WELCOME

Issue 161

MEET THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS

ANDY EXTANCE Andy is a science writer. He

Ghostly sea slugs

© Getty Meet Coryphella verrucosa , the translucent sea

We have liftoff

© ESA It’s been one of the most

Spreading seeds

© Getty This is a scanning electron microscope

South America’s watery border

© NASA-JSC This is the Paraná River, a

Your eyes reveal your true age

GLOBAL EYE Showcasing the incredible world we live

ANCIENT CHINESE WARRIORS WERE BURIED ALIVE

A view of the city of Anyang in

Iceberg dumps 132 billion tonnes of water into the ocean

The huge iceberg calved from the Antarctic Peninsula’s

Black holes could explain the universe’s origins

This galaxy gives off a type of radiation

REIGN OF NEW MONKEY QUEEN IS IN JEOPARDY

A Japanese macaque bathing in a hot spring

Antarctic penguin colony concerns scientists

The newfound colony has 75 gentoo penguin nests

‘GATES OF HELL’ MAY FINALLY BE CLOSED

The leader of Turkmenistan would like to finally

‘Death Star’ moon’s secret underground ocean

The Cassini spacecraft’s camera snapped this image of

Astronomers watch a star explode in real time

An artist’s illustration of a red supergiant ©

Modern humans lived in Africa 38,000 years earlier than thought

A reconstruction of the Omo I skull discovered

Sunbird songs are a million years old

A double-collared sunbird is a tiny, colourful bird

RABIES DEATHS IN THE US SPARK WARNING

One of the cases involved exposure to a

WISH LIST

The latest VR HEADSETS

Can glass be made from lightning hitting sand?

Amazing answers to your curious questions

THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD OF BIRDS

The latest book releases for curious minds

Spot the difference

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

MAKE A THUNDERSTORM IN A TANK

Create this mesmerising visualisation of a turbulent sky

INBOX

Speak your mind

FAST FACTS

Amazing trivia that will blow your mind

ALL ABOUT THE INTERNET

Discover how you can access images and information all over the world – and even beyond – at the click of a button

STEP BY STEP

Wired internet connections are up to ten times

HOW DO WEBSITES WORK?

DID YOU KNOW? On average, internet users spend

WHAT IS THE INTERNET?

This giant network can seem almost ethereal. For

NEED FOR SPEED

DID YOU KNOW? Google handles over 3.5 billion

THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET

DID YOU KNOW? The average person spends 2

CONNECTING THE WORLD

1966 The US Defence Agency funded the Advanced

WHAT ARE THE JAWS OF LIFE?

These emergency tools are a firefighter’s valuable companion during crash recoveries

HOW BLUETOOTH WORKS

Inspired by a Nordic king and harnessing the power of radio, here’s how wireless connectivity reshaped our electronic ecosystems

WHAT THE ROMANS TAUGHT US

How ancient Roman technologies have influenced the modern world

PYTHAGORAS OF SAMOS

This ancient Greek polymath’s life is shrouded in mystery

15 OF THE BIGGEST BIRDS ON EARTH

Explore the fascinating lives of our planet's feathered giants

HOW DO FISH BREATHE?

Discover how aquatic animals use their gills to breathe underwater

HA LONG BAY EXPLORED

How this stunning Vietnamese bay developed such distinctive geology

SECRETS OF DIAMONDS

What are these sparkling, harder-than-rock gems? Where do they come from and why are they so special?

HOW CANCER IS DIAGNOSED

This disease can affect any part of the body, requiring robust methods to detect and classify it

INSIDE A BIONIC EYE

With over 160 million people suffering from some type of sight loss, bionic eyes could be the solution to one of the most pressing medical issues of our time

THE USS ENTERPRISE?

Discover the real-world and theoretical technologies of Star Trek’s flagship spacecraft

FUELLING THE FUTURE

How to make a spaceship move faster than the speed of light

ALL ABOARD THE USS ENTERPRISE

How this Star Fleet spaceship could be brought to life with real world technology

WHAT ARE SATURN’S RINGS MADE OF?

Billions of icy particles orbit this gas giant to create its iconic shape

CAR CENTRAL LOCKING EXPLAINED

Locking the doors on a car may seem simple, but it’s a critical vehicle security feature

WHAT IS BIOFUEL?

Biofuels are futuristic fuels that can power cars and trucks with crops, algae and even rubbish. Here’s how they’re produced