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BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

WELCOME

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Not just sleepy, but weary. The kind of tired where your head feels like it could drop off at any minute and roll its way back into bed. The chances are some of you reading this will feel the same way. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, one in five of us feels unusually tired at any given time. Around 20 per cent of visits to GPs are made by patients complaining that they feel tired all the time, and they don’t know why. Doctors have a shorthand for it: TATT. In my case, though, I know who’s to blame. It’s the bloody seagulls! Just before dawn, in what I now assume is a Satanic ritual, swarms of Bristolian white terrors…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

Tunes in the dunes

China’s first desert resort, the striking Whistling Dune Bay, sits among sand dunes with a rather special ability: they can sing. When the wind strikes them, the dunes produce a sound described as a humming, booming, or roaring, which led merchant traveller Marco Polo to think they were possessed by evil spirits. In reality, the noise is caused by an avalanche of sand grains. “The sand grains in the avalanche rub against each other, creating small bursts of sound due to shearing,” says Dr Nathalie Vriend, a geophysicist at Cambridge University. “These bursts of sound can amplify due to the dune’s unique internal structure, creating the booming sound that can be heard from miles away.” Guests at the hotel are invited to hear the unearthly sounds for themselves by sliding…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

Prof David Dexter

“Not only did the new cells survive, and were found in later dissections, but they also integrated with the existing neuronal network – functioning like normal dopamine-producing brain cells and allowing gradually improved movement over a 12-month period. “Although this is promising quality research, and the conclusions are backed up by solid data that comes from a variety of sources, including behavioural, brain scan and histological analysis, there are still major challenges ahead. We need to understand if these new transplanted cells would succumb to the same fate as the original cells that had previously died. “There are also other types of brain cells that are affected by Parkinson’s, and additional work must be done to tackle those symptoms of the condition that are not caused by a lack of…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

LARGEST PREHISTORIC REPTILE FOUND TO BE PREGNANT

The largest known fossilised specimen of a prehistoric species of aquatic reptile called Ichthyosaurus somersetensis has been found in a museum in Germany – and in an unusual twist, it turns out to be that of an expectant mother. Although sometimes incorrectly referred to as ‘swimming dinosaurs’, ichthyosaurs were in fact an entirely separate order that evolved from land-based reptiles that had returned to the sea, much as manatees and whales have evolved from previously land-based mammals. They ranged in length from 1m to over 20m. The I. somersetensis fossil in question is of a 3-3.5m adult female. The fossil, which dates back some 200 million years to the Early Jurassic Period, was originally unearthed in the 1990s, but until recently languished in the collection at the Lower Saxony State…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

THE LIFE CYCLE OF HIGH MASS STARS

Stars begin life as clouds of gas and dust, known as nebulae. Material within these nebulae begins to clump together due to the action of gravity, and as the material is drawn closer together it heats up. A star is born when the mass of particles becomes hot enough for nuclear reactions to begin fusing hydrogen into helium within its core. MAIN SEQUENCE The first stage of a star’s life is known as its ‘main sequence’. During this stage the outward forces generated by the burning gases are balanced by the star’s gravity. Our own Sun is at this stage. RED GIANT Eventually the hydrogen in the core begins to run out. Now, hydrogen begins to fuse into helium in the star’s outer layers, causing it to expand. Depending on…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

“We plan on using microbots as tools to manipulate cells and measure their properties”

What are your microbots made of? We started with so-called ‘active particles’ that can perform simple tasks such as pushing and penetrating objects. Now we’re studying complex self-folding shapes, such as cubes. Our aim is to make interesting structures for use in future technologies. Our particles are small cubes with one side coated with metal. They become magnetic when we apply magnetic fields and are able to move and change shape. How do you build a bot? Our colleagues from Duke University make the cubes and metallise them, then we perform the research in my laboratory. We put a suspension of cubes in water into a small chamber surrounded by electromagnets, then observe their behaviour with a microscope. Originally they’re dispersed around, but when we turn on the magnetic field,…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

HUMAN WASTE COULD BE THE KEY TO LONG-DISTANCE SPACE TRAVEL

If we are ever going to have any chance of making it to Mars, astronauts are going to have to make the best use of every possible resource – even their own urine. Crew on-board the International Space Station already have a system in place that creates drinking water from urine. But now, a team at Clemson University in South Carolina has taken things a step further by making a system that can create plastics from human urine and exhaled breath. “If astronauts are going to make journeys that span several years, we’ll need to find a way to reuse and recycle everything they bring with them,” said researcher David Blenner. “Having a biological system that astronauts can awaken from a dormant state to start producing what they need, when…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

HOW UBER DRIVERS LEARNT TO BEAT THE SYSTEM

Pretty much everyone in management these days seems to think success comes from having plenty of the stuff scientists treasure above all else: data. “WHEN YOU TURN SOMETHING MEASURABLE INTO A PERFORMANCE TARGET, IT CEASES TO BE ANY GOOD” From sales performance to customer satisfaction, there’s not much that doesn’t get quantified these days. My former colleagues on Fleet Street recently found sensors under their desks, which management said was for monitoring “energy efficiency”. There’s even one of those clever-dick MBA maxims to explain it all: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”. That’s debatable, but as some Uber drivers have found, there’s definitely a flip side: if you can measure it, you can game it. To keep tabs on their drivers, the ride-hailing company uses software to…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

INNOVATIONS FEAST FOR THE EYES

If you’re in the market for a new TV and can afford to splurge on the best, we’ve picked three from the leading flagship ranges that balance out price and performance most convincingly. Two are OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays – a newer technology that’s doesn’t need a backlight, and so provides more accurate colours – while Samsung has been perfecting the traditional LCD, which is typically brighter and more efficient. Both are capable of superb performances, but which comes out on top? SONY BRAVIA KD-55A1 If you want the best TV picture going this year, the Sony Bravia A1 has to be in with a shot. It’s Sony’s first stab at 4K OLED technology, but you’d never know it, thanks to a supremely sharp, detailed picture and natural colour…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

