WELCOME

Issue 211

UNDERWATER FISHING

© Getty Plunging into the waters of

THE FIRST MOUNT RUSHMORE

© Alamy Before the faces of America’s

HOME DELIVERY FOR ISS RESIDENTS

© NASA On 29 October 2025, the

A RAINBOW RELIC

© Alamy On display at the

People that use AI likely overestimate their abilities

Showcasing the incredible world we live in

Scientists discover a new type of lion roar

DID YOU KNOW? On average, male lions weigh

SEE THE BUTTERFLY NEBULA LIKE NEVER BEFORE

On 26 November 2025, the Gemini South telescope

Scientists pull up riches from the ‘Holy Grail of shipwrecks’

The Spanish San José galleon sank near Isla

LASERS TARGET THE TARANTULA NEBULA WITH ‘ARTIFICIAL STARS’

In November 2025, the Very Large Telescope (VLT)

A high-fibre diet may ‘rejuvenate’ immune cells that fight cancer

Microbes in the gut can help the immune

ASTRONAUTS SEE COMET LEMMON ‘ABSORBED’ BY AURORAE

Comet Lemmon seems to be absorbed by aurorae

Moss survived for nine months on the outside of the International Space Station

Moss spores have survived a prolonged trip to

The Gulf of Suez is pulling apart

A satellite view of the Gulf of Suez,

Most modern dogs have wolf DNA

Most modern dog breeds have small amounts of

Human refuse is ‘kick-starting’ the domestication of raccoons

Raccoons living in urban areas have shorter snouts

SATELLITE CAPTURES THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF HURRICANE MELISSA

In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa roared ashore in

WISH LIST

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

How do astronauts prepare for a spacewalk?

Amazing answers to your curious questions

WHY IS FIRE ORANGE?

The colour of fire is determined by the

WHEN DOES THE HUMAN BRAIN PERFORM BEST?

Everyone is different, but most people’s brains perform

WHY IS GLASS TRANSPARENT?

Light travels through glass due to how its

Do all bats use ultrasound?

© Shutterstock No. All of the mouse-sized microbats

WHAT CAUSES A BLOOD MOON?

All total lunar eclipses can be ‘blood moons’.

WHERE IS THE BIGGEST TECTONIC PLATE?

The largest tectonic plate is the Pacific plate,

HOW LONG DID HOMO SAPIENS AND NEANDERTHALS LIVE TOGETHER?

The latest research suggests that our species coexisted

Is there a giant reservoir of water in space?

Yes! In 2011, astronomers announced they had found

DO OUR EYES GROW?

Contrary to popular myth, our eyes do grow

HOW MANY FLIES CAN A VENUS FLYTRAP EAT?

This number depends on the size of the

WHICH COUNTRY INVENTED THE CANNON?

Cannons were invented in China during the late

Was T. rex the biggest carnivorous dinosaur?

Judging the size of dinosaurs is difficult based

WHAT PUTS THE ‘SUPER’ IN SUPERFOOD?

© Shutterstock This term is used to describe

What percentage of Earth’s forests have we cut down?

At the end of the last ice age

WHY DOES THE SUN BLEACH OUR HAIR?

The Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays destroy melanin, the

HOW DID BLACKBEARD DIE?

Blackbeard’s death on 22 November 1718 came at

Will we ever be able to clone humans?

Almost certainly. The process that was used to

WHICH WAS WORSE: BUBONIC OR PNEUMONIC PLAGUE?

Both are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis

DO ANIMALS GET SUNBURN?

© Shutterstock / Alamy Some do. Pigs, for

THE LIBRARY

The latest book releases for curious minds

Spot the difference

See if you can find all six changes between the images below

MAKE A THERMOMETER

Record changing temperatures and discover thermal expansion with this home-built apparatus

CATHEDRAL CONSTRUCTION

Dear HIW , Issue 209 had an article

REMOTE ABILITIES

Infrared remotes are cheaper and more power-efficient than

SKIN-CRAWLING QUERY

Dear HIW , Why do we experience itches

WALKING STRAIN

In England, 17 per cent of men and

INCREDIBLE SCIENCE BREAKTHROUGHS FOR 2026

Look out for 3D-printed organs, terabit Starlink broadband, DNA-personalised medication and other mega milestones, launches and achievements this year

BOOZE, BEANS AND YOUR BODY

Caffeine and alcohol are two of the world’s most common drugs. But what effects does drinking them have on our brains and bodies?

LEGAL DRUGS AROUND THE WORLD

Caffeine and alcohol aren’t the only drugs that form part of modern-day cultures. Some other legal highs are permitted in some countries

SCIENCE WINTER BUGS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

Indoor gatherings are much more common during colder months, but it’s not just other people you share the air with

WHAT ARE RARE EARTHS?

The elements that form the actinide and lanthanide groups in the periodic table are used in almost all electronic devices today

ALL ABOARD A DOUBLE-DECKER TRAIN

Eurostar’s new two-tier Celestia trains will take to the tunnels in 2031

HOW THE PRINTING PRESS CHANGED THE WORLD

The development of the printing press led to a revolution, spreading literacy and ideas across the world

UNEARTHING GÖBEKLI TEPE

Marvel at these Turkish megaliths that predate Stonehenge by an incredible 6,000 years

INSIDE A TOMAHAWK MISSILE

This versatile and advanced missile has served militaries all over the world for decades

HOW TO CLEAN A SKYSCRAPER WINDOW

Discover how skilled window cleaners with nerves of steel tackle these towering glass facades

HOW AN ARCADE CABINET WORKS

These coin-operated video gaming machines were extremely popular in the 1980s and 1990s

HOW TO MAKE MAPLE SYRUP

Your favourite pancake topping is much more than just a sugary treat made in a factory

WHY THINGS ROT

How dead plants and animals decay, and how living organisms rely on this natural process to survive

DELVING INTO DETRITIVORES

One animal’s loss is a gain for hungry creatures with a taste for decay

FAULT LINES AROUND THE WORLD

Discover the dangers and benefits of Earth’s cracked crust. Is there a fault line beneath your feet?

ICE FORMATIONS EXPLAINED

Explore the variety of ice types found in nature, their properties and how they form

BIGGEST EXPLOSIONS IN THE UNIVERSE

Many of the most dramatic cosmic events take the form of explosions, from asteroid impacts to the Big Bang itself. Here are some of the most spectacular examples

SPACE MINING UNCOVERED

Asteroids rich in rare elements could be harvested for their valuable contents, but the real worth may be in using them as interplanetary fuel stations