FROM THE EDITOR

COVER: ANDY POTTS THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES, BBC,

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Gently does it ESA’S ESTEC TEST CENTRE, THE

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YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND BBC SCIENCE FOCUS

DISCOVERIES

Vitamin B6, illustrated here as it would appear

LACTOSE TOLERANCE EVOLVED IN EUROPEANS THANKS TO FAMINE AND DISEASE

Wide-ranging evolutionary study overturns the long-held idea that the gene for lactose tolerance spread because it allowed dairy-farming humans to consume more milk

TRAINS COULD SUCK CO 2OUT OF THE AIR AS THEY CROSS THE COUNTRY

A single train fitted with the system could remove thousands of tonnes of carbon every year

SCIENTISTS MAY HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO CONTROL INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS

The technique could help with unwanted symptoms of conditions like OCD and anxiety

EATING MARMITE COULD EASE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

B vitamins found in the spread may help the brain produce calming neurochemicals

ROBOT DOG LEARNS TO WALK BY STUMBLING, JUST LIKE YOUNG ANIMALS IN THE WILD

When this robot gets knocked down, it gets up again

WE COULD SOON PEER THROUGH TIME TO SEE THE FIRST STARS

By analysing primordial clouds of hydrogen, astronomers could detect traces of light from the earliest stars and galaxies

MUMMIFIED BABY MAMMOTH FOUND BY CANADIAN MINERS

The immaculately preserved specimen is “one of the most incredible mummified Ice Age animals ever discovered”

MICROBES FOUND IN VOLCANIC ENVIRONMENTS COULD HELP REVEAL MORE ABOUT LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS

Researchers studying bacteria in Hawaii’s lava caves have discovered intricate communities working together in hostile surroundings

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 cars that capture carbon to batteries made from trees, here you’ll find many reasons to feel hopeful for our future…

YEARS TO GO

25 Carboncapture car A new electric passenger car

EXERCISE PILLS: A HARD IDEA TO SWALLOW

A new pill could offer the physical benefits of an active lifestyle, but what about the boost that exercise can give your mental health?

HOW TO CREATE A VIRTUAL CHILD

Criminal psychologists and computer scientists are using virtual avatars to train people how to interview vulnerable children

THE (SQUIRREL’S) GHOST IN THE MACHINE

Why questions about robot sentience can lead to farreaching conversations about the people we want to be

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REALITY CHECK S

SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

DARK MATTER: IS IT TIME WE GAVE UP LOOKING FOR IT?

After decades of looking for dark matter and coming up short, some researchers say we should take the possibility of a new theory of gravity more seriously

REWILDING: IS IT ALL JUST A CELEBRITY CULT?

In July, four bison were released in Kent. But is rewilding the best way to boost biodiversity?

INNOVATIONS

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

Sony WH-1000XM5: The gold standard for headphones

Some of the best headphones around, says Alex Hughes, but they don’t come cheap

First drive: Toyota BZ4X

Has Toyota’s first fully electric car been worth the wait, asks Daniel Bennett

Ideas we like…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

Q&A

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED ... WHY DO DOGS LIKE

HOW HIGH CAN INSECTS FLY?

ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT Three main factors limit the

ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS

THE HARVEST MOON WHEN: EARLY SEPTEMBER The full

IF I TRAVELLED AT LIGHT SPEED, WOULD FAR AWAY OBJECTS DISAPPEAR?

On Earth we can still see deep-space objects

WHY DOES A CORNEA HEAL AND CARTILAGE WEARS OUT, WHEN NEITHER HAS A BLOOD SUPPLY?

The outer layer of the cornea is called

WHY DO DOGS LIKE STICKS SO MUCH?

What’s brown and sticky? Hurray for sticks; nature’s

THE COELACANTH

NATURE’S WEIRDEST ANIMALS… For years, scientists thought it

HOW DO VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS AFFECT CLIMATE CHANGE?

Explosive eruptions can cause substantial cooling of global

IF THE MOON WERE BIGGER, AT WHAT POINT WOULD IT BE DEEMED A PLANET AND THE EARTH AND ‘MOON’ A ‘BINARY PLANET’ SYSTEM?

GETTY IMAGES X3 ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT The criteria

DO HOUSEPLANTS ACTUALLY IMPROVE AIR QUALITY?

Most of us have been spending a lot

HOW ARE ATOLLS FORMED?

Atolls are ring-shaped coral reef islands in the

DEAR DOCTOR...

MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONS DEALT WITH BY OUR EXPERTS

DO ANY OTHER ANIMALS GET INSOMNIA?

Other animals display insomnia-like behaviour. For example, in

WHY DO BULLETS MAKE A ZING SOUND IN MOVIES?

Bullets from real guns only ‘zing’ if they

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

ANDY NEWELL, KNARESBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE IF THE ANCIENT CARBONIFEROUS

THE EXPLAINER

DYSON SPHERES WHAT IS A DYSON SPHERE? A

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY!

NEXT ISSUE

FUTURE SPACECRAFT PLUS THE VAGUS NERVE Everything you

Are elves’ long lives realistic?

What’s the biology behind the elves’ extended lifespans in The Lord Of The Rings?

MEET THE ANIMAL ARCHITECTS

WE THINK WE’RE PRETTY CLEVER BY BUILDING THE GHERKIN AND THE SHARD, BUT THESE ENTERPRISING ANIMALS CAN CREATE SOME SMART STRUCTURES OF THEIR OWN... SOME OF WHICH EVEN HAVE BUILT-IN AIR CONDITIONING

NAPS: A USER ’S GUIDE

YOU SNOOZE,YOUWIN.RESEARCHSHOWSTHATNAPPINGCANHAVEAPOWERFULEFFECTONHEALTHANDCOGNITION.THISIS THEART OF A SCIENTIFIC SIESTA…

It’s time to rethink our relationship with

We’ve all moaned about a bit of podge on our thighs or tummies, but that fat is not an inert lump of lard – it has an important job to do. And now, scientists are starting to find out even more about its hidden powers