FROM THE EDITOR

COVER: ANDY POTTS THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES X2,

A land of ice and fire

J. BANKS/ AWL-IMAGES.COM HÖFN, ICELAND Diamond Beach,

Splashdown success

SPACEX PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA, USA In the early

Catching a rainbow

ALAMY FALMOUTH, UK This colourful critter is a

FEEDBACK

LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR PUBLICATION

DISCOVERIES

More than just mere decoration: the spots on

SPOTTY WINGS MAKE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES MORE AERODYNAMIC

ENTOMOLOGY

SCIENTISTS HAVE FINALLY SOLVED THE MYSTERY BEHIND THIS OPTICAL ILLUSION

VISION

THE WORLD’S ULTIMATE SWEARWORD… ACCORDING TO MATHS

MATHEMATICS

HIDDEN FUNGI ABSORB OVER A THIRD OF EARTH’S FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS

BIOLOGY

PUPS IN SCRUBS: DOGS COULD MAKE CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS BETTER FOR EVERYONE

MEDICINE

THE T.REX WAS ACTUALLY A COWARD… SOMETIMES

PALAEONTOLOGY

DAILY MULTIVITAMIN CAN DELAY AGE-RELATED MEMORY LOSS

NEUROSCIENCE

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 patches that alleviate peanut allergies to pangolin-inspired robots that perform microsurgery, here you’ll find many reasons to feel hopeful about our future…

THE THREAT OF DAY ZERO

PRIMER

DO YOUR GENES INFLUENCE YOUR TASTE IN FOOD?

COMMENT

JAZZ COULD BE THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING QUANTUM PHYSICS

COMMENT

AI-GENERATED EMAIL MAY BE CONVENIENT, BUT IT COULD KILL OFF ENDANGERED LANGUAGES

COMMENT

BUGS ON THE BRINK: WHERE HAVE ALL THE INSECTS GONE?

REVIEW

KILLER ASTEROIDS: HOW SAFE ARE WE, REALLY?

ANALYSIS

OZEMPIC: IS IT MORE THAN JUST A WEIGHT-LOSS PILL?

COMMENT

INNOVATIONS

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

Apple Vision Pro: a virtual reality expert gives his verdict

INTERVIEW

Five of the best hand-held vacuum cleaners

Keep your house clean and tidy with these light and portable vacuum cleaners. The BBC Science Focus team picks its favourites

Ideas we like…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

WHY DO I SELF-SABOTAGE SO MUCH?

SAMANTHA OSBORN, VIA EMAIL

JADE ROLLERS: DO THEY ACTUALLY WORK OR DO THEY JUST FEEL NICE?

CHARLIE HANEY, VIA EMAIL

IS THERE A KNOWN LIMIT ON HOW TALL A TREE CAN GROW?

LAWRENCE HANCOCK, CUMBRIA

VAMPIRE SQUID

NATURE’S WEIRDEST CREATURES

THE MAGNIFICENT MILKY WAY

ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS

COULD AN ASTEROID IMPACT EVER CHANGE EARTH’S ORBIT?

KHADIJAH HORN, VIA EMAIL

WHY DO OLD BATTERIES LEAK?

LUCINDA COX, SUSSEX

WHAT IS GUTTATION?

HEATHER KENNEDY, VIA EMAIL

DOES GETTING RID OF MUCUS WHEN I’M SICK HELP ME GET BETTER QUICKER?

DANIEL GRANT, SUNDERLAND

Mariana Trench

A DEEP DIVE INTO THE…

Where is the trench?

MAPPING MARIANA

Exploring the deepest point on Earth

REACHING NEW DEPTHS

Pollution in the trench

DIFFERENT PLACE, SAME PROBLEMS

What lies beneath?

ALIEN ENVIRONMENTS

MYTHBUSTERS

IS ‘BABY BRAIN’ A REAL THING AND, IF SO, WHAT CAUSES IT?

WHAT IS THE MIRROR TEST?

ELLIOT SAVAGE, DERBY

WHAT IS THE DOPPLER EFFECT?

INDIA KELLY, VIA EMAIL

WHERE DOES THE CUCKOO LEARN ITS TERRIBLE BEHAVIOUR?

ROBERT GREEN, VIA EMAIL

THE EXPLAINER BEES

THEY COULD WELL BE THE LINCHPIN HOLDING EARTH’S ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM TOGETHER… SO IT’S NO WONDER THEY’RE BUSY. HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE IMPORTANT INSECTS THAT ARE UNDER THREAT

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY!

Could one bomb destroy the world?

How big a bang are arms manufacturers capable of creating?

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

The hit TV show The Last of Us imagined an apocalypse caused by a Cordyceps fungus turning humans into zombies. For many insects, real life isn’t much different…

HOW TO THINK RATIONALLY ABOUT AI

The entire planet is hooked on the conversation about AI and its sinister future. But, if you ask those in the know (and we have) our future with machines looks entirely different to what the world’s CEOs would have us believe. Here’s how to stop worrying and, maybe, learn to love AI…

CAN SCIENCE TURN A NIGHT OWL INTO A MORNING LARK?

If you’re a night owl, you probably have a hard time dealing with a world that starts at 9am. But can science help you tinker with your body clock to make it easier to rise with the larks?