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.

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THE VOLCANO THAT SHOOK THE EARTH • The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano was a once-in-a-century geological event – and now the clock is ticking to study its effects…

Surgeons save terminal patient’s life with a genetically modified pig’s heart • This world-first operation proves that an animal heart can function just like a human heart, without the body rejecting it

Mystery of Jupiter’s polar cyclones solved using ocean physics • NASA’s Juno spacecraft has sent back the first evidence that the massive polar storms are driven by a similar process to those governing oceans on Earth

Pandas’ gut bacteria help them stay chubby on an all-bamboo diet • Changes in the bears’ gut microbiome in the season when nutritious bamboo shoots are sprouting helps them to gain weight and store fat ahead of leaner times

Malaria drug shows promise for hard-to-treat multiple sclerosis • Hydroxychloroquine, which is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, delayed the progression of disability in some multiple sclerosis patients

New blood test can tell if cancer has spread around the body • The test could be performed at a GP practice and would help doctors prioritise patients with widespread and later stage cancer

Exoplanet shaped like a rugby ball spotted by Cheops telescope

NASA preps a solar sail mission to chase down an asteroid

Microscopic water bears could be the first interstellar space travellers • A group of NASA-funded physicists, philosophers and biologists have come up with a list of organisms that could withstand interstellar space. Team member Stephen Lantin tells us more…

VEGAN FAST FOOD: ARE PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVES GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH? • From sausage rolls to chicken nuggets, plant-based junk food options are everywhere now. But are we really being kinder to our bodies and the planet if we switch to meat-free fast food?

LOVE AND INTIMACY: ARE WE HAVING LESS SEX? • Research suggests that adults and teenagers are having less sex now than 30 years ago. But is there more to the story, and why does it matter anyway?

NEW DADS: DO THEY GET POSTNATAL DEPRESSION? • Nearly one in four new fathers suffers from anxiety and depression in the first year following their children’s birth. Should we be doing more to help them?

INNOVATIONS • PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW

This robot arm can be controlled with your mind • It’s hoped the tech will one day help tetraplegic patients with day-to-day life

The metaverse: will it be safe for use? • The next stage of the internet could be a Wild West if we’re not careful. Alex Hughes spoke to Prof David Reid, an expert in AI, virtual reality and spatial computing, to find out more

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THE BIO BOTS • BIO-INSPIRED ROBOTS THAT CAN FLY LIKE BIRDS AND CREEP LIKE COCKROACHES ARE HELPING RESEARCHERS TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT HOW ANIMALS MOVE AND BEHAVE

ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE? • The search for alien life is ramping up. But what if, instead of searching for signs of biology, we looked for something more familiar: an extraterrestrial civilisation

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