BBC Earth - January 2019

In this issue

Woodland Wonders | Ural owls nest and rear their young in Estonia's forests each spring. Photographer Sven Zacek has obsessively documented their parenting skills for 13 years.

'The Neurons Have A Completely Different Activity Pattern Before The Movement'

Planned and immediate movements are processed differently by the brain. Dr Benjamin Dann of the German Primate Center explains how it might help humans

2 mins

Helen Czerski On...Sand

Why Does Sand Go Dry When You Step On It?

3 mins

Could Neanderthal Mind Reveal What Made Modern Humans A Successful Species?

Scientists are growing ‘mini-brains’ containing Neanderthal genes. Could they reveal what made modern humans such a successful species?

7 mins

The Battle That Broke The Germans

When the Allies launched an offensive at Amiens 100 years ago this month, they did so with such precision and power that enemy troops were soon surrendering in their thousands. Nick Lloyd describes a battle that shattered German morale, and asks, why is it not more celebrated today?

9 mins

The Genetic Hunt For Nessie

For centuries, many have claimed that a creature lurks in Loch Ness. Now, by seeking out monster DNA from the loch’s waters, scientists are going to find out what’s down there

5 mins

We're All Going On A Summer Holiday

Eighty summers ago, thousands of working-class Britons got their very first tastes of sun, sea and sand, courtesy of the 1938 Holidays with Pay Act. Kathryn Ferry chronicles the fraught birth of a holidaymaking revolution

8 mins

7 Radical Ideas To Expand Your Mind

After an overindulgent festive season of trashy television and second helpings of trifle, your brain may have turned to mush. Give it something substantial to get its teeth into with these incredible ideas at the forefront of science.

10+ mins

Have A Laugh

Comedian and mathematician Dara Ó Briain is diving into the invisible science behind everyday life in his second children’s book, Secret Science: The Amazing World Beyond Your Eyes. He chats to HELEN GLENNY

3 mins

My Life Scientific

This month, anatomist and presenter Alice Roberts talks to Helen Pilcher about her love of skeletons and the lure of Strictly Come Dancing

2 mins

The Last Word

MICHAEL MOSLEY ON … SCIENTISTS “HOW A PAIR OF MAVERICK SCIENTISTS CHANGED MANY LIVES”

2 mins

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BBC Earth Magazine Description:

A bi-monthly publication containing a feast of information for the curious mind. Every issue is packed with fascinating images, thought-provoking and entertaining articles about the world around us, the natural life that populates it, the history that has shaped our existence upon it, and the science that has driven it and continues to propel us into the future.