How It Works UK - Issue 194

In this issue

All about fat - Fat is a complex, active organ. Here’s how genetics, evolution, lifestyle and diet dictate how much we have beneath our skin.

Building One WTC - One World Trade Center rose from the ashes of the Twin Towers. Here’s how it was built...

'Hypervirulent' superbug detected in 16 countries

Dangerous new strains of a \"hypervirulent' superbug have been found in 16 countries, including the US, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a new report.

2 mins

Scientists achieve record-breaking data transmission speeds

Researchers have achieved record-breaking fibre-optic data transfer speeds of 402 terabits per second, roughly 1.6 million times faster than typical home broadband speeds. Scientists at Aston University in the UK achieved these new speeds by tapping into all the wavelength bands used in commercially available fibreoptic cables. Only one or two bands are used in most fibre-optic broadband connections.

2 mins

T. rex could have been 70 per cent bigger

There's no denying that Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the biggest dinosaurs to ever walk the planet. But how big could this dinosaur get? In a new investigation, researchers attempted to answer that. Palaeontologists from the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa estimated that the largest T. rex may have tipped the scales at a whopping 15,000 kilograms, making it heavier than an average school bus, which weighs about 11,000 kilograms.

1 min

Ancient Egyptians may have used a hydraulic lift to build the first pyramid

Ancient Egyptians may have used an elaborate hydraulic system to construct the world's first pyramid. Known as the Pyramid of Djoser, the step pyramid was built around 4,700 years ago on the Saqqara plateau, an archaeological site in northern Egypt.

2 mins

Webb confirms the earliest known galaxy is erupting in stars

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted the earliest galaxy ever seen, and its unusually bright light is coming from a bizarre frenzy of star formation. Named JADES-GS-z14-0, the galaxy formed at least 290 million years after the Big Bang and contains stars that have been bursting into life since an estimated 200 million years after our universe began.

1 min

Sapphires form inside volcanoes, not deep in the mantle

Brilliant-blue sapphires look like bits of sky brought down to Earth, but a new study finds these gemstones are from a different boundary: the one between the planet's crust and magma welling up from the mantle, Earth's middle layer. Sapphires have been thought to form in the mantle itself or in the lower sections of the crust.

2 mins

Eating too much sugar may accelerate cellular ageing

A nutrient-rich diet with few added sugars may slow the rate of biological ageing in women. Scientists found that middle-aged women who ate more foods packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants had 'younger looking' cells than those who consumed less nutrient-rich diets.

2 mins

The Space Force is launching lasers into orbit

The Space Force aims to better pinpoint the location of Earth's true centre using lasers on GPS satellites, slated to launch in 2025. A set of Laser Retroreflector Arrays, or LRAS, will be installed onto two GPS III satellites, SV9 and SV10, as part of NASA's Space Geodesy Program. The lasers are designed to make precise sub-centimetre measurements using a technique called Satellite Laser Ranging, which will allow researchers to more accurately determine Earth's centre.

1 min

ALL ABOUT FAT

Fat is a complex, active organ. Here's how genetics, evolution, lifestyle and diet dictate how much we have beneath our skin

8 mins

WHAT IS SUNBURN?

How solar rays can leave us red, sore and irritated

2 mins

URBAN WILDLIFE

How wild animals have evolved to thrive alongside humans in towns and cities

3 mins

LIFTING THE LID ON ANTARCTICA

What was the coldest continent like without ice?

3 mins

BECOME A SMARTPHONE SCIENTIST

Amazing tips and tricks to transform your smartphone into a bug-finding, star-spotting, data-gathering device

2 mins

BUILDING ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

One World Trade Center rose from the ashes of the Twin Towers. Now, as the tallest building in New York City, it looks to the skies and the future. Here's how this sustainable and secure record-breaker was built

2 mins

NEANDERTHAL LIVING

Why our prehistoric cousins were pioneers, not clueless apes

3 mins

RESCUE IN SPACE

Fortunately, space emergencies are a rare occurrence, but astronauts and space agencies need to be prepared for any eventuality that might arise

6 mins

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How It Works UK Magazine Description:

The magazine that feeds minds, Welcome to How It Works, the magazine that explains everything you never knew you wanted to know about the world we live in. Loaded with fully illustrated guides and expert knowledge, and with sections dedicated to science, technology, transportation, space, history and the environment, no subject is too big or small for How It Works to explain.