TECH BYTES

ROBOTS GOT SEOUL Visitors to Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea will soon be greeted by robots made by LG. The Airport Guide Robot will offer directions and tourist advice in Japanese, Chinese, English and Korean, while Airport Cleaning Robots will keep the place looking smart. DRONE LAWS UK owners of unmanned aerial vehicles will have to register all drones over 250g with the Department for Transport and undertake a safety awareness test, according to new government plans. The move comes after several incidents in which drones caused safety problems at airports. DRIVERLESS CARS? NO THANKS! India’s transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has announced plans to ban autonomous vehicles in the country, in a bid to protect the jobs of India’s bus, taxi and goods vehicle drivers.…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

MESSAGE OF THE MONTH

WHY TAKE CHANCES? I wanted to respond to Matt Ridley’s ‘Opinion’ piece (August, p38) on the availability of world resources. One issue Matt failed to discuss was the effect that dire warnings about a lack of resources have had in terms of reducing the wasteful use of those resources. Matt appears to assume that warnings about oil running out in the 1970s were just plain wrong, and everything has proceeded normally. However, it was around this time that efforts on renewable energy sources were started, and this has delivered, today, some great technologies that are now reducing our reliance on oil as a fuel source. Matt appears to have not considered the impacts if he is wrong, and resources really are running out. If he is wrong, then humanity faces…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

SPACE TOURISM GETS REAL

PayPal founder and Tesla boss Elon Musk isn’t a man who thinks small – nor is he short of a few million dollars to chuck at any obstruction in his path. Which is why SpaceX – the company he founded in 2002 with a view to developing cheaper, faster, longer-distance space travel, and ultimately colonising Mars – has become the world’s leading private spaceflight provider. The list of spaceflight ‘firsts’ that SpaceX has racked up over the course of the past 15 years is a long one. Among other achievements, it was the first private company to put a liquid-fuelled rocket into Earth orbit (Falcon 1, 2008); the first to send a spacecraft to the ISS (Falcon 9, 2012); the first to put a satellite into geosynchronous orbit (Falcon 9,…

8 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

HELEN CZERSKI ON… STATIC ELECTRICITY

Surrounded by lovingly coordinated racks of beautiful fabrics, and hushed discussions about bias cuts and fancy stitching, I felt as though I was about to commit the ultimate fabric shop sin. It wasn’t asking for pure silk that was the problem. It was admitting that some unlucky scrap of fabric was about to be denied the glory of becoming an evening dress, and would instead find a home in a science experiment. This is because I had read that silk is the perfect material with which to charge a plastic comb with static electricity. The assistant raised his eyebrow and left me to it. “AN UNLUCKY SCRAP OF SILK WAS ABOUT TO BECOME A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT, RATHER THAN A DRESS” The next day we did the demo and the silk…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

THE FIRST ENVIRONMENTALIST

Back in the early 19th Century, Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist and explorer, warned that humans had the power to upset the delicate balance of nature. While we are familiar with this concept today, the idea was completely radical at the time, because for centuries it had been presumed that nature was explicitly created for our benefit and use. While trekking through the rainforests of South America, Humboldt had witnessed first-hand how human destructiveness could wreak potentially irreversible havoc with natural ecosystems and climate. And it was during his travels that he began to appreciate both the interconnectedness of life and humankind’s capacity for destroying it. Humboldt said that nature had its own laws, and it is the duty and responsibility of humans to discover them, because otherwise we…

10 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

INTO THE GREY ZONE

What is the ‘Grey Zone’? It’s a term I coined to describe a state between being completely awake and aware of who and where you are, and at the other end of the spectrum, a state where you’re completely unaware of anything. In my work, this typically means patients in a vegetative state – but it could mean something more familiar, like being under a general anaesthetic. What typically leaves a patient in this state? I’m interested in any patient who’s had a serious brain injury, and that’s two groups: traumatic and non-traumatic injuries. Traumatic injuries typically involve a blow to the head, often in some kind of vehicle accident. But a non-traumatic brain injury might also put you into a vegetative state. That might be an anoxic injury –…

9 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

...WHEN I VOMIT?

Your body vomits when it senses various different threats. These threats can take the form of toxic chemicals or stress hormones in the blood, swaying motions, or an upset stomach. Chemicals and hormones are detected by the brain’s chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ), swaying motions are detected by the inner ear, while an upset stomach is identified by the vagus nerve. Once the signal for a need to vomit arrives at the CTZ, it sets off a chain reaction. 1. Brainstem The chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) receives a stimulus that might warrant vomiting. The vomiting centre begins a choreographed sequence of actions. 2. Salivary glands Your mouth suddenly begins producing extra saliva. This is slightly alkaline and forms a buffer to protect your mouth and teeth from incoming stomach acid. 3.…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

...THE MMR VACCINE?

The active ingredient of vaccines can vary dramatically – they might take the form of live (but weakened) viruses, completely inactivated viruses or just fragments of a virus or bacteria. There are numerous ways the vaccine might be administered, for example, orally, nasally or by a jab. These factors require different components to make the vaccine easy to produce, effective and stable. Let’s take a single dose of a measles, mumps and rubella jab as an example. WATER 464.4mg (93.47 per cent) LIVE VIRUS PARTICLES about 0.003mg (0.0006 per cent) The smallest component of the vaccine are the weakened measles, mumps and rubella viruses. HYDROLYSED GELATIN 15mg (3 per cent) A stabiliser that protects the viruses from the effects of changing temperatures during preparation and storage. SODIUM PHOSPHATE 0.3mg (0.06…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

OUT THERE

1 GO WILD FOR PHOTOGRAPHY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2017 NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LONDON, 20 OCTOBER 2017–SPRING 2018 . A tiny estuary seahorse grips a cotton bud like a makeshift staff in this shortlisted image from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 awards. Snapped by Justin Hofman near the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, the photo provides a stark reminder of the plastic in our oceans, which is predicted to outweigh the fish by 2050. In last year’s Great British Beach Clean, cotton buds were one of the most frequently found items. The photo will go on display alongside the other finalists in an exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum, opening 20 October. 2 CELEBRATE OUR PETS THE ANIMALS AMONG US BY JOHN BRADSHAW OUT 28 SEPTEMBER (£20, ALLEN…

8 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE

“So you’re passionate about science and are considering taking a STEM course at university but are a little overwhelmed by the options. Fear not, we’ve got your back. Over the following pages we’ll take you through the application process, give you an insider’s view of what to expect from a STEM course, and give you some examples of the varied and exciting places a STEM degree can take you. ›9G›JQRG›[QW›ƂPF›VJKU›KU›C›WUGHWN›IWKFG› to help you plan your future in science.”…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

