Table of contents for Issue 194 in How It Works

The fat that forms in different layers around our entire body is absolutely vital to our survival. From the moment we’re born, it helps regulate body temperature, is a source of energy in lean times and has a role in hormone production. Of course, too much body fat – especially a certain variety – can significantly reduce both the quality and term of our lives. In this issue of How It Works, we explain the biological and evolutionary reasons for this kind of weight gain and the role fat plays in our bodies – you’ll probably be surprised at what your fat does. We’ve also spoken to endocrinologist and author Liesbeth van Rossum about the obesity epidemic and why fat is so misunderstood. Enjoy! FOR EXCLUSIVE HIW NEWS AND OFFERS,…

ONEWHEEL GT S-SERIES FROM $2,900 (APPROX. £2,264.45) ONEWHEEL.COM The Onewheel is something of a skateboard and segway hybrid. By placing a foot either side of a central wheel, riders simply shift their weight on the board for propulsion and direction. Topping speeds of 25 miles per hour, the GT S-Series offers 50 per cent more voltage than previous Onewheel models. Its 113-volt battery and GT performance treaded tyre give you the boost you need to traverse rough terrain while you ride off-road. With up to 150 minutes of power, the Onewheel supplies the rider with a range of between 16 and 25 miles, which can be monitored through the companion app. There’s also a whole host of statistics to find within the app, such as braking awareness, acceleration profiles and…

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia published a study suggesting that male and female brains are wired differently. But their claims in the media that these differences are ‘hardwired’ and could explain some of the stereotypical behavioural differences between the sexes are what really caused a ruckus. As Professor Dorothy Bishop, a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, explains, the study does show small differences in the way parts of the brain talk to each other. “It’s revealing possible differences in connectivity between males and females that may well be interesting,” she says. In women, scans showed slightly greater connectivity between the brain’s hemispheres, while in men there was slightly greater connectivity within each hemisphere. But these results represent the average man and woman…

Global warming may have terrible consequences for humankind as a whole, but it’s been a boon for archaeologists. As our planet heats up and glaciers and ice sheets melt, long-lost treasures such as clothing and hunting equipment – and even an Iron Age horse – have emerged. It’s a race against the clock though, as scientists need to find these artefacts quickly before they deteriorate and are gone forever. “It can be compared to taking a steak out of the freezer,” says Dr Marianne Vedeler of the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. “Once defrosted, you have to eat it. Therefore we have a rescue program for artefacts each year, at least in the most exposed areas.” The Glacier Archaeology Rescue Program has been set up in Oppland County in…

Sudoku Complete the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9 EASY MEDIUM HARD Word search Find the following words LIPID DOCK URBAN FAT WIND ICE CAVE RESCUE LIFE SCIENCE HANDHELD TRADE What is it? Hint: Impact zone A Spot the difference See if you can find all six changes between the images below Answers Find the solutions to last issue’s puzzle pages Q1 NATURAL GAS Q2 OSTRICH Q3 BOTH Q4 OPERATING SYSTEM Q5 5 BILLION YEARS Q6 PITUITARY What is it? MUSHROOM Spot the difference QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS Q1 What’s the human body’s heaviest internal organ? • Heart • Brain • Liver • Pancreas Q2 Which one of these elements is liquid at room temperature, 20 degrees Celsius? • Helium • Bromine •…

This shows the filamentous particles of the Ebola virus under a microscope. The Ebola filaments are being studied on a bed of epithelial Vero E6 cells derived from the kidney of a green monkey (blue). These are used because the cells don’t produce a substance called interferon, which naturally fights viral infections. Without it, scientists can culture and study the virus without the risk of it being destroyed. Satellite GOES to space On 25 June 2024, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U (GOES-U). GOES-U is part of a group of satellites that will monitor weather systems in the Western Hemisphere, which includes tropical systems in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans, some of which could transform into hurricanes. Carved from…

The word ‘fat’ has become a stigmatised slur, its importance being considered largely aesthetic over its biological purpose. In reality, there’s more to fat than meets the eye, and there is much more to understand when considering fat health than just our lifestyle choices. Fat serves our bodies by providing energy to survive when food isn’t accessible. Most people today rarely encounter a situation where food is hard to come by. Yet for our early human ancestors, fat tissue beneath the skin was a buffer between survival and starvation. Fat is broken down in the body into fatty acids, releasing energy for all the cells in your body to use. When your energy levels deplete, the body relies on fat as a backup. The organ is also an effective insulator,…

