FROM THE EDITOR

Editor COVER: DANIEL BRIGHT THIS PAGE: BBC, GETTY

ON THE BBC THIS MONTH...

The Forum: Algae A celebration of these wonderfully

Galaxy smash-up

NGC 5953 & NGC 5954 Captured by the

Ants on the attack

LEDNICE, CZECH REPUBLIC Here, a colony of ants

Launch in 3, 2, 1…

GETTY IMAGES FLORIDA, USA NASA’s Moon rocket and

CONVERSATION

YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND BBC SCIENCE FOCUS

DISCOVERIES

Reconstruction of the skull of Homo naledi.

CORONAVIRUS: IS THE UK IN FOR A WINTER OF ‘SUPER COLDS’?

REALITY CHECK

COLOURFUL CROSSINGS: WILL THEY MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER FOR ALL?

REALITY CHECK

ELEPHANTS: WHY ARE THESE ICONIC AFRICAN ANIMALS LOSING THEIR TUSKS?

REALITY CHECK

SAVE OVER 50%

HOW TO TACKLE ZOOM FATIGUE

After nearly two years of working from home, the novelty of video conferencing has rather worn off…

A DANGEROUS RELATIONSHIP?

Any of us can build a following online, but a large band of followers can make it tricky to navigate the turbulent waters of the digital world

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

... WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MY SPERM IF

OUR EXPERTS

DR EMMA DAVIES Chemistry writer JOCELYN TIMPERLEY Climate

IS IT HEALTHIER TO EKE OUT MY CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATES, OR EAT THEM ALL IN ONE MASSIVE BINGE?

ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT If healthy people binge for

NATURE’S WEIRDEST CREATURES...

THISTLEDOWN VELVET ANT

WHICH IS MORE HYGIENIC: PAPER TOWELS OR HAND DRYERS?

ADAM JOHNSON, LEEDS

HOW IS CAFFEINE REMOVED FROM DECAFFEINATED COFFEE?

CARMEN WINSTEAD, HIGH WYCOMBE

WHY DOESN’T EARTH HAVE RINGS?

MOE MBAGO, LONDON

DEAR DOCTOR...

HE ALTH QUESTIONS DE ALT WITH BY SCIENCE FOCUS EXPERTS

HOW DOES GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PRODUCE ELECTRICITY?

In volcanic regions, reservoirs of hot underground water

ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO GET CHEST INFECTIONS IF YOU’VE GOT NO TONSILS?

SALLY DAWES, CHESTER

WHAT IS A WORMHOLE?

TAM MCMILLAN, FIFE

ARE ELECTRIC CARS DEFINITELY GREENER THAN PETROL?

HARRY THOMAS, EASTBOURNE

ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS

TAURUS THE BULL

EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OF THE MONTH...

WE’RE TOO LATE TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE

WHAT WERE THE SPINAL PLATES ON STEGOSAURUS FOR?

ANNA PATTON, DERBY

ARE THERE MORE LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE IN SOCIETIES WHERE THE WRITTEN WORD FLOWS RIGHT TO LEFT?

JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ, MADRID

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

KOBY SHOMRON WHY DO WATER DROPLETS REMAIN ON

THE EXPLAINER BLUE LIGHT

GETTY IMAGES X4, ALAMY WHAT IS BLUE LIGHT?

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY!

2021 IN IMAGES

GETTY IMAGES PLUS ALIEN LIFE IN OUR SOLAR

Are we living in a simulation?

Don your black leather and a pair of shades, it’s time to take a trip into the Matrix

2021 IN SCIENCE

Human cells were implanted into the embryos of

CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

Last year, Christmas getting cancelled taught us that family really is the most important thing at this time of year… Pah! Christmas is about presents, pyjamas, pigs in blankets, Die Hard, preposterous sandwiches made of leftovers and migraine-inducing volumes of fizz. In that spirit, here’s our pick of the best presents that money can buy...

HEREE COMES THE SUN

CHRISTMAS WAS CANCELLED LAST YEAR FOR MANY OF US. JUST IN CASE THIS YEAR SUFFERS THE SAME FATE, WE’VE ROUNDED UP A SELECTION OF WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. AFTER ALL, YOU CAN’T ABOLISH AN ASTRONOMICAL EVENT!

COULD YOU COOK A TURKEY BY DROPPING IT FROM SPACE?

OVEN DECIDED TO BREAK ON CHRISTMAS EVE? DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES

DID ZOMBIE MOVIES PREPARE US FOR THE PANDEMIC?

Many of us enjoy post-apocalyptic horror movies, perhaps

ARE ANIMALS MONOGAMOUS?

Biologists tend to split monogamy into social monogamy

WHAT ARE NFTS?

NFT stands for ‘non-fungible token’. The non-fungible part

IS COVID ENDEMIC?

THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE VIRUS DEPENDS ON OUR ACTIONS

WILL WORKING FROM HOME HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?

NO COMMUTING, NO LARGE OFFICES TO HEAT. IS IT REALLY THAT SIMPLE?

ARE SPIDERS GETTING BIGGER?

AS SPIDERS CAME INDOORS THIS AUTUMN, SOCIAL MEDIA WAS CONVINCED THE UK’S ARACHNIDS HAD GROWN IN SIZE

WHY DO I GET ANXIOUS THOUGHTS LATE AT NIGHT?

MANY OF US SUFFERED SLEEPLESS NIGHTS DURING THE PANDEMIC…

ARE WE ALL MANIPULATIVE?

TV PHENOMENON SQUID GAMES HAD US WONDERING WHETHER PEOPLE ARE THAT MANIPULATIVE IN REAL LIFE

WHAT IS THE BOÖTES VOID?

SPACE IS FULL L OF HOLES

DO FOUR-DAY WEEKS WORK?

On the face of it, yes. Trials in

IS MY SOURDOUGH ACTUALLY UNIQUE?

IN PRAISE OF OUR FUNGAL FRIEND THAT WE ALL GOT TO KNOW A LOT BETTER DURING LOCKDOWNS

WHAT SHOULD I PLANT IN MY GARDEN TO HELP THE INSECTS?

INSECT NUMBERS ARE PLUMMETING. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN CREATE A HAVEN FOR THEM

COULD AEROPLANES GO GREEN?

AS WE RETURN TO HOLIDAYS, WE WONDER WHETHER WE CAN HAVE GUILT-FREE TRAVEL

WHAT IS THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF A 4K NETFLIX BINGE?

DIGGING INTO THE CARBON IMPACT OF DIGITAL STREAMING

ARE ASIAN HORNETS INVADING THE UK AND EUROPE?

WATCH OUT, HONEYBEES

BRAIN GAMES 2021

CHRISTMAS TELLY TURNED YOUR BRAIN TO MUSH? GIVE THAT GREY MATTER A WORKOUT WITH THESE TRICKY PUZZLES

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

1. Researchers from Denmark hooked volunteers up to

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

DOWN 1 Places where wildlife is protected (12,5)