INCREDIBLE JOBS IN SCIENCE

only UK manufacturer of display fireworks, while Rev Lancaster MBE, a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, was named as one of the UK’s 100 leading practising scientists in 2014. And you’d need to study… Chemistry You could be a… Technical brewer People all over the world have been brewing beer for centuries but we’ve yet to find the perfect pint. Perhaps there isn’t one. But as a technical brewer you would be part of the search. Your working day would be spent sampling the best ingredients, researching the right recipes, testing the brewing method in order to ensure the quality of the finished product is consistent from the first pint to the last. Whether you’re working in a microbrewery or for a major corporation, it’s a hands-on role…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

IN THIS ISSUE

PHILIP BALL Philip Ball is a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Science Stories. This month, he reveals how Alexander von Humboldt predicted climate change over 200 years ago. p67 HAYLEY BENNETT Gender isn’t necessarily binary by nature. Hayley Bennett introduces us to creatures that have not two but three, four or 28,000 different sexes. p56 ADRIAN OWEN Neuroscientist Adrian Owen uses brain imaging to ‘speak’ to patients in vegetative states. He talks about his work in this month’s interview. p74…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

Live and let’s fly!

Though commonly seen in a cage at granny’s house, wild budgerigars are usually found in small nomadic flocks in the open environments of Australia. However, during times of drought, their main food sources, grasses, wither as surface temperatures climb to a crippling 65°C. The birds group together to form superflocks of up to several million individuals and embark on a mass search for thousands of kilometres to search for areas with enough water. “These large flocks occur primarily due to safety in numbers,” says Damien Farine, an ornithological research associate at the University of Oxford. “If there are few watering spots, then a predator will just need to sit at one and wait for birds to arrive. One phenomena that happens when groups become very large is that they completely…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

BLACK HOLES MAY HAVE HELPED LIGHT UP THE UNIVERSE

Shortly after the Big Bang, the Universe was completely dark. The intense expansion of the fabric of space kicked up so much hot, dense gas that light became completely trapped within it for millions of years. As the Universe expanded, it become more transparent and was gradually lit up by galaxies and stars radiating visible light. Exactly how this happened, however, is something of a mystery. Now, a team from the University of Iowa think they may have an answer. They suggest that the black holes that dwell at the centre of galaxies caused matter to be flung out so violently that it pierced the cloudy surroundings, allowing light to escape. “It’s possible black holes are creating winds that help the radiation from the stars escape,” said researcher Dr Philip…

2 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

FRB 121102

What’s that? A Royal Mail tracking number? It’s fast radio burst 121102 – a mysterious electromagnetic signal, originating in a dwarf galaxy three billion light-years away, that was first detected in 2012. Hang on. What’s a fast radio burst? Fast radio bursts are powerful radio signals, originating in deep space, that last for just a few milliseconds. Tell me more! Only a handful of fast radio bursts have ever been detected, and no one has so far figured out exactly what they are. Current theories range from the radiation blasted out as a neutron star is devoured by a black hole, to encoded messages from aliens. Weird. So why are we talking about it now? Well, Breakthrough Listen, a $100bn project that was set up to listen for potential signals…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

CANCER PATIENTS COULD BE GIVEN FISHY ‘AVATARS’ TO SPEED UP TUMOUR TREATMENT

It may not look like the next big thing in medicine, but one day this tiny fish could play a key role in saving your life. Portuguese researchers have found that implanting tumours from human patients into the larvae of zebrafish – in effect using them as a medical ‘avatar’ – could help doctors to find more effective treatments for aggressive cancers. Currently, most chemotherapy treatments are prescribed based on their success in clinical trials involving many patients. The downside to this is that the exact nature of cancer varies significantly across different patients. Tumours respond differently to different drugs and can even change over time, which complicates matters further. “In some cases, the efficacy rate of chemotherapies can be low, sometimes around 35 per cent,” said researcher Dr Miguel…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

NANOCHIP COULD HEAL INJURIES WITH “ONE TOUCH”

Researchers at the Ohio State University have designed a tiny device that genetically reprogrammes skin cells. It’s hoped it could be used to repair injured tissue, including organs, blood vessels and nerve cells. Dubbed ‘tissue nanotransfection’ (TNT), the new technique uses a coin-sized device that is placed on the patient’s skin. The device is then zapped with a small electric charge, triggering it to deliver a package of specially engineered genes to the target skin cells, transforming them into different types of cells entirely. “With this technology, we can convert skin cells into elements of any organ with just one touch,” said researcher Dr Chandan Sen. “This process takes less than a second and is completely non-invasive, and then you’re off. The chip does not stay with you, and the…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

THINGS WE LEARNED THIS MONTH

BIRDS USE THEIR SENSE OF SMELL TO NAVIGATE A team at Oxford University temporarily blocked the sense of smell of a group of Scopoli’s shearwaters before tracking their movements. The birds were able to navigate as normal across land but became confused when flying over the ocean, suggesting they use a map of smells when lacking visual clues. WHISKEY TASTES BETTER WITH WATER Diluting your dram with water can increase the density of flavour compounds on the drink’s surface, making it a tastier tipple, Swedish researchers say. CLIMATE CHANGE IS TURNING BROWN BEARS VEGETARIAN A group of bears on Alaska’s Kodiak Island have switched from eating spawning salmon to red elderberries, thanks to warmer summers causing the fruit to ripen earlier. They choose the berries as they require less energy…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

EAT MY DUST

Meet the supercar of tomorrow: the HIPERCAR (no, that’s not a typo – it stands for HIgh PERformance CArbon Reduction). It’s been designed by Ariel, the British manufacturers behind the Ariel Atom, who say that when the car rolls out of the factory in 2020 it’ll be the most advanced, and fastest-accelerating roadcar ever made. The car is essentially a testbed where Ariel, and two other technology partners, will try to make electric cars go faster and further than ever before. The HIPERCAR will manage 0-60mph an eye-watering 2.4 secs, and will hit 100mph in 3.8 secs (that’s over two seconds nippier than the McLaren P1), before maxing out at a top speed of 160mph. In fact, the speed and power are so monumental that simulations suggest the vehicle could…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

