FROM THE EDITOR

COVER: GETTY IMAGES THIS PAGE: BBC STUDIOS X2,

Blood and bone

The human body is a wealth of parts

Who needs wings?

MIZORAM, INDIA

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DON’T JUST READ THIS MAGAZINE… LISTEN TO IT TOO

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DISCOVERIES

“We’ve never seen such dramatic changes in other

GRAVITATIONAL RIPPLES COULD HELP CRACK THE UNIVERSE’S SECRETS

COSMOLOGY

THE COSTS OF SWITCHING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY WILL HIT THE SUPER-WEALTHY HARDEST

ENERGY

WORMS CAUGHT HITCHING RIDES ON BEES BY USING ELECTRIC FIELDS

BIOLOGY

A RADIATION ‘ECHO’ FROM A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE IS SPREADING ACROSS THE GALAXY

SPACE

SCIENTISTS TO TEST ‘POO TRANSPLANT’ PILLS IN GROUND-BREAKING GUT HEALTH TRIAL

MEDICINE

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER WHY SPACE TRAVEL WEAKENS ASTRONAUTS’ IMMUNE SYSTEMS

MEDICINE

AI USES BRAINWAVES TO PERFECT YOUR PERSONALISED PLAYLIST

NEUROSCIENCE

THE HUNT FOR INVISIBLE PARTICLES IS OPENING A NEW SCIENTIFIC FRONTIER

COMMENT

YOU’RE HARDWIRED TO TRUST CONFIDENT VOICES… EVEN WHEN THEY’RE WRONG

COMMENT

THE VAGINA’S HUGE MEDICAL POTENTIAL IS GOING UNTAPPED. BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER

COMMENT

MEWING: CAN THE TIKTOK TREND GIVE YOU THE JAWLINE OF A MODEL?

REVIEW

SIGNS OF LIFE: COULD A SUPERNOVA BE A SIGNAL?

ANALYSIS

OLDER DADS: ARE YOU EVER TOO OLD TO BECOME A FATHER?

COMMENT

INNOVATIONS PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

Teenage Engineering’s OB-4 speaker is old, new and

AI art’s hidden echo chamber is about to implode

ANALYSIS

Five of the best outdoor speakers

A good outdoor speaker needs to be portable, offer great audio and be able to stand up to all types of weather. The BBC Science Focus team picks their faves

Ideas we like…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

HOW RADIOACTIVE IS MY HOUSE? (DO I NEED TO WORRY?)

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

WHY IS SALTY FOOD SO SATISFYING?

Salty foods are often highly processed and, with

ARE THERE REALLY WALLABIES LIVING IN THE UK?

Yes! It’s thought the populations stem mainly from

SHEEPSHEAD FISH

NATURE’S WEIRDEST CREATURES

SPLENDID PERSEIDS

WHEN: EARLY-LATE AUGUST

SHOULD I EAT DESSERT WITH BREAKFAST TO HELP ME DIET?

It’s hard to say whether devouring a dessert

HOW DO VARIFOCAL GLASSES WORK?

GETTY IMAGES X4 Varifocals are lenses that allow

WHY DOES MY DOG GIVE ME SIDE EYE?

Dog side eye, aka ‘the shady gaze’, is

WHY DO I GO RED WHEN I’M EMBARRASSED OR HAVE BEEN DRINKING?

Blushing, or turning red in the face, is

The A to Zzz of Sleep

What a dream! Being mindful of good sleep

DEAR DOCTOR

HOW DO I STOP HICCUPING? WHAT WILL ACTUALLY WORK?

BEFORE WE HAD LONG COVID, WAS THERE LONG SARS?

The SARS epidemic of 2002-2004, caused by the

ANEMOIA: WHY AM I NOSTALGIC FOR A TIME I DIDN’T KNOW OR A PLACE I’VE NEVER BEEN?

The term ‘nostalgia’ was coined by a Swiss

HOW DOES THE FITNESS APP ON MY PHONE KNOW HOW MANY STEPS I’VE TAKEN, ESPECIALLY IF IT’S IN MY BAG?

Your phone uses GPS to track distance travelled.

THE EXPLAINER ASTROBIOLOGY

THE HUNT FOR ALIEN LIFE

TRY 3 ISSUES FOR £5

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY!

Could adolescent reptiles learn martial arts?

Do you need more than pizza, surf slang and bright bandanas to bring out the heroes in four juvenile turtles?

CHRIS PACKHAM VERSUS THE WORLD

After conquering wildlife programming, presenter Chris Packham is taking on the planet in Earth, a BBC series that sheds new light on the history of our home. He talks Noa Leach through the show’s surprising science – and his guilty conscience

FEELING SUPERSONIC

IT’S 20 YEARS SINCE THE PUBLIC COULD BUY A TICKET TO FLY ON A PLANE CAPABLE OF BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER. BUT THERE’S A BAND OF ENGINEERS AND PILOTS WHO THINK COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PASSENGERS ARE ONCE AGAIN FEELING THE NEED… THE NEED FOR SUPERSONIC SPEED

OUR BEST FRIENDS

Many of us share our homes and lives with a canine companion. But how much do we really know about what’s going on inside their heads? Cognitive scientists Dr Zazie Todd and Prof Alexandra Horowitz explain what we’re learning about how our four-legged friends think, and share a few tips on how you can make their lives better…