BBC Science Focus Magazine - July 2021

In this issue

REALITY CHECK
The science behind the headlines. Will we need booster jabs for COVID-19? What will we do with the growing number of electric vehicle batteries? Should we be worried about false widow spiders?

WHY DOES THE UNIVERSE EXIST?
Stephen Wolfram is trying to find a single rule that dictates the Universe. And it all starts with a simple computer program…

SPIDERS: SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT BEING BITTEN BY A FALSE WIDOW?

A study has found that numbers of the spiders are increasing, along with the number of people being bitten. But what risk do they really pose?

3 mins

Electric Vehicles: What Can We Do With The Growing Number Of Dead Batteries?

What will happen to the batteries when the first generation of electric vehicles reach the end of their lifespans in around a decade? Are they bound for the scrapheap, or can they be salvaged?

4 mins

Why Does The Universe Exist?

Stephen Wolfram is trying to find a rule that dictates the Universe. And in doing so, he might even become the first person to finally devise a complete, fundamental theory of physics. Elegant, or what?

10+ mins

MASKING THE ISSUE

Even when the pandemic is over, you shouldn’t shove your face coverings to the back of the drawer

2 mins

BEYOND THE MEDAL

A Paralympian and their guide form a partnership based on more than winning

2 mins

ALEXA, WHERE' S MY ROBOT BUTLER?

A machine that does the jobs we don’t want – that’s what was promised to us by the science fiction of the last century. Unfortunately, goof high-tech helps in hard to find - but that's about to change. Jennifer Pettison Touhy reveals how ho our homes are about to start looking after us, and not the other way around

5 mins

WHY DO I ALWAYS WALK INTO A ROOM AND FORGET WHAT I'M DOING?

Fear not, you’re far from the only one to have had this rather unsettling experience.

1 min

The Explainer: Why Are Mountains So Formidable?

The explainer

3 mins

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BBC Science Focus Magazine Description:

BBC Focus Magazine is the magazine of popular science and technology that explains the wonders of the Universe through stunning photography and accessible articles. Contributors include the very best writers and science experts, with columns every issue from renowned science writer Robert Matthews, TV presenter and scientist Helen Czerski, and science fiction author Stephen Baxter. From archaeology to neuroscience, climate change and particle physics, BBC Focus Magazine keeps you up to speed with the cutting-edge science and gadgets that will change our world.