AUTONOMOUS HELICOPTER TAXIS COULD BE TAKING OFF

Volocopter’s plans to build a fleet of autonomous helicopters for use as taxis have been covered in this magazine before. But the German company’s ambitions were recently given something of a lift in the form of $30m of investment from manufacturer Daimler. The lower half of Volocopter’s heli-taxi looks like a standard helicopter, with two landing skids, a long, narrow tail and a cockpit that can house two people. Where a standard helicopter would have rotors on the roof and tail, however, the Volocopter has instead a large, circular frame on which are mounted no fewer than 18 individual rotors. This innovative design is said to make the machine much more stable in the air than traditional helicopters. The Volocopter made its first manned flight in 2016, but with help…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

A US COMPANY IS MICROCHIPPING ITS STAFF

Three Square Market, a Wisconsin-based company that makes vending machines, has become the first US business to microchip its employees. Three Square Market – also known as Three Two Market or 32M – has teamed up with Swedish firm Biohax to offer its staff the opportunity to have a computer chip, roughly the size and shape of a grain of rice, embedded below the skin in the fleshy bit between their thumb and forefinger. Once the chip is in place, it will operate in much the same manner as the swipe cards already used in many offices for door entry systems or printer access. Biohax has previously worked with Swedish firm Epicenter, to offer similar microchips to its staff. In both instances, the ‘chipping’ has been entirely voluntary. The move…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

