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.

FROM THE EDITOR

ON THE BBC THIS MONTH…

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EYE OPENER • Smoothly does it BOLZANO, ITALY

EYE OPENER • We be-lung together

EYE OPENER • Eye spy MANA POOLS, ZIMBABWE

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

BBC Science Focus Magazine

SIGNS OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY FOUND ON VENUS FOR THE FIRST TIME • Images taken by the Magellan space probe in the 1990s could show evidence of eruptions or magma flow

Ask the expert

COMPLETE CIRCUITRY OF AN INSECT BRAIN MAPPED FOR THE FIRST TIME • The model shows every single neuron and connection in the brain of a fruit fly larva

WILD RATS LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY SEWERS ARE CARRYING CORONAVIRUS • More than 15 per cent of rats captured in wastewater systems tested positive for the virus

VISION LOSS RESTORED IN MICE USING REVOLUTIONARY GENE-EDITING TECHNIQUE • Mice treated with CRISPR-based technique retained their vision well into old age

COMPOUNDS ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE FOUND IN SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM A NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID • Samples collected during Hayabusa2’s trip to the asteroid Ryugu contain uracil, a substance present in RNA

GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP IMPROVES IMMUNE RESPONSE TO VACCINATIONS • People who sleep for less than six hours a night produce significantly fewer antibodies after getting their jabs

STONE SHARDS MADE BY THAI MONKEYS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE MADE BY EARLY HUMANS • The discovery may point to the origins of human tool use

IPCC CLIMATE REPORT • A liveable future can be secured for all if we act now, scientists say

REVEALED: THE SPACESUIT ASTRONAUTS WILL WEAR FOR THE NEXT MOONWALK • NASA has teamed up with private company Axiom Space to design its next-generation suits

THE FUTURE'S BRIGHT… • As a remedy for all the bad news out there, let us prescribe you a small dose of feel-good science. Each issue, we'll give you a rundown of the latest breakthroughs that aim to solve humanity's biggest problems. From potato-based concrete to filters that remove forever chemicals, here you'll find many reasons to feel hopeful for our future…

YES, EVERYTHING IN PHYSICS IS COMPLETELY MADE UP. THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT • A physicist's job is to constantly create equations that keep up with our observations of physical phenomena

DREAMS ARE BIZARRE, SO WHY DO THEY SEEM NORMAL WHEN WE'RE ASLEEP? • Our sleeping brains weave a patchwork out of our memories in complex, baffling ways

YOUR CHATBOT WILL SEE YOU NOW: SHOULD YOU TRUST AN AI WITH YOUR MENTAL HEALTH? • Chatbots could provide easier access to therapy, but we don't know whether the risks outweigh the benefits

REALITY CHECK SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES LAUGHING GAS: IS IT HARMFUL, AND WHY DO POLITICIANS WANT TO BAN IT? • The last few years have seen a huge increase in the recreational use of laughing gas in the UK

TESTOSTERONE: IS IT A MENOPAUSE WONDER DRUG? • The number of women receiving prescriptions for the hormone has increased 10-fold in less than a decade

POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS: CAN THEY IMPROVE YOUR LIFE? • Could #LuckyGirlSyndrome, the latest TikTok craze, do more harm than good?

INNOVATIONS PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

Beeline Velo 2: a cycling computer for easy navigation • Alex Hughes goes for a spin with Beeline Velo 2, a simple and streamlined...