Table of contents for August 2018 in BBC Science Focus Magazine

Four years ago, the European Space Agency (ESA) achieved something that seemed impossible. It caught a comet. It was an idea first conceived in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until some 30 years later that, in March 2004, scientists from across the continent launched Rosetta on a decade-long journey. Over the next four years, the spacecraft would swing around Mars, and then Earth three times, before stopping in deep space just beyond Jupiter. There Rosetta waited, in deep hibernation, for its rendez-vous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Then in 2014, ESA woke Rosetta from its slumber and sent it chasing after 67P. Eventually, in a manoeuvre that would make Evel Knievel blush, Rosetta’s lander, Philae, bounced down onto the surface of 67P, discovering that it was unlike anything on Earth. The data…

Toyota Motor Europe is sponsoring the Energy Observer, the first hydrogen-powered ship, on a six-year voyage around the world. It’s the first autonomous hydrogen vessel that emits no greenhouse gases or fine particles, powered by a combination of renewable energies and a system that produces carbon-free hydrogen from seawater. The ship’s primary sources of power are its 130 square metres of solar panels and two wind turbines. It creates hydrogen by removing salt and ions from seawater, before separating out the oxygen and hydrogen through electrolysis. The hydrogen is then stored in tanks to be used when needed, providing a buffer against the intermittent supply of solar and wind at sea. Hydrogen is a light and efficient fuel, so it can be easily stored onboard. The Energy Observer is 30.5…

The story of the female contraceptive pill starts in the 1950s, when US researcher Dr Gregory Pincus (above left) started searching for chemicals that interfere with fertility in animals. He figured out that giving female animals doses of sex hormone progesterone would shut down ovulation, preventing eggs from being released. Pincus teamed up with gynaecologist Dr John Rock (above middle), who was already testing chemical contraception in women, and they secured funding from women’s rights activist, biologist and wealthy heiress Katherine McCormick. At the same time, Dr Carl Djerassi, a chemist working in Mexico, was working out how to create artificial hormones from inedible yams. Eventually he managed to make norethindrone – a synthetic version of progesterone. Enovid – a combination of artificial oestrogen and progesterone – first went into…

All autistic people are geniuses No. While autism can be a gift to higher functioning individuals – improving their ability in subjects such as mathematics and software – it is not true to say that everyone with the condition is a genius. Studies have shown that around half of autistic children also have a learning disability (defined as an IQ below 70), while an estimated 25 to 50 per cent never develop fluent spoken language, limiting their educational options. Vaccines cause autism Wrong again. The notion that vaccines cause autism originates from a now discredited 1998 paper by British former doctor Andrew Wakefield, claiming to link the disorder to the MMR vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella. An investigation by The Sunday Times revealed Wakefield had manipulated his data and…

12,000 The distance, in kilometres, that some painted lady butterflies migrate annually. This knocks monarchs, with their migration of 4,800km, off the top spot. 100 The mass, in kilograms, of the UK-built RemoveDebris satellite. It’s the largest satellite ever launched from the ISS and will trial methods to remove space junk. 9,000 The approximate number of years ago that domestic dogs first arrived in North America. Genetic evidence suggests they travelled with humans from Siberia, via a land bridge.…

I read the editor’s letter in the July issue and I can relate to his fears of being chased by aT.rex– it’s bound to be happening in one multiverse or another. But rest assured any dinosaur coming after you from the Cretaceous period would be so out of breath that you could run rings round it. Fingers crossed. Pat MacDonnell, Ireland Hah. That’s a good point. These days the air lacks the kind of oxygen levelsT.rexwould have been accustomed to in the Cretaceous period. In fact, if they had managed to build aJurassic Park(orJurassicWorldas the new films suggest) it’d just be full of puffing, wheezing dinos, struggling to get around. Sadly, I don’t have the same excuse……

Who’s a pretty and clever boy, then? Neuroscientists at the University of Alberta have identified the neural circuit they believe is behind the unusual intelligence seen in some parrots. The discovery is an example of convergent evolution – where organisms not closely related evolve similar traits – between the brains of birds and primates, and could potentially provide insight into the neural basis of human intelligence, they say. Using brain samples from 98 birds, including everything from chickens and waterfowl to parrots and owls, the scientists studied an area of the brain known as the medial spiriform nucleus (SpM). They found that parrots have an SpM that is much larger than that of other birds, possibly explaining their unusual levels of intelligence. In birds, the SpM is responsible for transferring…

