FROM THE EDITOR

COVER: MAGIC TORCH THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES X2,

A sharper image

DAN VAHABA/DUKE INSTITUTE NORTH CAROLINA, USA Science has

Sunseekers

NASA/ESA/SOHO Who says you need a huge, cutting-edge

Going with the flow

REG MORRISON/AUSCAPE/MINDEN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA The common purple janthina’s

DISCOVERIES

An artist’s impression of the surface of a

A GENE NAMED AFTER SONIC THE HEDGEHOG IS ALL THAT SEPARATES SCALES FROM FEATHERS

GENETICS

BREAKTHROUGH STUDY REVEALS HOW SUPER-MASSIVE DINOSAURS GOT SO BIG

PALAEONTOLOGY

YOUR DNA IS TURNING UP IN PLACES YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

GENETICS

CYBORG FISH SHOWS SCIENTISTS HOW BRAINS HANDLE NAVIGATION

NEUROSCIENCE

DARK EARTH: SCIENTISTS UNVEIL A NEW ‘SECRET WEAPON’ TO COMBAT DEFORESTATION

CONSERVATION

THIS MACHINE CAN READ YOUR MIND AND TRANSLATE HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD

NEUROSCIENCE

ALIENS COULD SOON DETECT LIFE ON EARTH, ALL THANKS TO OUR MOBILE PHONE MASTS

ALIEN LIFE

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 virtual reality devices that could help amnesia sufferers to fuels made via photosynthesis, here you’ll find many reasons to feel hopeful about our future…

THE RISE OF E-FUELS

PRIMER

SEE INSIDE THE MOSQUITO ARENA BUILT TO TEST HOW THE MALARIA- SPREADING BUGS HUNT HUMANS

HEALTH

WHY SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT IS STILL THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL THOUGHT EXPERIMENT IN SCIENCE

COMMENT

COULD DELAYING YOUR MENOPAUSE BE BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH?

The ‘change’ is a turning point in women’s lives that we still don’t fully understand

THE IDEA THAT WE ONLY USE 10 PER CENT OF OUR BRAINS IS A MYTH THAT NEEDS TO DIE

The myth has been around for over a century and as well as being utter nonsense, it’s also potentially dangerous

COMPUTER PASSWORDS: IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO SECURE YOUR DEVICES?

REVIEW

SPACEFLIGHT: SHOULD THE FIRST CREW TO TRAVEL TO MARS BE ALL-FEMALE?

A new study carried out by the European Space Agency suggests that women may be better suited to space travel

ONE MEAL A DAY: COULD IT WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

COMMENT

INNOVATIONS

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

AI art is everywhere but it can never compete with human creativity

INTERVIEW

Five of the best video doorbells

These devices promise to revolutionise the way you collect packages, keep your home safe and even how you interact with your postie and friends. The BBC Science Focus team picks their faves

Ideas we like…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

WHAT IS THE POWER POSE? AND WILL IT REALLY BOOST MY CONFIDENCE BEFORE A JOB INTERVIEW?

ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT A power pose is essentially

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY WASHING-UP SPONGE?

Don’t replace it – swap it for a

IS IT POSSIBLE TO INHALE AN INSECT INTO YOUR LUNGS?

Your airway has two important defences to prevent

SHAMPOO GINGER LILY

GETTY IMAGES X4 ILLUSTRATIONS: DANIEL BRIGHT Tired of

HOW IS HAIL MADE?

Many of us have experienced those hot summer

WHY DOES MY SKIN FEEL MORE SENSITIVE TO TOUCH WHEN I HAVE A COLD?

HEALTH QUESTIONS DEALT WITH BY OUR EXPERTS

ANTARES: THE RIVAL OF MARS

WHEN: JUNE If you’ve never seen Mars in

WHAT CAUSES PREGNANCY CRAVINGS?

Cravings are something many mamas-to-be are familiar with.

WHAT IS THE SUPINE POSITION?

The supine position is simpler than it may

WHAT’S LIVING INSIDE MY GUT?

Every week on BBC World Service, CrowdScience answers

SHOULD I START WASHING MY HAIR WITH BEER?

A quick search online, and you will find

WHAT IS SOCIAL PRESCRIBING, AND IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO IT?

Social prescribing is a way for primary care

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL: WHAT ARE TROVANTS?

Trovants are bulbous, otherworldly stones that grow over

IF A VIRUS WIPED OUT HUMANS WHICH OF THE REMAINING SPECIES WOULD TAKE OVER, AND COULD THEY DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY THAT WE WOULD RECOGNISE?

We tend to define dominance in terms of

THE EXPLAINER THE EYE

UNDERSTAND HOW OUR VISUAL SYSTEM WORKS

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY!

RISE AND... SHINE?

How to wake up feeling rested, according to science

Could humans ever run at supersonic speeds?

Is there a biological limit to how fast humans can run? Or will we all be sprinting like The Flash in future?

MATTER MADE MAGIC

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PROGRAMMABLE MATERIALS. FROM SELF-ASSEMBLING STRUCTURES TO FUTURISTIC FABRICS, TAKE A PEEK AT THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME…

MAKING WAVES

How do you study a gigantic mammal that migrates over thousands of miles and spends most of its time underwater? Here’s how the latest tech is shaping the future of whale conservation

THE MYSTERIES OF EARTH’S CORE

Take even a quick peak beneath Earth’s surface and you soon discover just how much we don’t know about what’s happening right under out feet