BBC Science Focus Magazine

With accessible features illustrated with the world’s best photography, BBC Focus Magazine explains the theory behind scientific phenomena and really brings science to life. In every issue you’ll find news of the latest major scientific developments, a lively Q&A section plus exclusive and astonishing photographic reports that range from the breathtaking to the downright odd.

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THE BEST SCIENCE IMAGES OF 2022 • WHEN IT COMES TO PHOTOGRAPHY, THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE STOLE THE SHOW, WITH VISUALS THAT REMINDED US WHAT AN OUTRAGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE THE UNIVERSE CAN BE. BUT TO TELL THE TRUTH, OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF MIND-BLOWING IMAGES THAT CHANGED OUR PERSPECTIVES. HERE'S OUR SELECTION OF THE BEST, AND WHAT THEY TAUGHT US…

CONVERSATION • YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND BBC SCIENCE FOCUS

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LIKE MODERN HUMANS, HOMO NALEDI HARNESSED FIRE FOR LIGHT, WARMTH AND COOKING • Researchers excavating South Africa's Rising Star cave system have unearthed evidence that Homo naledi, an extinct species of hominid discovered in 2013, built fires in underground chambers

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS FOUND IN SUGAR-FREE FOODS CAN KILL ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA • The discovery could help in the war against superbugs

AI CAN PREDICT THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE BY ANALYSING A SINGLE CHEST X-RAY • The model could be used to identify at-risk patients who are not currently taking preventative medication

WORLD'S OLDEST MEAL FOUND IN 550-MILLION-YEAR-OLD FOSSILS • The bizarre ocean-dwelling creatures are relatives of all living animals

BATS GRUNT LIKE DEATH METAL SINGERS TO TALK TO THEIR ROOSTMATES • The animals use structures in their voice boxes in the same way as the extreme singers to produce deep, guttural sounds

IBS MAY BE CAUSED BY BODY'S INABILITY TO COPE WITH GRAVITY • The constant downward pull could lead to the gut pain and cramping experienced by sufferers

IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THERE ARE ALIENS ON VENUS • Data collected by NASA's SOFIA observatory overturns previous findings that phosphine gas, a potential sign of microbial life, is present in the planet's atmosphere

GENETIC TESTING • What can it tell us about our future health risks, and should we all be getting tested?

WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT THE PROTON • Physicists investigating the subatomic particle's properties quickly find themselves going down a rabbit hole of complexity

CAN ARTIFICIAL AGENTS BE TRUSTED? • Al systems can now generate and use language that feels like a real conversation. But to whose benefit?

CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALREADY HAVING AN EFFECT… ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING • People's growing anxiety about the future of the planet is becoming increasingly obvious, but it's not an entirely bad thing

REALITY CHECK SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES REVIEW THE CARNIVORE DIET: CAN EATING A MEAT-ONLY MENU BE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH? • The meat-only diet has gone viral on social media, with its proponents claiming that humans evolved to exist on animal protein alone

SOCIAL ANXIETY: HOW TO DEFEAT THE DREAD OF PARTY SEASON • Christmas comes but once a year, and its many parties fill some with fear

FOOD AVERSIONS: ARE THEY LEARNED OR GENETIC? • Ever wondered why you love some foods but can't bear the smell, let alone taste, of others?

Google Pixel Watch: plenty of style, slightly less substance • Alex Hughes straps on Google's first smartwatch to see if it has a future in wearables

THE BEST ALTERNATIVE SMARTWATCHES

Five of the best electric bikes • Battery and leg power combine to propel these five bikes. James Witts jumps in the saddle

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