HOW TO BEAT THE BURNOUT

CCP›[QW›MGGR›[QWT›G[GU›QRGP›NQPI› GPQWIJ›VQ›TGCF›VJKU›HGCVWTG!›9G› YQPoV›DG›QHHGPFGF›KH›[QW›ECPoV›› TheRoyalCollegeofPsychiatrists UC[U›VJCV›QPG›KP›HKXG›QH›WU›HGGNU› WPWUWCNN[›VKTGF›CV›CP[›QPG›VKOG›› andoneintenfeelspermanently HCVKIWGF››6KTGFPGUU›CPF›HCVKIWG› arebehind20percentofUK FQEVQT›EQPUWNVCVKQPU››CEEQTFKPI› VQ›C›TGEGPV›UWTXG[›QH›)2U››0Q›YQPFGT›FQEVQTU›CTG› TGIWNCTN[›LQVVKPI›FQYP›C›JCPF[›PGY›CETQP[O›s› 6#66››6KTGF›#NN›6JG›6KOG››s›KP›RCVKGPV›PQVGU››1T› VJCV›7-›UCNGU›QH›GPGTI[›FTKPMU›UJQV›WR›D[›››››RGT› EGPV›DGVYGGP››››››CPF›››››››9G›CTG››KV›UGGOU››CP› GZJCWUVGF›PCVKQP› 6KTGFPGUU›KU›PQ›LQMG››5NGGR›FGRTKXCVKQP›DTKPIU› C›JGCX[›OGPVCN›CPF›RJ[UKECN›VQNN››#TQWPF››››RGT› EGPV›QH›CEEKFGPVU›QP›OCLQT›TQCFU›CTG›UNGGR› TGNCVGF››CEEQTFKPI›VQ›VJG›&GRCTVOGPV›QH› 6TCPURQTV››2NWU››RGQRNG›YJQ›CTG›UNGGR›FGRTKXGF› NQUG›VJG›CDKNKV[›VQ›DG›RQUKVKXG›OKPFGF››YJKEJ researchersfromtheUniversityofPennsylvania UC[›KU›NKMGN[›VQ›KPETGCUG›VJG›NKMGNKJQQF›QH› depression.There’salsoevidencethatsleep FGRTKXCVKQP›KPETGCUGU›VJG›TKUM›QH›QDGUKV[››JGCTV› FKUGCUG››FKCDGVGU›CPF›UVTQMG› 'XGP›KH›[QWoTG›IGVVKPI›GPQWIJ›UNGGR››HGGNKPI› EQPUVCPVN[›HCVKIWGF›ECP›DG›DCF›HQT›[QW››4GUGCTEJ› HTQO›VJG›7PKXGTUKV[›QH›#NCDCOC›JCU›HQWPF›VJCV› YQTMKPI›JCTF›YJKNG›HCVKIWGF›KPETGCUGU›DNQQF› RTGUUWTG››6JKU›KU›DGECWUG›VKTGF›RGQRNG›KPETGCUG› VJGKT›GHHQTV›VQ›OCMG›WR›HQT›VJGKT›FKOKPKUJGF› ECRCDKNKV[›YJGP›VJG[›YCPV›VQ›CEEQORNKUJ›C›VCUM› (QT›VJQUG›YKVJ›EQPFKVKQPU›UWEJ›CU›EJTQPKE› HCVKIWG›U[PFTQOG››%(5›/'››CPF›ECPEGT››KV› UGXGTGN[›TGUVTKEVU›SWCNKV[›QH›NKHG››(QT›OKNNKQPU› QH›QVJGTU››WPGZRNCKPGF›VKTGFPGUU›TGIWNCTN[› TWODNGU›KP›VJG›DCEMITQWPF››+U›VJGTG› UQOGVJKPI›YTQPI›YKVJ›WU!›#TG›YG›VJG›XKEVKOU› QH›JGEVKE››››JQWT›NKHGUV[NGU!›9J[›CTG›YG›VKTGF› CNN›VJG›VKOG! 7PVKN›PQY››NKVVNG›JCU›DGGP›MPQYP›CDQWV›VJG› DKQNQIKECN›RTQEGUUGU›VJCV›TGUWNV›KP›YJCV›YG›ECNN› VKTGFPGUU›QT›HCVKIWG››1PN[›KP›TGEGPV›FGECFGU›› YKVJ›ITQYKPI›EQPEGTP›CDQWV›VJG›RTGXCNGPEG›QH› EQPFKVKQPU›UWEJ›CU›%(5›/'››JCU›TGUGCTEJ› 2 2 OQPG[›DGGP›KPXGUVGF›KPVQ›VJG›ECWUGU›QH›NQPI›VGTO› HCVKIWG››#PF›KV›KU›DGEQOKPI›ENGCT›VJCV››CNVJQWIJ› VJGTG›KU›C›YKFG›URGEVTWO›QH›VKTGFPGUU›V[RGU››VJG[› CTG›CNN›NKPMGF›CPF›VJGKT›ECWUGU›KPVGTCEV› 2TQH›,WNKC›0GYVQP››FKTGEVQT›QH›VJG›0GYECUVNG› %GPVTG›HQT›(CVKIWG›4GUGCTEJ›CV›0GYECUVNG› 7PKXGTUKV[››GZRNCKPU›VJG›ECWUGU›QH›VKTGFPGUU›XKC›C› ENCUUKE›DGNN›UJCRGF›EWTXG›ITCRJ››p#V›VJG›VJKP›GPF›QH› VJG›EWTXG››VJGTG›CTG›RGQRNG›YJQ›LWUV›PGGF›VQ›IGV› somesleepandgettheirlifestyleinorder.Atthe QVJGT›VJKP›GPF›QH›VJG›EWTXG›VJGTG›CTG›ENGCTN[›RGQRNG› YJQ›JCXG›FKCIPQUGF›QT›WPFKCIPQUGF›KNNPGUU›VJCV›KU› ECWUKPI›HCVKIWG››#PF›VJGP››VJGTGoU›GXGT[VJKPI›GNUG› KP›VJG›YKFG›OKFFNG›RCTV›QH›EWTXG›q 6JG›YKFG›OKFFNG›KU›VJG›EQORNGZ›DKV››EQXGTKPI› VKTGFPGUU›ECWUGF›D[›EQODKPCVKQPU›QH›OCP[› GPXKTQPOGPVCN››NKHGUV[NG›CPF›JGCNVJ›HCEVQTU››#PF› TGEGPV›TGUGCTEJ›KU›DGIKPPKPI›VQ›TGXGCN›JQY›IGPGVKEU›› EGNN›HWPEVKQP››KPHNCOOCVKQP›CPF›VJG›DTCKPoU› TGURQPUG›VQ›NKIJV›OC[›CNN›JCXG›CP›WPFGTN[KPI›TQNG›KP› thistiredness‘mainstream’. “Some of us may simply have been born with a physical and psychological susceptibility to tiredness” TIRED BODIES #V›C›EGNNWNCT›NGXGN››UEKGPVKUVU›CTG›KPETGCUKPIN[› NQQMKPI›CV›VJG›TQNG›QH›OKVQEJQPFTKC›s›VJG›RQYGT› RCEMU›KP›GXGT[›JWOCP›EGNN›s›KP›FGVGTOKPKPI›JQY› VKTGF›YG›HGGN››/KVQEJQPFTKC›CTG›OKPKCVWTG›QTICPU› ›QTICPGNNGU››VJCV›EQPXGTV›QZ[IGP››UWICT››HCVU›CPF› RTQVGKP›KPVQ›C›HQTO›QH›EJGOKECN›GPGTI[››ECNNGF›#62›› YJKEJ›VJG›DQF[›WUGU›VQ›HWGN›VJG›DTCKP›CPF›OWUENGU›› &KUGCUGU›CHHGEVKPI›VJG› OKVQEJQPFTKC›ECWUG› HCVKIWG››UQ›TGEGPV› reviewsofresearch UWIIGUV›VJCV›HCVKIWG›KU› closelyassociated withmitochondria PQV›YQTMKPI›RTQRGTN[› DGECWUG›VJG›DQF[›KU› PQV›RTQFWEKPI› RCTVKEWNCT›GP\[OGU›› forexample. 5VWFKGU›KPVQ›%(5› /'›D[›#OGTKECP› HCVKIWG›GZRGTV›&T› 4QDGTV›0CXKCWZ›JCXG› shownthatthe conditionischaracterisedbychangesin OKVQEJQPFTKC›HWPEVKQP››0CXKCWZ›DGNKGXGU›VJCV›VJGUG› EJCPIGU›OC[›DG›VTKIIGTGF›D[›UVTGUUQTU›UWEJ›CU› KPHGEVKQP››QT›RJ[UKECN›CPF›RU[EJQNQIKECN›VTCWOC› 0CXKCWZ›EKVGU›PGY›NKVGTCVWTG›KPFKECVKPI›VJCV› UVTGUU›ECP›RTQORV›OGVCDQNKE›EJCPIGU›YJKEJ›OCMG› QTICPKUOU›IQ›KPVQ›JKDGTPCVKQP›NKMG›UVCVGU›UWEJ›CU› VQTRQT››FKCRCWUG›CPF›CGUVKXCVKQP››p'CEJ›QH›VJGUG›KU› CP›GPGTI[›EQPUGTXCVKQP›UVCVG›VJCV›RGTOKVU›UWTXKXCN› WPFGT›EQPFKVKQPU›QH›GPXKTQPOGPVCN›UVTGUU›CV›VJG› expenseofadecreaseintheabilitytoallocate GPGTI[›HQT›FCKN[›YQTM›QT›CEVKXKV[›q›JG›UC[U›› p/KVQEJQPFTKC›CTG›EGPVTCN›EQPVTQN›RQKPVU›HQT›GCEJ› QH›VJGUG›RTQEGUUGU›q 6JKU›GZRNQTCVQT[›TGUGCTEJ›CDQWV›VJG›OGVCDQNKE› QTKIKPU›QH›HCVKIWG›OC[›NKPM›YKVJ›QVJGT›UVWFKGU› UWIIGUVKPI›VJCV›UQOGVKOGU›VKTGFPGUU›JCU› WPFGTN[KPI›DWV›WPFKUEQXGTGF›RJ[UKECN›QTKIKPU››(QT›…

7 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

FALCON 9 HOW IT WORKS

DRAGON SPACECRAFT PRESSURISED SECTION Also referred to as the capsule, this is designed to carry both cargo and humans into space TRUNK Dragon’s trunk supports the spacecraft during ascent to space, carries unpressurised cargo and houses Dragon’s solar arrays. The trunk and solar arrays remain attached to Dragon until shortly before re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere, when they are jettisoned NINE MERLIN ENGINES With its nine first-stage Merlin engines clustered together, Falcon 9 can sustain up to two engine shutdowns during flight and still successfully complete its mission FLIGHTS BY MISSION OUTCOME FLIGHTS BY LANDING OUTCOME ROCKET EVOLUTION FALCON 9 LAUNCH TIMELINE PARTING OF THE WAYS Once the rocket reaches an altitude of around 60km, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage – home to nine Merlin engines – falls away…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

“ I STILL REMEMBER THE DAY MY BRAIN BROKE ”

