WELCOME

Issue 177

Deploy the decoys

© Alamy An American Air Force AC-13OU gunship

Silk spinners

© Getty Thes are the tiny structures that

Anemonefish embryos

© Getty This sea of fish eyes is

Fiery protostar

© NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, J. DePasquale

‘Runaway’ black hole caught speeding through space

GLOBAL EYE

NEW STAR-MAPPING TECHNIQUE FINDS A GIANT EXOPLANET

The newfound exoplanet HIP 99770 b is seen

Scientists discover the first ‘neutron-rich’ isotope of uranium since 1979

Scientists have discovered and synthesised an entirely new

An ultra-rare ‘double quasar’ is spotted by Hubble

An artist’s illustration of two brilliant-blue quasars about

WOOLLY MAMMOTHS WEREN’T ALWAYS SHAGGY

Woolly mammoths evolved to have fuzzy coats and

Nearly 150 cartilage genes may control human height

Cells that make up the cartilage at the

A 30,000-year-old fur ball is actually a mummified squirrel

An unrecognisable ball of fur, claws and limbs

CHINA REPORTS THE FIRST HUMAN DEATH FROM H3N8 BIRD FLU

Avian Influenza A (H3N8) is a subtype of

The second-oldest orca in captivity is finally getting released

Miami Seaquarium’s star orca, Lolita, who has spent

The smallest and largest animals make up most of Earth’s biomass

Scientists have spent five years classifying the size,

Man catches ‘silver leaf’ tree fungus disease

The fungus behind a plant disease called ‘silver

EUROPE PREPARES THE DARK MATTER-HUNTING EUCLID SPACECRAFT FOR LAUNCH

Technicians at a Thales Alenia Space facility in

BRAINDUMP

Amazing answers to your curious questions

THE LIBRARY

The latest book releases for curious minds

BRAIN GYM

Give your brain a puzzle workout

MAKE EXPLODING PAINT BOMBS

Practical projects to try at home

INBOX

Speak your mind

FAST FACTS

Amazing trivia that will blow your mind

PAPER REVOLUTION

Cats vs dogs

How the psychology and biology of the world’s most popular pets compare

Family tree

Discover the closest living relatives of cats and dogs

MEET THE PET GENETICIST

Kennel Club genetics research manager Dr Joanna Ilska sheds some light on how dog breeds are defined

Comparing companions

The physical similarities and differences between cats and dogs

Cats and dogs by numbers

THE OLDEST PLANTS IN THE WORLD

Discover the trees, flowers, shrubs and clonal colonies with deep roots in our planet’s history

Mojave Desert, California

DID YOU KNOW? Individual trees in the H

HOW MARINE ANIMALS SLEEP

The ways whales, sharks and other sea creatures get a good night’s sleep

HOW FOG FORMS

When water vapour turns to liquid, a murky mass fills the air

The future of SPACE TRAVEL

Discover possible future spaceship technologies, from the practical to the far-fetched

COLONISING SPACE

Tim Marshall is the author of The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World

INSIDE A PINBALL MACHINE

Plunge into the engineering of this popular arcade classic

EYE TRACKING EXPLAINED

How and why electronic devices employ technology to follow a user’s line of sight

How to capture a MEDIEVAL CASTLE

From demolishing walls to starving out defenders, a siege in the Middle Ages required innovative tactics, stamina and determination

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS

With money to burn and a realm to conquer, barons would splash out on the biggest and best siege engines available

LAUNCH THE ATTACK

When negotiations failed and intimidation proved futile, siege was the only option

HOW TO DEFEND A CASTLE

When the attackers were on your doorstep, these measures could get you out of trouble

WHAT TO DO WITH THE ENEMY

With the outer walls down, it was time to storm the courtyards and break into the keep

WHO INVENTED MONEY?

From the first coins to cashless transactions, discover how money has shaped our world

THE EVOLUTION OF COINS

Explore the world’s metal money that’s dictated wealth over several centuries

STEPHEN HAWKING

The theoretical physicist who changed the way we see the universe

CAR CRASH ANATOMY

How today’s technology can predict, prevent and assist in dangerous vehicle collisions

CAR BRAKES EXAMINED

How fluid dynamics keeps cars from crashing

WHAT MAKES THINGS BIODEGRADABLE?

The chemistry and biology behind the natural breakdown of organic matter

WHAT IS MUSCLE MEMORY?

How neural shortcuts in your brain make practised activities feel familiar