Rocket science
BOCA CHICA, TEXAS, USA
NOVEMBER
SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer founded by Elon Musk, conducted two tests of its reusable Starship system in 2023. Standing 121m (397ft) tall, it's twice the height of NASA's Space Shuttle and incorporates the world's most powerful rocket to date. The system has two stages: a passenger-carrying section on top (the second stage) and a rocket below (the first stage), powered by 33 methane and liquid oxygen-fuelled engines. Its maiden test flight (uncrewed) in April not only saw the system explode three minutes after launch, but the thrust from its engines also caused significant damage to the launchpad (see inset).
Its subsequent uncrewed test flight in November saw the second stage reach space successfully. Although it's believed to have self-destructed shortly afterwards, however.
In greater detail
NORTH CAROLINA, USA
APRIL
50 years ago, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Lauterbur described a new imaging technique in the journal Nature: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The technique remains at the forefront of modern medical diagnosis, but for the last four decades, researchers at Duke University in the US have been striving to improve it. This year, they showcased their results with this super-high resolution image of a mouse brain, made possible by a combination of stronger magnets and more powerful computers. Each voxel in the image (the equivalent of a pixel in 3D) is 64 million times smaller than in a standard MRI.
Parachuting in
MIZORAM, INDIA
JUNE
Denne historien er fra New Year 2024-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
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Denne historien er fra New Year 2024-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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THE HUNGER GAME
Obesity is on the rise, but as we blame our unhealthy food-ridden environment and look to wonder drugs to get rid of unwanted fat, what role do our genetics play?
HOW THE UNIVERSE WILL END
A colossal supercollider now in the early stages of development may one day help us predict the ultimate fate of the Universe. With it, scientists will be trying to find a hidden instability built into the fabric of existence... an instability that could destroy everything
DARK ENERGY MIGHT BE ABOUT TO THROW A SPANNER IN THE WORKS
The most mysterious phenomenon in the Universe could be about to spring another surprise on us
TAKE-OFF AT LAST
AFTER A LONG WAIT, THE WORLD'S FIRST ZERO EMISSIONS AEROPLANES ARE FINALLY TAXIING TO REALITY. BUT ARE THEY THE SOLUTION WE NEED?
INSIDE THE 3D, NANOSCALE ATLAS THAT REVEALS A FRACTION OF THE HUMAN BRAIN
The map is now the highest-resolution picture of the human brain ever created
HOW THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN NUCLEAR FORENSICS MAY HELP CLEAN UP CHERNOBYL
Contrary to popular belief, radioactive material doesn't glow. But a team of nuclear forensics experts are working on a device to make it do just that. BBC Science Focus's Noa Leach meets the scientists behind the innovative device
MAJOR STUDY SHOWS HOW ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS CHANGE YOUR LIFESPAN, IF YOU'RE NOT EATING YOUR VEG
While ultra-processed food is bad for your health, a decades-long study suggests it may not be as harmful as previously thought
ORIGIN OF EARTH'S 'SECOND MOON' DISCOVERED
Asteroid sampling mission will confirm whether moon-like Kamo'oalewa came from our Moon
INTERMITTENT FASTING AND CORRECTLY TIMED WORKOUTS ARE KEY TO FAT LOSS, SAYS STUDY
A new approach to dieting and exercise could help you lose weight and enhance your health
MASSIVE EXPLOSION SPOTTED ON MYSTERIOUS DEAD STAR
A satellite in the right place at the right time captured an important cosmic sight