BBC Science Focus Magazine

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

BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
From The Editor
Dark matter really is an awkward thing to explain to anyone who doesn’t follow science. Even if you do follow science, it still sounds kind of silly when you try and make sense of it. Any attempt to do so usually ends up sounding something like this:
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min readIntelligence (AI) & Semantics
On The BBC This Month…
Two of our favourite radio presenters, Aleks Kratoski and Kevin Fong, team up for this new series that aims to get to the bottom of our deepest hopes and fears regarding artificial intelligence. They’ll set out to answer key questions like: will AI b
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Contributors
Katie explains how studying radio bursts that originate from unknown sources outside the Milky Way could lead to exciting new discoveries. Britain’s roads are cratered with 750,000 potholes. Civil engineer Benyi takes us through the cutting-edge solu
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Want More?
Don’t forget that BBC Science Focus is available on all major digital platforms. We have versions for Android, as well as an iOS app for the iPad and iPhone. Can’t wait until next month to get your fix of science and tech? Our website is packed with
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
A Monster In Deep Space
CASSIOPEIA A The emerald horseshoe shape lurking near the centre of this image is known as the ‘Green Monster’. And with good reason: it’s enormous - around 10 light-years wide, according to estimates. To put that figure in context, consider that Pro
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Ant Fusillade
MALDEN, NETHERLANDS What looks like a tiny firework display watched by hundreds of insects is, in fact, more like a giant game of spitball. These wood ants (Formica rufa) are shooting formic acid at a potential predator - in this case, the Dutch phot
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
Feed Back
reply@sciencefocus.com BBC Science Focus, Eagle House, Bristol, BS14ST @sciencefocus www.facebook.com/sciencefocus @bbcsciencefocus I found Dr Michelle Griffin’s column on the gender pain gap (New Year, p38) very interesting and it got me wondering:
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
BBC Science Focus Magazine
THE TEAM EDITORIAL Editor & brand lead Daniel Bennett Managing editor Robert Banino Commissioning editor Jason Goodyer Digital editor Thomas Ling News editor Noa Leach Staff writers Alex Hughes, Holly Spanner ART Art editor Joe Eden Picture & asset m
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Black Hole Unbalances Entre Galaxy With Massive Tantrum
We all have bad days, committing to a monumental strop here or a display of anger there. But have you ever had a tantrum so bad that you threw an entire galaxy off balance? Well, that’s what one particularly badly behaved black hole has done and its
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
New Camera Tech Sees The World Through Animals’ Eyes
Humans differ greatly from other animals in a huge number of ways, but one of the most intriguing differences is vision. Eyesight varies a great deal between species, but now, according to a report published in the journal PLOS Biology, we have the m
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Water Found Buried Under Martian Equator
Scientists have finally figured out what’s hidden inside mysterious deposits buried beneath Mars’s equator. Using new data gathered by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter, scientists have discovered pockets of water ice that stretch for
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Breakthrough Anti-ageing Cell Discovery Could Help You Stay Younger For Longer
The ‘fountain of youth’ is not locked away in a sorcerer’s stone or mythical water source, according to new research. In fact, scientists in the US say the key to slowing ageing is hiding in our bodies. Published in Nature Aging, the new research rev
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Need To Tune Out The Ringing Of Tinnitus? There’s An App For That
Tinnitus, a condition that causes a ringing in the ears, can be debilitating for anyone who suffers from it. But an international team of researchers say they may have found a possible solution. Publishing their findings in the journal Frontiers in A
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min readIntelligence (AI) & Semantics
AI Analysis Shows Your Fingerprints Aren’t Unique
An artificial intelligence (AI) has made a surprising discovery: our fingerprints aren’t unique. Well, at least not when compared to other fingers on the same hand. It has long been believed that every digit has its own pattern of whorls, loops and a
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Peek Inside What Could Be The First Human Settlement On The Moon
Architecture studio Hassell has unveiled plans for what could be the first permanent human settlement on the Moon. Designed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), Cranfield University and Format Engineers, the Lunar Habitat Masterplan
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
Radio Waves Of Unknown Origin Have Scientists Puzzled
You would think they would have been harder to miss: unimaginably powerful bursts of cosmic radiation, so bright they can blast our radio telescopes from billions of light-years away and occurring perhaps as often as a thousand times a day. But fast
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min readMotivational
