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Issue 186

Behind the eye

© Alamy Fluorescence microscopy reveals the complex cellular

Interstellar heart

© Getty Around 7,500 light years from Earth

Hiding in orchids

© Shutterstock Thanks to their petal-like appearance, these

Methane under the Arctic could trigger a climate feedback loop

Thawing permafrost due to climate change is releasing methane,

WHO warns that climate change could spread malaria

Pakistan faced heavy monsoon rains and severe flooding

LASERS ARE A GIANT LEAP FOR MOON AND MARS COMMUNICATIONS

NASA has completed its first laser link with

The Great Wall of China is being held together by ‘biocrusts’

Ancient workers used a blend of organic materials

THE WORLD’S OLDEST KNOWN FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED 8,000 YEARS AGO

Archaeologists have long associated fortresses with permanent agricultural

NASA identifies 17 planets with possible subsurface oceans

An artist’s illustration of Proxima Centauri b, one

ICE FROM SATURN’S MOON COULD BE STUDIED FOR SIGNS OF LIFE

An artistic rendering showing ice plumes being ejected

We finally know how tardigrades reproduce

For the first time, scientists have figured out

72-million-year-old ‘blue dragon’ unearthed in Japan

Mosasaurs are a group of apex marine predators

Hammerhead sharks are vanishing from underwater mountains

A school of scalloped hammerhead sharks near Malpelo

Scientists create a chip that will pave the way for 6G

Scientists have created a prototype communications chip that

HALLEY’S COMET HAS BEGUN ITS RETURN JOURNEY TO EARTH

After zooming away from Earth for nearly 40

WISH LIST

The latest tech for PETS

BRAINDUMP

Amazing answers to your curious questions

THE LIBRARY

The latest book releases for curious minds

MAKE A LEMON VOLCANO

What happens when you combine acidic lemon juice with baking soda? Find out in this fun erupting experiment

INBOX

Speak your mind

FAST FACTS

Amazing trivia that will blow your mind

YOUR HOME EXPLAINED

From kitchen chemistry and bathroom bugs to the function of fittings and electronic entertainment

SURVEILLANCE FROM THE STRATOSPHERE

This lightweight solar-electric aircraft is an alternative to high-altitude satellites

HOW FLAMETHROWERS WORK

These tools that hurl plumes of fire through the air were originally weapons of war

ANIMAL ATTRACTION

The weird and wonderful techniques some species use to charm potential partners

Raging RIVERS

How the watery veins of planet Earth can become turbulent and toxic

DEADLY DINOSAUR DISEASES

From prehistoric parasites to ancient airborne infections, discover the illnesses that plagued these giant creatures

TINY LIVING RAINMAKERS

Scientists have tracked down the culprits behind some of our rain, and they could become a force for good

VALENTINA TERESHKOVA

This pioneering cosmonaut was the first woman in space and remains the only woman to fly there solo

BIZARRE INVENTIONS

From passenger jets to the internet, humanity has changed the world with many ingenious technologies. But some creations have been a little unusual…

ARE BRAIN TRANSPL ANTS POSSIBLE?

This controversial surgery has complicated technicalities to consider before our body’s most sophisticated organ can be switched out

HOW SEASONS CAN CHANGE YOUR MOOD

The science behind seasonal affective disorder and how the brain responds to daylight

HOW TO FIND A L IEN LIFE

Scientists have a variety of ways to search for life in the cosmos

SEARCHING FOR EX TRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE

If aliens use lasers, this advanced new tool might be able to catch them in the act

SEEING STARS IN A NEW LIGHT

A telescope perched on a mountain in Chile allows us to watch stars and planets form in the most distant parts of the universe

FUTURE STEAM POWER

How modern steam trains are ditching coal for cleaner and more efficient engines