“Our ancient ancestor, when faced with a tiger, might have thoughts about running away, or trying to befriend it” I was in a supermarket car park in Wales, in my early teens, on holiday at my grandparents’. It was a time of trips to the beach, limitless Welsh cakes, and peanut butter and jam sandwiches. But all was not well. Inside my head, a storm was brewing. I’d had obsessive thoughts for as long as I could remember. As a child, I’d lie awake at night, worrying that the house was going to burn down, or that something terrible would happen to my family if I didn’t go through my ritual of prayers. Once, I remember sitting in church, becoming gradually convinced that the man behind me was going to…

10 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE AMAZON

1799-1803 Alexander von Humboldt journeys through northern and western South America, making extensive observations of the wildlife, geology and climate. 1845 Publication of the first volume of Humboldt’s Kosmos, which describes nature as a unified and interdependent system encompassing the living world, the geological world, the rivers, oceans and atmosphere. 1849 English botanist Richard Spruce begins his exploration of the flora of the Amazon and Andes, later described in the posthumous Notes Of A Botanist On The Amazon And Andes (1908). 1934 Brazil approves the first Forest Code to recognise the need to conserve forests and natural ecosystems, stating that the rainforests are “of interest common to all inhabitants of the country.” 1960s Settlement and development in the Amazon sees the start of deforestation by slash-and-burn cultivation of land. 1972…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

Q & A

Are floating solar farms better than land-based ones? TANIA SMITH, LEDBURY Where land is scarce, floating solar farms make it possible to generate renewable energy without taking up space that might be needed for farming or other purposes. The cooling effect of the water allows the floating solar cells to run more efficiently than on land. Most floating solar farms are installed on artificial lakes or reservoirs. For example, the world’s largest floating solar farm, recently unveiled in China near the city of Huainan, sits on top of a former coal mining area that has been flooded. By covering the water’s surface, floating solar farms reduce evaporation, saving water. AFC Why can’t penguins fly? SALLY THOMPSON, BURNLEY Even the very smallest penguin, the fairy penguin, weighs 1kg, which is about…

10 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

FASTEST ROLLERCOASTERS

1. Formula Rossa Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Top speed: 240km/h (149mph) 2. Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA Top speed: 206km/h (128mph) 3. Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point, Ohio, USA Top speed: 190km/h (120mph) 4= Do-Dodonpa Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Japan Top speed: 180km/h (112mph) 4= Red Force Ferrari Land, Tarragona, Spain Top speed: 180km/h (112mph) 6= Superman: Escape from Krypton Six Flags Magic Mountain, California, USA Top speed: 160km/h (100mph) 6= Tower of Terror Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Australia Top speed: 160km/h (100mph) 8= Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land, Kuwana, Japan Top speed: 153km/h (95mph) 8= Fury 325 Carowinds, North and South Carolina, USA Top speed: 153km/h (95mph) 10. Millennium Force Cedar Point, Ohio, USA Top speed: 150km/h (93mph)…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

...KOALAS AND TABLE MANNERS?

1. Koalas Koalas mostly eat eucalyptus leaves. These have a high water content, so koalas hardly need to drink. This lets them stay in the trees, safe from predators. 2. Energy But eucalyptus is a low energy food. Even though koalas eat over 1kg of leaves per day, they must spend 18-20 hours a day sleeping, to conserve energy. 3. Brain power Their low-energy lifestyle means koalas can’t sustain a large brain. At just 0.2 per cent of body weight, koala brains are one of the smallest of any mammal. 4. Table manners Their tiny brains can’t deal with unfamiliar situations. If you give koalas eucalyptus leaves on a flat surface, like a plate, they won’t recognise them as food and won’t eat them.…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

AUTHOR’S BOOKSHELF

IN THE COMPANY OF ANIMALS BY JAMES SERPELL (£24.99, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS) The work that defined anthrozoology before the discipline even had a name. It was the first account to attempt a balanced and dispassionate view of pet-keeping, and to emphasise its historical context. A classic. SOME WE LOVE, SOME WE HATE, SOME WE EAT BY HAL HERZOG (£10.99, HARPERCOLLINS) Highly entertaining while at the same time deeply thought-provoking, this book tackles the contradictions implicit in our modern relationships with animals – animals in our homes, on supermarket shelves, in laboratories, in blood sports. THE PREHISTORY OF THE MIND BY STEVEN MITHEN (£14.99, WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON) When did humankind first evolve the ability to imagine the thoughts of animals, and why? Mithen’s lecture at the 1998 conference of the International…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT UNIVERSITY APPLICATION

A successful application begins long before you start filling in your UCAS form. It begins by figuring out what subject you want to study and where you can go to study it. When it comes to science, the subjects you’ll be able to study at university will be determined by what A-levels you’ve taken – most physics courses, for example, will require an A-level in maths as well as physics. So the first step in the application process really needs to be taken before you choose your A-levels. The sooner you can get a clear idea of the direction you’d like your studies to follow the better. Then you can check the A-level (or equivalent) subject requirements of the degree courses you’re interested in and use those to inform your…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

WHAT WE’VE FOUND OUT THIS MONTH

You can make crisps from jellyfish p17 Astronauts’ stale breath and urine could be the key to longer space flights p21 Inspired by Iain M Banks, SpaceX has called its drone landing platforms Of Course I Still Love You and Just Read The Instructions p46 Tiger flatworms use their sex organs as swords to stab each other . This is known as ‘penis-fencing’ The chemical that helps mussels stick to wet rocks is being investigated for use as a surgical glue p81 CONTACT US Advertising neil.lloyd@immediate.co.uk 01173008276 Lettersforpublication reply@sciencefocus.com Editorialenquiries editorialenquiries@sciencefocus.com 01173147388 Subscriptions bbcfocus@buysubscriptions.com 03330162113* Othercontacts sciencefocus.com/contact WANT MORE ? FOLLOW SCIENCEFOCUS FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST GOOGLE+…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

HUMAN STEM CELLS USED TO FIGHT PARKINSON’S DISEASE IN MONKEYS

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that attacks a group of nerve cells in the brain known as dopaminergic (DA) neurons. These are responsible for transmitting dopamine – a vitally important chemical used to send signals to the parts of the brain that control movement. As the disease progresses and more neurons are lost, sufferers develop trembling limbs, speech changes and balance problems. There is currently no known cure. Now, a team at Kyoto University in Japan has successfully used reprogrammed human stem cells to restore brain function in long-tailed macaque monkeys suffering from Parkinson’s-like symptoms, and hope to begin clinical trials in humans in as little as a year. The researchers were able to produce functioning DA neurons using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) – cells that are created…

