BBC Science Focus Magazine

With accessible features illustrated with the world’s best photography, BBC Focus Magazine explains the theory behind scientific phenomena and really brings science to life. In every issue you’ll find news of the latest major scientific developments, a lively Q&A section plus exclusive and astonishing photographic reports that range from the breathtaking to the downright odd.

FROM THE EDITOR

ON THE BBC THIS MONTH…

CONTRIBUTORS

Fire and water

Feathering the nest

Tomatoes off the vine

LETTER OF THE MONTH

FEEDBACK • YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND OUR MAGAZINE

BBC Science Focus Magazine

DISCOVERIES

SCIENTISTS UNCOVER HOW YOUNG BLOOD REJUVENATES AGEING BRAINS • Injections and exercises that send platelets to your brain could help you become younger

Washed afresh with young blood

NEW STUDY FORCES RETHINK ON HOW THE HIMALAYAS BECAME SO TALL • A giant tectonic shift helped the mountains gain height, but they were big before that

SCIENTISTS A STEP CLOSER TO DECODING THE CREATIVE PROCESS • Neuroscientists have gained an insight into how we choose between ideas by playing a word association game

COLOSSAL EXTINCT WHALE COULD BE THE HEAVIEST ANIMAL OF ALL TIME • The giant mammal had a tiny head but enough mass to eclipse the blue whale

WALKING JUST 5,000 STEPS A DAY IS ENOUGH TO LOWER YOUR RISK OF DEATH • The 10,000 steps goal is a myth. Depending on your age, you could reap the benefits from less than a quarter of that figure

SEE THE WINNING IMAGES FROM THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION PHOTO COMPETITION • From zombie fungus to dinosaur blood, the images highlight the bizarre and beautiful in nature

REPRODUCTION IN SPACE • Conceiving babies in space poses many problems. One company is trying to solve them

THE SECRET TO COMEDY MAY BE A BUSY JUNCTION IN YOUR BRAIN • A joke walks into a brain and a psychologist asks: “So what makes you so funny?”

THERE'S A MONSTER IN OUR BACK YARD, BUT IT'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT • Not even light can escape the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. But we'll be fine… as long as we keep a safe distance

THINKING OF SEXUAL DESIRE AS AN ON/OFF SWITCH ISN'T HELPING ANYBODY • By taking the mystery and misunderstanding out of sexual desire, science can help you have a more fulfilling sex life

REALITY CHECK • THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

TECH-FREE BREAKS: A NEW WAY TO BEAT BURNOUT? • ‘Unplugging' holidays promise to improve your wellbeing, but there's little science behind them

20MPH SPEED LIMITS: GOING SLOWER SAVES LIVES IN CITIES • Opposition to reduced traffic speeds may be a vote winner for politicians, but only in the short term

INNOVATIONS PREPARE YOURSEL FOR TOMORROW

Google Pixel Fold: The phone that's learning to walk before it runs • The Google Pixel Fold isn't perfect, but it succeeds in showing us that the search giant is going to be a serious competitor in the folding smartphone market

AI is helping scammers try to trick you. Here's how you can stop them • Alex Hughes spoke to Oli Buckley, a professor of cyber security at the University of East Anglia, about the rise of deepfake scams and how to avoid falling for them

Ideas we like… • Our pick of the month's smartest tech

IDEAS WE DON'T LIKE…

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? • Despite being a nutritious and sustainable food source, insects have yet to find their way onto our plates in a significant way. But these farms in Italy have found another, more palatable, way to use the protein in bugs: by turning it into animal feed

ANOTHER EARTH • A LITTLE UNDER TWO YEARS AGO, THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE CHANGED OUR HORIZONS, ENABLING US TOO SEE...