Struggling To Find The Motivation To Exercise? Blame Your Brain
Humans aren’t the fastest or strongest species. We have no wings, fangs, claws, venom or armour. Physically, we’re largely nature’s also-rans. ‘Also-ran’ is an ironic term, though, because humans do physically dominate all other species in one area:
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
One Hormone Could Be The Key That Unlocks A Cure For Morning Sickness
We’ve all experienced vomiting at some stage in our lives, whether it’s from a nasty bout of food poisoning or the well-known norovirus that periodically spreads through the population. And everyone can agree that it’s horrendous. But imagine if ongo
BBC Science Focus Magazine4 min read
Tongue Scraping: Can The Latest Tiktok Trend Put An End To Bad Breath?
For more fact-checking news, visit the BBC’s Verify website at bit.ly/BBCVerify Search for the term ‘tongue scraper’ on TikTok and you’ll be met with an avalanche of videos extolling the virtues of small tongue-cleaning devices that resemble a cross
BBC Science Focus Magazine4 min read
Water Bottles: How Saving The Planet Could Make You Sick
Take a walk around any local park, office or city centre and there’s a good chance you’ll see a number of people drinking from reusable water bottles. They’ve become something of a fashion accessory, as well as a means to help us meet the NHS health
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min read
Potholes: High-tech Solutions Could Fill The Cracks In UK Roads
As the world grapples with the accelerating pace of climate change, the UK’s expansive network of roads, which stretches over 400,000km (250,000 miles), is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather. From tarmac melting during
BBC Science Focus Magazine7 min readIntelligence (AI) & Semantics
The Biggest Prepare Yourself For Tomorrow From Ces 2024
Yes, artificial intelligence. Who would have guessed that tech’s biggest talking point would be the preeminent trend at this year’s CES? Appearing on nearly every label, poster and product description, AI didn’t just pop up here and there, it was a n
BBC Science Focus Magazine8 min read
In The Line Of Fire
A fiery beast has awoken from centuries of slumber. The past three years have seen it create cracks in Earth’s crust on the southwestern tip of Iceland and belch fountains of lava up through them. It’s captivated people worldwide and inspired a mix o
BBC Science Focus Magazine9 min read
Dark Matter A New Dawn
Tiny, fuzzy blobs. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years looking at images of tiny, fuzzy blobs. They’re only ever a few pixels wide, like smudges on a photo, but they could be the key that unlocks the mystery of dark matter. The blobs are g
BBC Science Focus Magazine8 min read
THE POWER of THOUGHT
When the Australian television producer Rhonda Byrne hit rock bottom in 2004, she found salvation after discovering what she calls ‘the secret’ - the title she gave to her multi-millionselling book and film released a couple of years later. Apparentl
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Techniques To Try Instead Of Manifesting
The ‘best-possible self’ intervention is probably the most evidence-based way to increase your optimism. Unlike manifestation, it’s not about communicating with the cosmos in the hope that it’ll give you what you want. Rather, it’s about getting into
BBC Science Focus Magazine8 min read
The Counterintuitive Cosmos
Our view of reality is severely limited. The reason for this is simple: we evolved on an African plain three million years ago. And so we have the senses necessary to survive on an African plain: eyes that can see far enough to spot a predator approa
BBC Science Focus Magazine9 min read
Q&A YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
There are many understandable reasons why you might find it difficult to ask for help when you need it. And you’re far from the only one. Psychologists have been interested in this question for decades, not least because people’s widespread reluctanc
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Astronomy For Beginners
WHEN:FEBRUARY-MARCH The early lunar crescent phases that follow the new Moon are well positioned in the early spring evening sky. As we head from February into March, the spring crescents look very beautiful against the glow of evening twilight. If y
BBC Science Focus Magazine2 min read
Mythbusters
You’ve probably come across the five ‘love languages’ at some point, either in an online dating profile or a glossy magazine. The theory behind them, created by American couples’ counsellor Cary Chapman, asserts that there are five ‘languages’ romant
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min readDiet & Nutrition
Question Of The Month
Speak to dieticians, gastroenterologists or nutritional scientists and they’ll say that carbohydrates are more likely to turn you into a natural gas factory than protein. When undigested carbs ferment in the gut, they release gas. If you’re taking pr
BBC Science Focus Magazine1 min read
Grossword
1 Feigned to go back inside coach (5) 4 Hidden nuisances include boredom (5) 8 A ring from coral reef (5) 9 Valid among the police (2,5) 10 Twitch, somewhat sticking (3) 11 Dance with strange graduate (5) 12 State king, as an alternative, to son (6)
BBC Science Focus Magazine3 min readDiet & Nutrition
A Matter Of The Heart
Ian is a freelance science writer and the former deputy editor of BBC Science Focus. Unless you’re a lipids researcher or a fan of health podcasts, you’ll be forgiven for not knowing what Apolipoprotein B-100 is. The protein (ApoB to its friends) is

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