WELCOME

“The nervous system gives us the power of

Firework eruption

© Getty The summit crater of Batu Tara

Stellar clusters

© ESO, NASA/ESA/R. Gilmozzi/S. Casertano, J. Schmidt Around

Plant feeding tubes

© Getty This is the stem of a

Olivar’s squat lobster

© Getty Meet one of the strangest crustaceans

Hidden chamber discovered in the Great Pyramid

A new scan of the Great Pyramid of

MOST INTACT TRICERATOPS FOSSIL GOES ON DISPLAY

A Triceratops that died 67 million years ago

Scientists discover a new rainbow-coloured fish

R esearchers have described a stunning multicoloured wrasse

Planet Nine is still missing

Artist’s illustration of Planet Nine, a world about

ANTARC TIC SEA ICE IS AT A RECORD LOW

Antarctic sea ice floats in the water in

Sleeping with a light on may be bad for your heart

J ust one night spent sleeping in a

INTERGALAC TIC SHOCK WAVE IS BIGGER THAN THE MILKY WAY

The northern shock wave glows in radio wavelengths

14th-century sarcophagus found at Notre-Dame

Archaeologists at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which caught

NASA caught a dead star spewing antimatter

Images from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based

Astronomers detect largest organic molecule ever

A stronomers have detected the largest organic molecule

King cobra is actually four species

King cobras, which may be four distinct species,

SKULL OF SEA SERPENT-LIKE MAMMAL UNCOVERED

The skull of the newfound Basilosaurus species sits

WISH LIST

The latest for OUTDOOR EXPLORERS

FREE 2 eBooks FOR EVERY READER!

Grab yourself two fascinating, fact-packed How It Works specials for your digital device. Simply use the link below or scan the QR code to download

DOES A METAL SPOON STOP SPARKLING WINE FROM GOING FLAT?

This is a widespread myth, and has some

HOW DO ANTS BREATHE?

Insects breathe very differently to mammals Ants, like

HOW DO EAR THERMOMETERS WORK?

These devices are also called tympanic thermometers. This

Why do humans prefer some smells over others?

Some people aren’t as adverse to smelly socks

WHY DOES METAL REACT SO VIOLENTLY IN A MICROWAVE?

Microwaves are a kind of electromagnetic wave, and

How do multivitamins work?

The human body requires a number of vitamins

HOW DO BONSAI TREES STAY SO SMALL?

Miles Denton

WHY DO WE BLUSH?

Blushing occurs when an excess of blood flows

WHAT MAKES DIET COLA DIET?

Diet cola is actually not a modified form

Will the James Webb Space Telescope see clear images of Epsilon Eridani?

© Getty / Alamy / NASA Epsilon Eridani,

WILL WE CHANGE THE MASS OF THE PLANET BY EXTRACTING ALL THE OIL?

We are indeed redistributing mass around the planet,

Why can ants carry items much heavier than themselves?

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: HOW IT WORKS MAGAZINE

WHO INVENTED THE MOBILE PHONE?

The invention of the first handheld mobile phone is credited

WHAT DOES A HANDBRAKE ACTUALLY DO?

A car’s handbrake is the lever to a

WHY IS PLUTO NOT A PLANET ANYMORE?

Did you know? Eris is about the same

What makes us faint?

Fainting is usually preceded by dizziness Fainting, or

THE LIBRARY

The latest book releases for curious minds

MAKE AND EXCAVATE YOUR OWN SPONGE FOSSIL

Practical projects to try at home

MODERN MAMMOTHS

Speak your mind

AIEYES

Dear HIW, Is it the human retina that

TOUGH INSECTS

WIN! AN AMAZING PRIZE FOR LET TER OF

KETTLE CHEMISTRY

Minerals can build up in the bottom of

HISTORY OF LANGUAGE

This Tamil inscription is written on the wall

FAST FACTS

Amazing trivia that will blow your mind

UNRAVELLING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Explore the electrically charged network composed of billions of cells that coordinates your thoughts, feelings and actions from head to toe

COLD SCIENCE

How low temperatures can change the state of elements and both injure and heal living tissue

COLD AND THE HUMAN BODY

The cold can harm the human body, but can also be its saviour

CHILLY CHAMPS

Here are some of the coldest record holders in existence

BATTERY BASICS

How do these portable power sources store and release electricity?

HOW BLEACH KILLS GERMS

This cleaning cupboard staple tears through proteins, destroying bacteria and viruses in minutes

THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE

Journey into a star’s habitable zone, where planetary temperatures allow liquid water to exist

PROFESSOR FEDOR ŠIMKOVIC

At the bleeding edge of physics research, studying some of the smallest particles in the universe, professor Šimkovic’s day-to-day work is stranger than you can imagine

INSIDE A CAR GEARBOX

Discover the secrets behind manual and automatic gears and their amazing history

HOW SAILS HARNESS THE WIND

Why some ships have differentshaped sails to others and how they’re used

CAR HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED

Vehicle headlamps have been around for over a hundred years. How do they work, and what will they look like in the future?

WHAT WAS THE V-2 ROCKET?

How this deadly weapon was repurposed as a vehicle for taking astronauts to space

HOW PET ID TAGS WORK

These smart devices reunite owners with their animal companions

INSIDE AN INFRARED CAMERA

These devices detect thermal energy and turn it into an image we can see

GAMING PC TE ARDOWN

A closer look at what makes the most powerful gaming computers tick

WHAT CAUSES WIND?

How the uneven heating of our planet produces everything from a light breeze to a full-force gale

HOW SMART IS A DOLPHIN?

These marine mammals are some of the cleverest creatures in the ocean

HOW WHIRLPOOLS FORM

These ominous vortices have the power to suck nearby objects into a watery spiral

WHY DO MOTHS EAT CLOTHES?

How these tiny insects can wreak havoc on your wardrobe