FROM THE EDITOR

COVER: NOMA BAR THIS PAGE: BBC, PAUL WILKINSON,

We have ignition

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99 black balloons

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Power tool

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YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND OUR MAGAZINE

DISCOVERIES

We’ve been leaving our marks on the Moon

HEARING AIDS REDUCE THE RISK OF DEATH BY ALMOST 25 PER CENT, STUDY FINDS

Turn up the volume: it’s good news for hearing aid wearers

PHOTOSYNTHESIS WITHOUT PLANTS COULD MAKE LIFE ON MARS POSSIBLE

Researchers have found a way to harness light to help us explore space and save Earth

DAYTIME FATIGUE SLEEP DISORDER COULD BE AFFECTING MILLIONS

If you find yourself feeling sleepy throughout the day, a not-so-rare sleep disorder could be to blame

GENIUS DOGS KNOW TENS OF TOYS BY NAME… BUT TRULY GIFTED CANINES KNOW OVER 100

If your pooch can retrieve its toys by name rather than chewing them to pieces, you may have a genius on your hands

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER A SIMPLE TRICK THAT CAN DRASTICALLY IMPROVE YOUR COFFEE

By grinding your coffee with a splash of water, espressos can be made more consistent and intense

RATES OF AGEING IN YOUR ORGANS REVEALS WHICH WILL FAIL FIRST

Scientists may now be able to predict both when and how your body might fail. But it’s not all doom and gloom…

LUNAR EPOCHS

Have humans pushed the Moon into a new geological age?

PHYSICS, AI AND MUSIC SHARE A COMMON THREAD. YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK

Studying science can lead you in many directions and open doors on to unexpected possibilities along the way

DON’T LET BAD NEWS BRING YOU DOWN. THERE ARE REASONS FOR HOPE

Changes happen every day, and with science’s help, many of them have the potential to improve the world

FULL TO BURSTING, BUT STILL CAN’T TURN DOWN DESSERT? BLAME EVOLUTION

Don’t be surprised that you have a ‘dessert stomach’. They existed long before we even dreamt of sticky toffee pudding

REALITY CHECK

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

DENGUE FEVER: HOPE FOR AN END TO A DEADLY DISEASE

The dengue virus is spreading. A plan to release billions of bacteria-infected mosquitoes could beat it

DREAM TECH: NEW ‘HALO’ PROMISES INCEPTION-STYLE DREAM CONTROL

A US start-up is working on a headband designed to induce lucid dreams. But can it work and is it safe?

INNOVATIONS PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

ANALYSIS IMMUNE SYSTEM MAPPING The Human Immunome Project

Meta Quest 3: Could this finally make virtual reality good?

Alex Hughes straps on the Meta Quest 3 to see if it truly is the future of virtual reality

Inside the bold mission to map every immune system in the world

The Human Immunome Project has a bold task over the next 10 years, but could help to prevent future pandemics and aid vaccine research

Ideas we like…

Our pick of the month’s smartest tech

Q & A

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

WHY DO CATS WIGGLE BEFORE THEY POUNCE?

Like so much of cat behaviour, no one

WHY DOES JUPITER SPIN SO FAST?

GETTY IMAGES, NASA/JPL ILLUSTRATION: HARRIET NOBLE Jupiter is

NATURE’S WEIRDEST CREATURES

THE BURMESE NARROW-HEADED SOFTSHELL TURTLE

HOW DO I GET RID OF MY NECK HUMP?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, working

WHY IS THE PINK LAKE IN AUSTRALIA PINK?

Australia is home to several pink lakes that

WHY DO WE LIKE COLLECTING THINGS?

ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES ILLUSTRATIONS: HARRIET NOBLE, PETE LAWRENCE

WHAT IS THE REMINISCENCE BUMP?

The ‘reminiscence bump’ is a quirk of autobiographical

ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS

HOW TO SEE THE HYADES STAR CLUSTER WHEN:

Yellowstone

National Park. Natural Wonder. Existential Threat?

DEAR DOCTOR

HOW DO I STOP TAKING THINGS PERSONALLY?

WHY DO I SLEEP SO WELL AFTER EATING RED MEAT?

The effect of red meat on sleep is

CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING?

Lightning is one of the most spectacular displays

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

DO ELECTRONS LIVE FOREVER?

CROSSWORD

PENCILS AT THE READY!

CAUTION: HOT SURFACE

What the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland reveals about the geological activity beneath it

TO YOUR HEALTH!

BETTER LIVING THROUGH SCIENCE

DINOSAURS WHAT WE GOT WRONG

BIG AND SCARY THEY MAY HAVE BEEN, BUT DINOSAURS WERE BY NO MEANS LUMBERING BRUTES. THE MORE WE LEARN ABOUT THEM, THE MORE WE SEE JUST HOW MISGUIDED OUR EARLY ASSUMPTIONS WERE…

TIME TO CHANGE

Feeling time poor isn’t an inescapable part of today’s world. With a few science-backed strategies, it’s possible to reclaim lost hours and finally feel in control of your day

WHITE HOLES

A NEW THEORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BLACK HOLES DIE COULD SOLVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYSTERIES IN PHYSICS

THE BROKEN MIRROR

Body dysmorphia – the all-consuming obsession with perceived flaws in our looks – is sweeping the globe. One in five young people is thought to be affected. What can be done and how is tech changing the way we see ourselves?