michael Mosley shares his favourite shortcuts to staying healthy as we get older. No sweat bands...
