BBC Science Focus Magazine - June 2023

In this issue

MATTER MADE MAGIC
Whether it’s wood, wool or ink, you can do some incredible things with these materials if you know how to exploit their natural characteristics.

THE MYSTERIES OF EARTH’S CORE
The ground beneath our feet may be solid. But dig a little further down and you soon discover just how much uncertainty there is about the inside of our planet..

A GENE NAMED AFTER SONIC THE HEDGEHOG IS ALL THAT SEPARATES SCALES FROM FEATHERS

A recent discovery shows that changes in an unusually named gene can turn a scaly animal into a feathered one

2 mins

DARK EARTH: SCIENTISTS UNVEIL A NEW 'SECRET WEAPON' TO COMBAT DEFORESTATION

Ancient soil from the heart of the Amazon could help restore the planet's depleted rainforests

2 mins

BREAKTHROUGH STUDY REVEALS HOW SUPER-MASSIVE DINOSAURS GOT SO BIG

The sauropods were the largest animals to ever walk on Earth. A new study explains how they got that way

1 min

YOUR DNA IS TURNING UP IN PLACES YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

A new study reveals human DNA can be retrieved from almost anywhere and be used to identify you

1 min

NEUROSCIENCE: THIS MACHINE CAN READ YOUR MIND AND TRANSLATE HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD

Neurotechnologists have developed a decoder that can reconstruct what you're seeing, thinking and imagining... and put it into words

1 min

ALIEN LIFE: ALIENS COULD SOON DETECT LIFE ON EARTH, ALL THANKS TO OUR MOBILE PHONE MASTS

Only aliens with more advanced technology than us would be able to 'eavesdrop' on the signals transmitted on Earth. But apparently that's more likely than you might think

1 min

PRIMER: THE RISE OF E-FUELS

Synthetic fuels could make transport more sustainable.... but at a price

4 mins

HEALTH: SEE INSIDE THE MOSQUITO ARENA BUILT TO TEST HOW THE MALARIA-SPREADING BUGS HUNT HUMANS

Welcome to what could be the worst campsite ever where mozzies are guaranteed

1 min

WHY SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT IS STILL THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL THOUGHT EXPERIMENT IN SCIENCE

Nearly a century after its formulation, the paradox remains hotly debated among researchers

3 mins

COULD DELAYING YOUR MENOPAUSE BE BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH?

The 'change' is a turning point in women's lives that we still don't fully understand

3 mins

THE IDEA THAT WE ONLY USE 10 PER CENT OF OUR BRAINS IS A MYTH THAT NEEDS TO DIE

The myth has been around for over a century and as well as being utter nonsense, it's also potentially dangerous

3 mins

COMPUTER PASSWORDS: IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO SECURE YOUR DEVICES?

Google's new passkey software offers a biometric replacement for old-fashioned passwords. So can we finally forget about having to remember all those sequences of numbers, letters and symbols?

3 mins

SPACEFLIGHT:SHOULD THE FIRST CREW TO TRAVEL TO MARS BE ALL-FEMALE?

A new study carried out by the European Space Agency suggests that women may be better suited to space travel

4 mins

ONE MEAL A DAY: COULD IT WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Is eating just once a day the secret to staying trim or is it just restrictive eating?

3 mins

AI art is everywhere but it can never compete with human creativity

Alex Hughes speaks to Prof Ahmed Elgammal, an expert in artificial intelligence to learn more about the rise of art made by AI

4 mins

Five of the best video doorbells

These devices promise to revolutionise the way you collect packages, keep your home safe and even how you interact with your postie and friends. The BBC Science Focus team picks their faves

3 mins

Matter made magic

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PROGRAMMABLE MATERIALS. FROM SELF-ASSEMBLING STRUCTURES TO FUTURISTIC FABRICS, TAKE A PEEK AT THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME...

4 mins

MAKING WAVES

How do you study a gigantic mammal that migrates over thousands of miles and spends most of its time underwater? Here's how the latest tech is shaping the future of whale conservation

9 mins

THE MYSTERIES OF EARTH'S CORE

Take even a quick peak beneath Earth's surface and you soon discover just how much we don't know about what's happening right under out feet

10+ mins

WHAT IS THE POWER POSE? AND WILL IT REALLY BOOST MY CONFIDENCE BEFORE A JOB INTERVIEW?

A power pose is essentially any kind of body position that involves taking up more space. Imagine standing with your legs astride and your hands on your hips, or - as used in the seminal research on power poses from 2010 - leaning back in your chair with your legs up and your hands behind your head.

1 min

NATURE'S WEIRDEST... SHAMPOO GINGER LILY

Tired of taking two bottles into the shower? Simply snip off the club-shaped flower head of the shampoo ginger lily plant - you can't miss it; it's the one that looks like an embarrassed pinecone - and squeeze the spongy structure onto your scalp.

1 min

LARA EATON, MANCHESTER: HOW IS HAIL MADE?

Many of us have experienced those hot summer days which start off with sunshine, before towering cumulonimbus clouds bubble up through the day, eventually bringing thunder, lightning and torrential downpours.

1 min

KENDRA PARK, VIA EMAIL: WHY DOES MY SKIN FEEL MORE SENSITIVE TO TOUCH WHEN I HAVE A COLD?

If you've noticed that your skin feels extra sensitive when you're ill, you're not alone - and there are several reasons why this might happen.

1 min

Antares: The Rival of Mars

If you've never seen Mars in the night sky before, you've just about got time as it's visible low above the west-northwest horizon shortly after sunset.

1 min

ELIZABETH HUMPHREY, BATH - WHAT CAUSES PREGNANCY CRAVINGS?

Cravings are something many mamas-to-be are familiar with. Whether it's ice cream, chocolate, pickles, or something obscure, the body knows what it wants during pregnancy and makes sure we know about it.

1 min

DUNCAN DAVIDSON, VIA EMAIL - WHAT IS THE SUPINE POSITION?

The supine position is simpler than it may sound. It describes the position of the body when lying flat on the back, with the face and torso facing up. In this position, the limbs are generally straight, with the palms facing upward.

1 min

MYTHBUSTERS: SHOULD I START WASHING MY HAIR WITH BEER?

A quick search online, and you will find lots of articles suggesting that beer used as a shampoo, hair mask, or rinse at home, can result in healthy, shiny locks and even promote hair growth.

2 mins

CHARLOTTE LEE, VIA EMAIL - WHAT IS SOCIAL PRESCRIBING, AND IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO IT?

Social prescribing is a way for primary care staff and other agencies to refer patients to a link worker. These are highly trained and have time to explore the person's health and well-being needs in a more holistic way.

1 min

ZARA WEBB, STAFFORD - WEIRD AND WONDERFUL: WHAT ARE TROVANTS?

Trovants are bulbous, otherworldly stones that grow over time, thus appearing to be alive. Parent rocks can even push out baby trovants, which then grow independently.

1 min

Could humans ever run at supersonic speeds?

Is there a biological limit to how fast humans can run? Or will we all be sprinting like The Flash in future?

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.