How It Works UK - Issue 200

In deze editie

HOW HUMAN AUGMENTATION COULD REPLACE EVOLUTION IN THE FUTURE
THE COLOURFUL CHEMISTRY OF GEMSTONES
EXPLORE THE WORLD’S WEIRDEST ISLANDS

Invisible 'flickering' on the Sun could predict dangerous solar flares

Shining loops of plasma on the surface of the Sun 'flicker' hours before they unleash potentially dangerous solar flares.

2 mins

China's 'artificial Sun' shatters a nuclear fusion record

China's reactor has broken its own world record for maintaining superhot plasma, marking another milestone in the long road towards near-limitless clean energy.

2 mins

NEW IMAGES SHED LIGHT ON MERCURY'S NORTH POLE

New photos of Mercury's mysterious north pole reveal a glimpse of the permanently dark, frigid craters that may hold ice dozens of metres thick, even though Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.

1 min

The skull of Cleopatra's sister' actually belongs to an 11-year-old boy

A skull long assumed to be from Arsinoë IV, Cleopatra’s half sister, is actually from an adolescent boy who had a genetic disorder.

2 mins

The 'Stonehenge' in the Golan Heights may not be an astronomical observatory TOM METCALFE

An ancient and enigmatic stone circle in the Middle East may not be a prehistoric astronomical observatory after all.

2 mins

The 'Stonehenge' in the Golan Heights may not be an astronomical observatory

An ancient and enigmatic stone circle in the Middle East may not be a prehistoric astronomical observatory after all.

2 mins

The speed limit of human thought is ridiculously low

How fast do humans think? It's slower than you might expect.The peripheral nervous system, the network of nerves that delivers information between the brain and the body, takes in environmental information at over a billion bits per second, a speed comparable to a lightning-fast internet connection.

2 mins

THE ESA PLANS TO LAUNCH AN ADVANCED MARS LANDER IN 2035

The European Space Agency (ESA) wants to develop key technologies for a Mars surface lander by the mid-2030s.

1 min

Did our outer ears come from ancient fish gills?

Human outer ears may have evolved from the gills of prehistoric fish. Gene-editing experiments indicate that cartilage in fish gills migrated into the ear canal millions of years ago during the course of our evolution.

2 mins

A new database reveals how DNA mutations trigger genetic diseases

Scientists have created a mega-database revealing how half a million different DNA mutations generate errors in proteins in humans.

2 mins

An undersea volcano off the Oregon coast could erupt this year

An undersea volcano off Oregon's coast will probably erupt in 2025. The volcano, known as Axial, is a seamount 300 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon.

2 mins

IS THIS THE HUMAN OF TOMORROW?

HOW WIRES AND CIRCUITS ARE MINGLING WITH BLOOD VESSELS AND NERVES TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

8 mins

THE WORLD'S WEIRDEST ISLANDS

Travel across the globe with us to discover unique and beautiful lands dotted across oceans and waterways

3 mins

PREDICTING THE WEATHER

To take an umbrella or not? How we get those all-important forecasts

2 mins

HOW THATCHED ROOFS ARE BUILT

Learn all about this historic building method that masterfully tops roofs with layers of dry vegetation

2 mins

WHY WE HAVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

When did some countries start adding and subtracting an hour to their clocks?

1 min

WHAT ARE HEADACHES?

From shooting sensations to dull aches, we explore the many causes of pain around the brain

5 mins

MIRROR PHYSICS

Reflect on the science of light bouncing off smooth and shiny surfaces

2 mins

WHY ARE GEMS DIFFERENT COLOURS?

Unearth the gemstone chemistry that results in a spectrum of decorative stones

2 mins

THE HUNT FOR FARAWAY MOONS

Astronomers are looking for moons outside our Solar System that may have even more chance of hosting life than the planets they're orbiting

8 mins

INSIDE A BALLPOINT PEN

Discover the mechanism that gives this everyday item the power to write

1 min

HOW TRAIN TRACKS ARE LAID

This feat of engineering keeps long carriages in-line and fixed to the ground

2 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.