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BBC Science Focus Magazine
May 2023
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EDITORIAL
FROM THE EDITOR
COVER: EIKO OJALA THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES X3,
REGULARS
Back at the crib
It might look like a pool that needs
Mammoth meatball
Sink your teeth into this! Australian cultured-meat company
Bat’s life
This ancient bat fossil, found in 2017 and
DISCOVERIES
If all goes according to plan, two of
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER NATURAL ANTI-AGEING MECHANISM IN HUMANS
GERONTOLOGY
NEW OMEGA-3 OIL COULD FEND OFF SIGHT LOSS DUE TO ALZHEIMER’S OR DIABETES
MEDICINE
THESE RAVENOUS CRABS COULD HELP SAVE THE GREAT BARRIER REEF… BY EATING STARFISH
ENVIRONMENT
DAIRY WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF ANCIENT HUMANS IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS
ANTHROPOLOGY
PLANTS SCREAM WHEN WE FORGET TO WATER THEM
BOTANY
TWO OF THESE ASTRONAUTS WILL BE THE FIRST HUMANS TO STEP ON THE MOON SINCE 1972
SPACEFLIGHT
THINK SNAKES ARE SCARY? WHAT IF THEY CAN SOMERSAULT?
ZOOLOGY
LOW-CARBON HOUSES
PRIMER
LIFE ON MARS: STEP INSIDE THE HABITAT THAT’LL BECOME NASA’S MARTIAN BASE
SPACE
WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS IS WRONG
COMMENT
ROBOTS AREN’T COMING FOR YOUR JOB… THE SYSTEM IS
COMMENT
HOW ONE PARTICLE COULD SOON REWRITE OUR LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE
COMMENT 
TICK BITES: HOW TO AVOID THEM AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET BITTEN
With the number of critters on the rise, the UK is seeing increasing cases of tick-borne viruses
ALIENS: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE, SAYS HARVARD PROF
Prof Avi Loeb says we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility that extraterrestrials are already observing us
GENE-EDITED FOOD: WHERE’S MY SUPER MEAL?
Can gene editing create ‘superfoods’ that actually live up to the hype? Well, maybe…
ANXIETY
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING, COPING AND CONQUERING THE INNER DEMONS
Q&A
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED ... WHY DO WE LOVE
WILL INTERACTIVE HOLOGRAMS EVER BECOME A REALITY, LIKE ON THE HOLODECK?
ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT Star Trek’s fictional holodeck had
WHY DO WE LOVE GIFS SO MUCH?
When communicating via devices, we often want to
WHAT IS THE GUNGE FROM KIDS TV SHOWS LIKE DICK & DOM IN DA BUNGALOW MADE FROM?
The gunge used on kids TV shows, like
CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER
ALAMY X2, BBC ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT If you
How to read a weather map...
Most of us have seen weather maps at some point in our lives – in geography lessons at school, or in weather forecasts. But what do all the lines, labels and shapes actually mean?
GUIDING STARS
WHEN: MID/LATE MAY – JUNE
WHY DO WE STILL HAVE DIAL TONES ON PHONES?
The dial tone was introduced when we transitioned
WHY DOES IT GET HARDER TO STAND UP AS YOU GET OLDER?
Unfortunately, we do get less flexible as we
ARE YOGA’S CLAIMS TO DECREASE STRESS AND ANXIETY LEGIT?
Every week on BBC World Service, CrowdScience answers
MYTHBUSTERS
WHAT IS YERBA MATE AND SHOULD I START DRINKING IT? 
WHAT IS THE CLOSEST PLANET TO EARTH, REALLY?
There has recently been some confusion over which
WHY DOES TIME SEEM TO SLOW DOWN IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, LIKE WHEN YOU’RE FALLING?
Humans and other animals are good at estimating
WHY DO I FEEL FINE UP TO LUNCHTIME, BUT AS SOON AS I’VE FINISHED EATING, I’M SUDDENLY RAVENOUS?
GETTY IMAGES X3 ILLUSTRATIONS: DANIEL BRIGHT It could
CROSSWORD
PENCILS AT THE READY!
WHALE WATCHING
Keeping track of the world’s largest mammals with the help of drones
Are mermaids real?
A marine biologist reveals whether a half-human, half-fish could survive beneath the waves
FEATURES
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: overkill never looked so good
REVIEW
For the wearable tech of tomorrow, we need to rethink our human rights
INTERVIEW
Ideas we like…
Our pick of the month’s smartest tech
MENTAL HEALTH IS OTHER PEOPLE
Enjoying the weather? Did you see the game? Small-talk and simple face-to-face interactions have a bigger effect on our wellbeing than you might think. So, do you fancy a cuppa?
PATIENT, DIAGNOSE THYSELF!
MENTAL HEALTHCARE IS IN SHORT SUPPLY. IN ITS PLACE, WELL-MEANING ONLINE COMMUNITIES HAVE SPRUNG UP OFFERING SUPPORT, ADVICE AND EVEN DIAGNOSES TO THOSE THAT NEED IT. BUT IS THIS SAFE?
IS SOCIAL MEDIA RUINING CHILDHOOD?
It’s tempting to think that our digital lives on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are at fault, but there might be something altogether more analogue going on, says Prof Pete Etchells
SIGNS OF TROUBLE
A group of researchers say they’ve found a way to screen teenagers’ brains for mental health issues… before the issues manifest
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