2 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

NEARBY EARTH-SIZED EXOPLANETS MAY HARBOUR HUGE OCEANS

Vast quantities of water may be sloshing around on the surfaces of three potentially habitable planets, offering fresh hope of finding life outside of the Solar System. In February this year, an international team of astronomers announced the discovery of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the ultra-cool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, 40 light-years from Earth. And now, researchers at Switzerland’s Observatoire de l’Université de Genève have used data from the Hubble Space Telescope to estimate that the star system’s outer planets may harbour large quantities of water, including three that lie within its habitable zone – the distance from a star where the planets’ surface temperatures potentially enable them to support life. This is an important discovery because the presence of liquid water is thought to be essential for the evolution of…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

TINY BLACK HOLES MAY HAVE HELPED TO FORGE HEAVY ELEMENTS LIKE GOLD, PLATINUM AND URANIUM

We really are all made of stardust: everything from the nitrogen in our DNA to the oxygen in our blood was made in the interior of stars. Inside a star, hydrogen atoms – the smallest element – are fused together to create helium atoms – the second smallest element – which are then fused together to create heavier elements still. However, even the biggest, most energetic stars are incapable of creating elements heavier than iron. So where do the heavier elements in the periodic table such as gold, platinum and uranium come from? Most are believed to have been created in the energetic supernova explosions that occur at the end of a massive star’s life, but astronomers at University of California, San Diego have found another possibility: they could be…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

JELLYFISH MADE INTO ‘CRISPS’

What did they do? A team of ‘gastrophysicists’ at the University of Southern Denmark created a new method for drying out jellyfish, turning them into edible ‘crisps’. Why did they do that? With the world’s population growing rapidly, it’s imperative we look into alternative sources of food, they say. Jellyfish have been eaten in Asia for thousands of years but the practice has never really taken off in the West, despite the relative abundance of the invertebrates. The researchers believe this may be due to the unusual texture created by the traditional processing procedure. In an attempt to overcome this, they used alcohol solutions to suck the water out of the jellyfish, leaving them similar in texture to potato crisps. What did they find? The researchers say the mouth feel…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

100-MILLION-YEAR-OLD FLOWERS FOUND PERFECTLY PRESERVED IN AMBER

Millions of years ago, in a pine forest in Myanmar, a group of tiny flowers fell tumbling to the ground. Upon falling, they landed in a patch of tree resin, which later fossilised into crystal clear amber – keeping them in perfect condition until they were discovered by a team at Oregon State University earlier this year. Dubbed Tropidogyne pentaptera thanks to their distinctive shape, (‘penta’ means five and ‘pteron’ means wing), the flowers belong to a previously undiscovered species of tree and date back to the Cretaceous Period, making them around 100 million years old. The flowers lack petals but have pronounced sepals – green leaf-like structures that protect the flower while it’s in bud – and measure between 3.4 and 5mm in diameter. “The amber preserved the floral…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

ANCIENT CLAY TABLET SHOWS BABYLONIANS USED TRIGONOMETRY CENTURIES BEFORE GREEKS

Trigonometry, the mathematics of the relationships between the lengths and angles of triangles, has long been thought to have started in earnest with the work of Hipparchus, a Greek astronomer who lived around 100 BC. Now, researchers at the University of New South Wales have found evidence of trigonometry inscribed in cuneiform script (an early system of writing) on a Babylonian clay tablet that pre-dates Hipparchus by more than 1,000 years. They believe it may have been used by ancient engineers to calculate how to construct palaces, temples and canals. Known as Plimpton 322, the tablet was discovered in the early 1900s in what is now southern Iraq by American archaeologist Edgar Banks – a man who’s said to be the inspiration behind fictional character Indiana Jones. The tablet is…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

WANTED

1 JELLY BONE Want a cheap and lightweight phone to take on your travels in place of your smartphone? The tiny, slimline Jelly runs on Android 7.0 Nougat, and packs in 4G reception, up to 2GB of RAM, a 2.45-inch screen, dual cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Unihertz Jelly From $79 (£60 approx), unihertz.com 2 MEASURING UP This smart ‘tape measure’ has two laser sensors and a roller for taking measurements. It relays that data to a mixed reality space-planning app on your iOS/Android device, so you can work out what goes where before you start humping sofas around. Plott Cubit $99 (£76 approx), letsplott.com/cubit 3 BLOWING IN THE WYND Billed as “the smartest air purifier ever”, Wynd is a portable device…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

IKEA IS SELLING SOLAR STORAGE BATTERIES

With more and more homes sporting solar panels on their roofs, furniture giant Ikea is now selling a large domestic battery that will enable you to store any excess power generated for future use. Ikea started selling solar panels in 2013 but stepped away from the market when the UK government announced that it was scrapping solar subsidies. Last year it returned to the solar fray, working in association with Solarcentury, which is one of the biggest and longest-established providers of solar equipment in the UK. Until now, however, anyone who installed Ikea/Solarcentury’s rooftop panels had no option but to sell any excess power generated to the National Grid. Now, the two companies have taken a leaf out of Tesla’s book and developed a large domestic battery – similar to…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

REPLY

A REAL EYE-OPENER Kev Lochun’s article on the Voyager missions (September, p39) is excellent, but what I found almost heart-stoppingly beautiful are the late Carl Sagan’s words to that picture of a “pale blue dot”. I really think you should consider offering page 41 as a mounted print. It should also be on every politician’s office wall… Alan Moore, via email SCRUBBING UP I read with interest the ‘Q&A’ reply concerning hand-washing temperature (September, p85). It should be pointed out that the Rutgers University study referred to only used a small number of volunteers (21, apparently) and one type of bacteria. The World Health Organization does not recommend any specific temperature for hand-washing, but I remember from school chemistry lessons – about 100 years ago! – that a chemical reaction’s…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

ARE YOU SLEEP-DEPRIVED OR FATIGUED?

