CROWDSCIENCE

FROM THE EDITOR

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Magic mushrooms

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Upsidedown icicles

SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

CONVERSATION

YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND BBC SCIENCE FOCUS

DISCOVERIES

“This is a watershed moment for planetary defence”

SCIENTISTS TEACH BRAIN CELLS IN A PETRI DISH TO PLAY PONG

NEUROSCIENCE

DOGS REALLY CAN TELL WHEN WE’RE STRESSED

PSYCHOLOGY

SUPER-SIZED NEURONS IN THE AREA OF THE BRAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR MEMORY KEEP SUPER-AGERS SHARP

NEUROSCIENCE

NEW ANTIBIOTIC FOUND IN POTATO BACTERIA

BIOLOGY

GENOME-SEQUENCING PROJECT MAY SAVE ONE OF THE WORLD’S LAST SURVIVING SPECIES OF GIANT TORTOISE

ZOOLOGY

NASA DEFLECTS ASTEROID BY SMASHING SPACESHIP INTO IT

SPACE

EATING A BALANCED DIET AND AVOIDING THE NEWS HELPED US THROUGH COVID

HEALTH

ANCIENT CAT-SIZED REPTILE REBUILT IN EXQUISITE DETAIL

PALAEONTOLOGY

GENE-EDITED SHEEP OFFER A GLIMMER OF HOPE IN DEVELOPING A TREATMENT FOR A FORM OF CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA

HORIZONS

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 clean fuels to pain-reducing pillows, here you’ll find many reasons to feel hopeful for our future…

BURNOUT MAKES US LESS KIND

COMMENT

WILL AI REPLACE ARTISTS?

COMMENT

HOW THE FIRST STARS SPLIT THE UNIVERSE APART

COMMENT

COST OF LIVING: COULD COLD HOMES MAKE US ILL?

SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

RED FLAGS: IS THERE ANY SCIENCE TO SPOT TING A TOXIC REL ATIONSHIP?

Social media is awash with videos that point to signs that suggest you might be in a toxic relationship. But is it really that easy to spot a toxic partner?

MIND-CONTROLLED TECH: IS IT POSSIBLE?

Thought-controlled devices seem exciting and sci-fi, but it does mean having a chip in your head

INNOVAT IONS PREPARE YOUR SELF FOR TOMORROW

Meta’s Quest Pro headset is promising greater immersion

Will self-driving cars take over the roads by 2025? It’s unlikely

ANALYSIS

On test: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

Are they worth it, asks Daniel Bennett

HOW MUCH CHEESE IS TOO MUCH CHEESE?

ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT Your stomach is likely to

Q & A

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED ... WHY DO SOME PEOPLE

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE GET SO DEFENSIVE?

As flawed beings with fragile egos making our

HOW DIFFERENT WOULD EARTH BE ON THE OUTSIDE, IF IT WASN’T HOT ON THE INSIDE?

Earth has been slowly cooling since it formed

CAN BABY BIRDS REALLY IMPRINT ON HUMANS?

Imprinting is a survival strategy that occurs when

WHY IS MY FITBIT GIVING ME A RASH UNDER THE STRAP?

The Fitbit rash first made headlines back in

WHAT IS NORDIC WALKING AND IS IT GOOD FOR YOU?

Nordic walking is a type of low-impact exercise

HOW TO SEE MARS IN WINTER

GETTY IMAGES X2, ESO ILLUSTRATIONS: PETE LAWRENCE, DANIEL

WHAT’S THE LIFE CYCLE OF A HOUSE SPIDER?

Stage 1: The egg sac In the spring,

RAINBOW SQUIRREL

With its chestnut bonce and flamboyant, technicolour body

WHAT IS TOXIC POSITIVITY?

Toxic positivity comes from the belief that, despite

WHAT IS HIPPOPOTOMONST-ROSESQUIPPEDALIOPHOBIA?

It’s the fear of long words. Sesqui is

HOW DO WE KNOW HOW DINOSAURS MOVED?

Tyrannosaurus rex lived 66 million years ago and

WHAT WOULD THE SKY LOOK LIKE IF EARTH REVOLVED AROUND A STAR IN THE CENTRE OF A GLOBULAR CLUSTER, LIKE MESSIER 15?

QUESTION OF THE MONTH The view of the

DEMENTIA THE EXPLAINER

IT’S NOT AN INEVITABLE PART OF AGEING

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY! ACROSS 7 Peril doesn’t

NEXT ISSUE

DLR JAMES WEBB: THE BEST IMAGES SO FAR

Could we build underwater cities?

The villain in the new Black Panther film lives under the sea. Could we soon be joining him?

Ideas we like…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

EXT STOP THE MOON

IF WE WANT TO EXPLORE THE SOLAR SYSTEM EVEN FURTHER, WE’LL NEED AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS TO HELP US DO IT. AND THAT’S WHY SCIENTISTS ARE PUTTING FUTURISTIC BOTS THROUGH THEIR PACES ON THE LUNAR-LIKE LANDSCAPE OF MOUNT ETNA

MINIMUM EFFORT, MAXIMUM REWARD

Once you turn 30, things go downhill… fast. Your health, happiness and wellbeing all take a hit, and never really recover. So says conventional wisdom, anyway. Science, however, says otherwise. With a few small changes, you can make a big difference to the way you feel

THE HIDDEN ROOMS OF TUTANKHAMUN’S TOMB

A century ago, Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered. But even today, controversy still rages over whether it contains undiscovered chambers. Here, an Egyptologist puts the rumours to bed… or, rather, firmly into their sarcophagus

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