Since the early 1900s, chlorine has been used as a chemical disinfectant and to clean swimming pools. Chlorine is bacteria’s worst nightmare. When chlorine hits the water it breaks down into hypochlorous acid and a hypochlorite ion, an atom with an electrical charge. Both the acid and ion are bad news for bacteria and their internal structure, breaking them apart and causing their death. The time it takes to tackle bacteria varies from species to species. Chlorine kills most Escherichia coli in less than a minute, but can take around 45 minutes to kill pool parasites called giardia. Along with destroying bacteria, algal blooms are kept at bay by chlorine, which prevents the water from slowly turning green. However, there’s one other element that needs to be just right for…

MAKE A TEALIGHT RISE Explore the chemistry taking place in this colourful floating light show 1 GATHER YOUR MATERIALS For this experiment, you will need an adult to supervise. Of the materials, the food colouring is optional, but it will help you better observe the results. 2 WATER BASE Add water to the plate or dish. Don’t fill it completely to the top, however, as you will need to add other items into the water. 3 DROP IN SOME COLOUR Add a few drops of food colouring into the water and mix the colouring evenly. 4 PLACE TEALIGHTS Place some tealights onto the surface of the water so they float. Make sure they all fit under the chosen glass or vase. 5 LIGHT THE WICKS Using your matches or lighter,…

HEALTH ‘Hypervirulent’ superbug detected in 16 countries WORDS NICOLETTA LANESE Dangerous new strains of a ‘hypervirulent’ superbug have been found in 16 countries, including the US, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a new report. The superbug, known as hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp), is a type of drug-resistant bacteria that can cause rapidly progressing deadly infections, even in people with healthy immune systems. In general, K. pneumoniae can be found in the environment, for example in soil and water, as well as in the upper throat and gastrointestinal tract of various animals, including humans. The classic version of the germ is a big problem in healthcare settings, where it can contaminate medical equipment and cause opportunistic infections, especially in people with weak immune systems. It’s known to cause pneumonia,…

Sunlight is made up of different wavelengths of light, such as the visible light that we see as colours in the electromagnetic spectrum. Within that spectrum are two wavelengths of invisible ultraviolet light, called ultraviolet A and B. Ultraviolet B (UVB) is a high-energy wavelength and the main culprit when it comes to getting sunburned. Overexposure to UVB rays can cause cell death in the upper layers of the skin and lead to the red, itchy and hot feeling of a sunburn. It’s not all bad, though. UVB is also responsible for synthesising vitamin D within the skin. When the skin experiences damage from UVB, the immune system kicks into gear and increases blood flow to the burnt area. Immune cells within the blood cause inflammation and swelling while they…

Boasting prominent brows, muscular frames and wielding deadly spears, Neanderthals were not unlike the prehistoric ancestors of modern-day humans. Our hominid cousins have been long lost to time, but fossilised evidence left behind has allowed scientists to bring their story to life. Scientists have placed the emergence of the Neanderthals at least as far back as 430,000 years ago. However, the majority of Neanderthal bones and artefacts date to between 130,000 and 40,000 years ago. Evidence for their existence has been found throughout Eurasia, from Portugal to the eastern Altai Mountains in Siberia. Neanderthals are thought to have lived in groups of around 20, but throughout Eurasia there were as many as 10,000 individuals at one time. Groups could be up to 100 miles away from each other, which made…

TRAP-JAW ANTS MAKE A CHOCOLATEY SMELL WHEN THREATENED 500 CALORIES Your brain burns a lot of calories on a daily basis 6000 BCE At around 8,000 years old, China is considered the world’s longest continuous civilisation The Moon is actually more lemon-shaped than spherical 1 BILLION KILOGRAMS The Sun loses mass the equivalent of a large asteroid every second 4 MILLION MILES End-to-end, roads in the US could stretch to the Moon and back eight times 35 BILLION Billions of devices will be connected to the internet by 2030 7 There are a limited number of times you can fold a piece of A4 paper 33 At best, a T. rex could have been expected to live less than half the average lifetime of a modern human YOU INHALE 50…