Researchers use a simple sleep latency test to find out whether people who are constantly tired are sleep-deprived or fatigued for other reasons. If you lie down somewhere quiet during the day and fall asleep within a few minutes, then you are either lacking sleep or potentially suffering from a sleep disorder. If you don’t drop off within 15 minutes, fatigue is the problem. NEVER BE TIRED AGAIN THE SEVEN CAUSES OF FATIGUE AND HOW YOU CAN BEAT THEM SOCIAL JETLAG Many of us like to treat ourselves to a weekend lie-in after getting up early for work all through the week. But going to sleep and waking up at different times can disrupt your circadian rhythms – the brain’s natural timing of sleep and wakefulness hormone release. This ‘social…

4 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

CRAZY IN LOVE

THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER Unlike in humans, where – other than in rare cases – the sex chromosomes X and Y can only pair as XX (female) or XY (male), these fingernail-sized freshwater crustaceans have an equivalent of YY. The sex chromosomes of the Texas clam shrimp (Eulimnadia texana) are called W and Z, and can pair as WW, ZW or ZZ, giving them a third sex.WW and ZW are hermaphrodites, and the ZZs are males. Hermaphrodites can’t mate with other hermaphrodites because they don’t have the male ‘claspers’ needed to get a good grip on their mates, but as well as pairing with males, they can self-fertilise their own eggs. As a sort of backup plan, they continue to do this even when pairing. YOUR PLACE OR SLIME?…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

5 MYTHS ABOUT OCD

1 People with OCD wash their hands a lot Repetitive handwashing is one of the most well-known forms of OCD compulsion, but it only affects around one-quarter of sufferers. Similarly, compulsive checking (taps, locks, light switches, for example) affects around 30 per cent of sufferers. 2 People with OCD are neat freaks Often confused with a liking for order and neatness, OCD is an anxiety disorder, characterised by frequent, distressing, and unwanted thoughts. A need for order or symmetry cansometimes arise, but this will be driven by an unbearable, underlying anxiety. 3 OCD always involves repetitive actions Not all OCD compulsions are visible. Around a quarter of OCD sufferers carry out covert, internalised compulsions. These might include praying, suppressing or neutralising thoughts, counting, and avoiding certain situations and places. 4…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

Humboldt’s travels in South America, 1799-1803

1 July 1799 Arrives with Aimé Bonpland in Cumaná, Venezuela. 2 November 1799 Witnesses an earthquake in Cumaná. 3 February 1800 Observes how deforestation around Lake Valencia in Venezuela increases soil erosion by rain, and how trees maintain air humidity. 4 March 1800 Observes electric eels attacking wild horses in the Los Llanos grasslands, and studies how they generate their shocks. 5 March-July 1800 Travels down the Orinoco River. Describes the deadly poison curare, the first European to do so, and is almost killed when he touches it. 6 7 8 Late 1800-1801 Travels via Cuba to Cartagena and Bogotá in New Granada. 9 September 1801 Crosses the Andes from Bogotá to Quito along the treacherous Quindío Pass, braving thunderstorms and blizzards. 10 Early 1802 Investigates volcanoes of the Andes…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

WHAT IF EVERY PERSON ON EARTH HAD A CAR?

1. MANUFACTURE There are 1.2 billion cars in the world today, and 7.5 billion people. So we’ll need at least 6.3 billion extra cars to make sure everyone has their own. This will require 5.6 billion tonnes of steel, which is 3.5 times as much steel as the world produces each year. 2. PARKING On the roads, those 7.5 billion cars will occupy 36 million kilometres of road – about half the total length of all the roads in the world. Cars normally only spend about 5 per cent of their time on the road network, but there aren’t 7.1 billion parking spaces either. 3.FUEL Even with 95 per cent of them parked, the world’s cars currently use 6.5 billion litres of petrol a day. If this demand scales linearly…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

TELEVISION

Transmitting signals over long distances was one of the greatest triumphs of 19th-Century inventors. Yet even their ingenuity failed to solve the ultimate challenge: the transmission of clear sound and images. Many tried, leading to a long list of supposed ‘pioneers’ of television, the most famous being the Scottish inventor John Logie Baird. In January 1926 he gave the first-ever demonstration of the transmission of moving images, and by 1929 Baird was selling ‘Televisor’ sets for £25 – equivalent to £1,500 today. Baird’s design offered small, flickering, black-and-white images and involved the use of a spinning, perforated disk invented in 1894 by German engineer Paul Nipkow that scanned images for transmission as electrical signals. The technology needed to give television its mass appeal is generally credited to the brilliant American…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Why are most people right-handed? ALFIE O’CONNOR, SOUTHAMPTON Many animals show a preference for one side of the body over another but the split between right- and left-handed varies. Seven out of ten chimpanzees are right-handed, but almost all kangaroos are left-handed. In cats, males are nearly all left-handed and females are nearly all right-handed. Humans have a higher proportion of right-handers than any species, with left-handers making up just 10 per cent of the population. This is because we are a tool-using species, and also highly social. The very earliest flint tools, around two million years ago, don’t show a strong bias towards left- or right-handed versions. But it’s a big advantage if you can use the tools someone else has made, and from about 1.5 million years ago…

1 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

Dr Eleanor Schofield

The Mary Rose sank on her maiden voyage, right? “I like the artefacts that you look at and realise how little the technology has changed” No, she didn’t. It’s a common misperception that we just can’t seem to put to rest. The Mary Rose was a successful warship, in service for 34 years, for almost the entire duration of Henry VIII’s reign. We have a big sign explaining this in the museum, but you still hear people wandering around saying, “I can’t believe she sank on her first voyage.” What does your job involve? I’m in charge of the conservation and maintenance of the Mary Rose, and the management of all the artefacts recovered with her. What science is involved? There’s lots of science. As the ship lay under the…

3 min

BBC Science Focus Magazine|October 2017

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM A STEM COURSE

What can I expect in terms of lectures and lab work? A good science degree will give you a mixture of practical and theory work, and the opportunity to learn by doing experiments. UCL’s biochemical engineering classes are relatively small, so we can offer plenty of practical sessions. For us that’s really important, as students need to grasp the fundamentals behind biology and process engineering. UCL’s undergraduate programme has molecular biology lab sessions in the first year as well as practicals in our pilot plant facility where students learn about fermentation and downstream processing. Rather than just having lectures, students at UCL learn through a combination of case studies, team projects and experiments. Leading industrialists and researchers regularly visit the department to lecture. Case studies are conducted in small teams,…

3 min