WELCOME

Issue 170 “Fear not, the world’s spiders do

MEET THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS

DR ANDREW MAY Andrew has a PhD in

Unusual life forms

A moeba proteus is a single-celled microbe

Lurking on the seafloor

The bobbit worm, Eunice a phroditois,

Stranger things

Though the octopus stinkhorn ( Clathrus archeri )

New view of Jupiter

At the poles of the gas giant, the

The Milky Way is ‘rippling’ like a pond

Artist’s impression of the structure of the spiral

RARE CRYS TAL DISCOVERED ON THE MOON

A new type of crystal, and a potential

$3 million prize won for an AI that predicts every protein’s structure

Ribosomes (light purple) assemble new proteins from building

Huge ancient lava flow seen from space

The Carrizozo Malpaís lava flow in the Chihuahuan

GHOSTLY RINGS OF NEPTUNE SHINE IN NEW WEBB IMAGES

Neptune and its rings glow an eerie white

China approves first inhaled COVID-19 vaccine

An illustration of coronavirus particles C hina has

A SECRET STAR AT THE CENTRE OF THE CAT’S EYE NEBULA

A 3D model of the Cat’s Eye Nebula

A vanished arm of the Nile helped build the pyramids

New findings shed light on the Nile’s water

Tardigrade survival attributed to proteins found in no other animals

Tardigrades can enter cryptobiosis to withstand temperature and

Ancient ‘dragons’ were Earth’s first gliding reptiles

The ancient reptile used its wings to glide

Acid lake atop ‘Mount Doom’ in striking new image from space

The highly acidic hydrothermal lake can be seen

MYSTERIOUS ‘BLUE GOO’ ON THE OCEAN’S BOTTOM STUMPS SCIENTISTS

A close up of one of the mysterious

WISH LIST

The latest tech for WINTER

BRAINDUMP

Amazing answers to your curious questions

THE LIBRARY

The latest book releases for curious minds

MAKE A SPIDER’S WEB

Weave your own web with Styrofoam and nail polish remover

ADVERTISING TRICKS

Dear HIW, How does the technology work to personalise the adverts you see on your phone? Sometimes I speak about something and don’t search for it on my phone, but I still receive adverts for a specific product. Is there a way to stop this?

FAST FACTS

Amazing trivia that will blow your mind

20 SPIDER MYTHS BUSTED

There are many misconceptions about these eight-legged creepy-crawlies. We sort the facts from the fiction

HOW BIRDS MAKE NESTS

Explore the amazing beakwork of the world’s feathered architects

HOW DO DOGS SMELL?

See inside the nose of man’s best friend

SECRETS OF THE BOG PEOPLE

Meet the mysterious Iron Age mummies buried in Northwest Europe’s swamps

A PILGRIM’S PICKLING

Miranda Aldhouse-Green, emeritus professor of archaeology at Cardiff University, says that many of the bog people may have been on spiritual journeys before being killed

HOWARD CARTER

100 years ago, this archaeologist shot to worldwide renown when he discovered the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun

ANGEL’S GLOW

Why injured Civil War soldiers glowed with a pale-blue light that seemed to heal their wounds

What are MICROPLA ASTICS?

Take a closer look at these miniscule pollutants and how they affect all life

REMOVING MICROPL ASTICS

These technologies and techniques can help reduce microplastics’ environmental impact

WHAT IS ASTIGMATISM?

How a change in the shape of the eye can alter the way people see the world

BLUE STARS EXPLAINED

Take a look at the hottest stars in the galaxy, which live fast and die young

HOW THEY EVOLVE

The rate at which a star progresses through

TEN BIG TERRESTRIAL TELESCOPES

These giant Earth-based structures serve as our eyes, peering far into space

SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER CHEMISTRY

Much of the power of NASA’s new rocket comes not from its main engines, but its boosters

HOW NEWBORN INCUBATORS WORK

Found in hospitals around the world, these medical boxes have saved the lives of countless sick and premature babies

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

Air traffic controllers are tasked with keeping pilots, planes and passengers safe in increasingly crowded airways – this is how they do it

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICER

Air traffic control officer Bart Montilla explains how he keeps you safe in the air