CONTENTS
REGULARS
06 EYE OPENER
Awesome science images from around the world.
12 FEEDBACK
Your thoughts on the ar ticles in BBC Science Focus.
15 DISCOVERIES
All the month’s biggest news, including: Plans to intercept the asteroid heading towards E a r t h ; The real reason behind some of t he deaths at Pompeii; New study shows how hippos c an ‘ fl y ’ ; The succe s s f ul f i r s t launch of Europe’s new Ar i ane 6 rocke t ; And more…
28 DR DEAN BURNETT
The allure of bad news – why doom and gloom grabs our attention more than positive stories.
30 SOFIA QUAGLIA
Why i t ’s so di ff icul t to determine, conclusively, i f pois on dar t f rog s f eel empathy.
46 SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
Get your f i r s t 3 i s sues f or jus t £5 when you subscr ibe to BBC Science Focus Magazine today.
32 VICTORIA GILL
Every person that visits Antarctica leaves a mark. So should tour i sm to t his pristine, isolated environment be banned?
34 REALITY CHECK
The science behind the headlines: Do the health benefits of lion’s mane mushrooms live up to the hype? How can night owls learn to thrive in a world geared towards larks?
40 INNOVATIONS
A roundup of the hottest trends in tech.
76 THE BIG QUESTION
Cities around the world a re s ink ing . C an any t hing be done to save them?
80 Q & A
Our experts answer your questions. This month: What ’s t he mos t s ecre t weapon we know about? How deep c an a penguin di ve? How c an I ge t over my f ea r o f reje c t ion? What i s t he s t ronges t materia l in t he Univer s e? How do whales s ing under t he s ea? When’s t he bes t t ime to salt a steak? And more…
89 CROSSWORD
Engage your grey matter!
89 NEXT MONTH
A sneak peek at the upcoming issue.
90 BETTER LIVING
THROUGH SCIENCE Can collagen supplements smooth wrinkles and rejuvenate your skin?
4
15
DISCOVERIES
34
REALITY CHECK
Study sug ge s t s da r k matter may be t he s ecre t ingredien t behind t he merging o f black hole s .
What does t he s c ience s ay about t he purpor ted hea l t h benef i t s o f l ion’s mane mushrooms?
80 Q&A
