CONTENTS

REGULARS

06 EYE OPENER

The best science images from around the world.

12 FEEDBACK

A selection of the physical and electronic mail that has arrived this month.

15 DISCOVERIES

All the month’s biggest news: A new modelling technique lets us hear the sound of s t ar s twinkling ; AI could provide an early warning s ys tem for v ir a l outbreak s ; Medics f ind antibacterial properties in honey made by ant s ; Radio waves heard coming from star thought to be too cold to produce them; New close-up imaging technique shows the human intestine in unprecedented detail.

26 PROF GILES YEO

Fans of the paleo diet might strive to eat like a caveman, but they’ll never be able to digest like one.

46 SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Get 3 is sues for £5 and s ave 30% on the shop price when you subscribe to BBC Science Focus.

28 PROF STEPHON

ALEXANDER Big Bangs, Big Crunches and Big Bounces… physicists are questioning how the Universe began.

30 DR KATE DARLING

Sure, you can treat a robot like dir t if you want to. But you’ll be hurting yourself in the long run.

32 REALITY CHECK

The science behind the headlines: The Met Police’s use of live facial recognition; Why skin cancer cases are on the r is e ; Is climate change making hay fever worse?

39 INNOVATIONS

The hottest trends shaking up the tech world.

72 Q & A

Our experts answer your questions. This month: What should I do if I get stranded on Snake Island? What is blue lava? And more…

82 THE EXPLAINER

Sharks: paddle about in the astounding biology and history of these apex predators .

89 CROSSWORD

Engage your grey matter!

89 NEXT MONTH

A sneak peek at the nex t is sue.

90 POPCORN SCIENCE

This isn’ t the explanation of the Force you’re looking for.

4

15

DISCOVERIES

32

REALITY CHECK

Twinkle, twinkle, l i tte s t ar. How I wonder what you… sound like. Well, now we know.

Live facial recognition is already in use despite concerns over its accuracy and bias.

72 Q&A