WHO INVENTED CHESS?

WELCOME

Issue 167

Weevil close-up

© Getty There are around 62,000 species of

Coral borders

© NASA/JSC Taken by an astronaut aboard the

Great reindeer migration

© Getty This aerial shot shows reindeer herds

Martian crash site

© NASA/JPL-Caltech On the surface of Mars lies

James Webb Space Telescope snaps deepest space image ever

GLOBAL EYE Showcasing the incredible world we live in

DEEP-SEA SQUID CARRIES A DAZZLING STRING OF EGGS

A close-up of the squid holding onto her

La Niña could bring a year of intense hurricanes

The appearance of a third La Niña could

Never-before-seen crystals found in meteorite dust

A fragment of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which entered

300-KILOGRAM S TINGRAY BREAKS THE FRESHWATER CATCH RECORD

Scientists and officials in Cambodia pose with the

Supreme Court cripples the US government’s climate change fight

The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision

BIZARRE ‘POLYGONS’ ON MARS’ SURFACE

Polygons crack across the Martian surface as hidden

Mysterious artefacts hint at ancient China’s ‘fairy world’

Archaeologists excavate one of the pits at Sanxingdui

Rare star survives death by supernova

A star in a distant galaxy survived its

Huge black hole devours an Earth-size chunk every second

Artist’s impression of an expanding supermassive black hole

World’s deepest shipwreck found

The US Navy destroyer escort USS Samuel B.

RECORD-BREAKING ERUPTION CREATED THE FASTEST ATMOSPHERIC WAVES EVER

In January, one of the most powerful volcanic

WISH LIST

The latest HOME ROBOT tech

Meet the MUTANTS

HOW CHANGES IN DNA CAN CAUSE UNUSUAL ABNORMALITIES, BUT ALSO SHAPE THE EVOLUTION OF A SPECIES

What keeps submarines underwater?

In order to understand what allows submarines to

How do bioluminescent creatures produce light?

It’s much easier to spot jellyfish thanks to

How can animals survive in the deepest parts of the sea?

Shipwrecks can form small biomes deep in the

TRANSPORTED: 50 VEHICLES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

AUTHOR MATT RALPHS ILLUSTRATOR RUI RICARDO PUBLISHER NOSY

MAKE A TEA BAG ROCKET

Learn about thermodynamics as you watch the tea bag fly

Had a go? Let us know!

If you’ve tried out any of our experiments – or conducted some of your own – let us know! Share your photos or videos with us on social media.

SOUND BARRIER SMASHERS

Ever since humanity took to the skies, we’ve pushed the limits of speed, accelerating past sound to hypersonic speeds and beyond

GONE IN 30 MINUTES

Ten of the fastest vehicles ever devised race as far as they can in 30 minutes

CRASH ANALYSIS: BLACK BOX FLIGHT RECORDERS

What makes these essential devices found on most aircraft virtually indestructible?

EXPLORE EARTH’S DEEP-SEA CHIMNEYS

How hydrothermal vents form and why life thrives in these seemingly hostile environments

WHAT IS SKUNK SPRAY?

How and why these furry critters create such stinky odours

HUNTING FOR TRUFFLES

How these culinary treasures grow underground

DISTILLING SCIENCE

How evaporating, condensing and filtering alcohol created one of the purest spirits on the planet

WHY DO WE SHIVER?

This heat-generating technique employed by your body isn’t always triggered by the cold

WHAT MAKES JELLY WOBBLY?

Explore the molecular science responsible for this entertaining dessert

WHEN IS THE NEXT COMET ?

There’s nothing more spectacular in the night sky than a really bright comet, so when can we expect the next one?

WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?

Ancient philosophers puzzled over why the sky is blue – now we know it’s all down to something called Rayleigh scattering

HOW CARS CONQUERED THE WORLD

Discover the evolution of the motor car, from its disjointed steam and bicycle origins to the Ford Model T

INSIDE A VACUUM CLEANER

How do these household cleaning machines suck up dirt and dust?

HOW ELEVATORS WORK

Take a look at the lift technology that provides an alternative to stairs

HOW NOISE CANCELLING WORKS

From the cockpits of airliners to something you wear on your daily commute, noise-cancelling technology has revolutionised how we work, listen and play