FROM THE EDITOR

COVER: EIKO OJALA THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES X3,

Back at the crib

It might look like a pool that needs

Bat’s life

This ancient bat fossil, found in 2017 and

CONVERSATION

EYEOPENER CONVERSATION YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND

DISCOVERIES

If all goes according to plan, two of

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER NATURAL ANTI-AGEING MECHANISM IN HUMANS

GERONTOLOGY

NEW OMEGA-3 OIL COULD FEND OFF SIGHT LOSS DUE TO ALZHEIMER’S OR DIABETES

MEDICINE

THESE RAVENOUS CRABS COULD HELP SAVE THE GREAT BARRIER REEF… BY EATING STARFISH

ENVIRONMENT

DAIRY WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF ANCIENT HUMANS IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS

ANTHROPOLOGY

PLANTS SCREAM WHEN WE FORGET TO WATER THEM

BOTANY

TWO OF THESE ASTRONAUTS WILL BE THE FIRST HUMANS TO STEP ON THE MOON SINCE 1972

SPACEFLIGHT

THINK SNAKES ARE SCARY? WHAT IF THEY CAN SOMERSAULT?

ZOOLOGY

LOW-CARBON HOUSES

PRIMER

LIFE ON MARS: STEP INSIDE THE HABITAT THAT’LL BECOME NASA’S MARTIAN BASE

SPACE

WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS IS WRONG

COMMENT

ROBOTS AREN’T COMING FOR YOUR JOB… THE SYSTEM IS

COMMENT

HOW ONE PARTICLE COULD SOON REWRITE OUR LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE

COMMENT 

TICK BITES: HOW TO AVOID THEM AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET BITTEN

With the number of critters on the rise, the UK is seeing increasing cases of tick-borne viruses

ALIENS: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE, SAYS HARVARD PROF

Prof Avi Loeb says we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility that extraterrestrials are already observing us

GENE-EDITED FOOD: WHERE’S MY SUPER MEAL?

Can gene editing create ‘superfoods’ that actually live up to the hype? Well, maybe…

ANXIETY

YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING, COPING AND CONQUERING THE INNER DEMONS

Q&A

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED ... WHY DO WE LOVE

WILL INTERACTIVE HOLOGRAMS EVER BECOME A REALITY, LIKE ON THE HOLODECK?

ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT Star Trek’s fictional holodeck had

WHY DO WE LOVE GIFS SO MUCH?

When communicating via devices, we often want to

WHAT IS THE GUNGE FROM KIDS TV SHOWS LIKE DICK & DOM IN DA BUNGALOW MADE FROM?

The gunge used on kids TV shows, like

CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER

ALAMY X2, BBC ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT If you

How to read a weather map...

Most of us have seen weather maps at some point in our lives – in geography lessons at school, or in weather forecasts. But what do all the lines, labels and shapes actually mean?

GUIDING STARS

WHEN: MID/LATE MAY – JUNE

WHY DO WE STILL HAVE DIAL TONES ON PHONES?

The dial tone was introduced when we transitioned

WHY DOES IT GET HARDER TO STAND UP AS YOU GET OLDER?

Unfortunately, we do get less flexible as we

ARE YOGA’S CLAIMS TO DECREASE STRESS AND ANXIETY LEGIT?

Every week on BBC World Service, CrowdScience answers

MYTHBUSTERS

WHAT IS YERBA MATE AND SHOULD I START DRINKING IT? 

WHAT IS THE CLOSEST PLANET TO EARTH, REALLY?

There has recently been some confusion over which

WHY DOES TIME SEEM TO SLOW DOWN IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, LIKE WHEN YOU’RE FALLING?

Humans and other animals are good at estimating

WHY DO I FEEL FINE UP TO LUNCHTIME, BUT AS SOON AS I’VE FINISHED EATING, I’M SUDDENLY RAVENOUS?

GETTY IMAGES X3 ILLUSTRATIONS: DANIEL BRIGHT It could

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY!

WHALE WATCHING

Keeping track of the world’s largest mammals with the help of drones

Are mermaids real?

A marine biologist reveals whether a half-human, half-fish could survive beneath the waves

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: overkill never looked so good

REVIEW

For the wearable tech of tomorrow, we need to rethink our human rights

INTERVIEW

Ideas we like…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

MENTAL HEALTH IS OTHER PEOPLE

Enjoying the weather? Did you see the game? Small-talk and simple face-to-face interactions have a bigger effect on our wellbeing than you might think. So, do you fancy a cuppa?

PATIENT, DIAGNOSE THYSELF!

MENTAL HEALTHCARE IS IN SHORT SUPPLY. IN ITS PLACE, WELL-MEANING ONLINE COMMUNITIES HAVE SPRUNG UP OFFERING SUPPORT, ADVICE AND EVEN DIAGNOSES TO THOSE THAT NEED IT. BUT IS THIS SAFE?

IS SOCIAL MEDIA RUINING CHILDHOOD?

It’s tempting to think that our digital lives on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are at fault, but there might be something altogether more analogue going on, says Prof Pete Etchells

SIGNS OF TROUBLE

A group of researchers say they’ve found a way to screen teenagers’ brains for mental health issues… before the issues manifest