What a shot! Astronomers at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have caught the first confirmed image of a new planet forming around a young dwarf star. Dubbed PDS 70b, the infant planet has coalesced in the primordial disc of gas and dust orbiting the dwarf star PDS 70, which lies approximately 370 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. “These discs around young stars are the birthplaces of planets, but so far only a handful of observations have detected hints of baby planets in them,” said Dr Miriam Keppler, who led the team that spotted the planet. “The problem was that, until now, most of these planet candidates could just have been features in the disc.” The planet was spotted with the SPHERE planet-hunting instrument on the European Southern…

MARRIED COUPLES Keele University carried out a meta-analysis of studies and found that married couples have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke than single, divorced or widowed people. The effect may be due to the enhanced wellbeing of having a partner. THE YOUNG AT HEART People who feel younger than their age show fewer signs of brain ageing in MRI scans, researchers at Seoul National University have found. This could be due to those who feel younger leading more physically and mentally active lives, they say.…

The government is reviewing the legal status of cannabis products as parents of children with severe and hard-totreat epilepsy say it’s the only thing that helps control their kids’ daily seizures. Recently, 12-year-old Billy Caldwell (pictured) made headlines when UK Customs officers confiscated seven bottles of cannabis oil from his mother, Charlotte Caldwell, who had flown to Canada to bring the product back. Billy and his parents were eventually allowed to take the oil back to their home in Northern Ireland, but only after being granted a special temporary Home Office licence. Other parents of children with severe epilepsy – who may experience hundreds of seizures a day – say that they’re being forced to break the law and obtain products of dubious quality in their attempts to obtain medicinal…

1 HERBAL REMEDIES Gendarussa (also known as gandarusa) is a compound from the Chinese Justicia gendarussa plant, which is thought to disrupt fertilisation. It’s currently being tested in small trials in Indonesia to see whether it is safe and effective. Another potential contraceptive is pristimerin, which comes from an ancient medicinal herb known as the thunder god vine. 2 VAS-OCCLUSION Vas-occlusion techniques physically block sperm from moving along the vas deferens – the tube that transports them from the testes to the penis – by using injectable polymers that can be reversed at a later date by injecting a ‘dissolver’ chemical or using ultrasound. The best-known of these techniques is called Vasalgel, which has been successfully tested in monkeys and is expected to move forward into clinical trials shortly. 3…

Seven years ago, I had one of the worst conversations of my life. A paediatrician delivered the news to me and my partner that our 18-month-old son, Callum, had a severe developmental delay and was presenting symptoms consistent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The diagnosis of ASD was later confirmed. Callum has since attended a specialist preschool and now goes to a special educational needs primary. His progress has been good, but his condition remains moderate to severe, and it’s likely he’ll require continued support into adulthood. Knowing that your child probably won’t achieve independence in later life throws up unpleasant questions. What’s going to happen when I’m gone? Who will care for him? Who will love him? But, as we were to find out, that wasn’t the worst of…

AUTISM TOGETHER The charity collaborating on the biometric wristband prediction research, Autism Together is raising money to build a world-leading assessment and diagnostic centre in the Wirral. Donate and find out more here: bit.ly/autism_together THENATIONAL AUTISTICSOCIETY Support and information for autistic people across the UK is provided by the National Autistic Society. The society also operates a number of specialist schools throughout the country. More information here: bit.ly/autistic_society SEEKING DIAGNOSIS If you suspect your child may be autistic, the best treatment is early intervention. The UK charity Ambitious About Autism has a guide to the signs to look out for: bit.ly/autism_signs. And information on obtaining a diagnosis: bit.ly/autism_diagnose A IS FOR AUTISM Tim Webb’s award-winning short film from 1992, A Is For Autism, features interviews, drawings, music and animations all…

1. The Pillars of Creation is one of the most iconic images from the Hubble Space Telescope. But when the telescope was launched in 1990, a manufacturing defect meant it had blurred vision. 2. Although the Hubble’s mirror lens was the most precisely manufactured optical mirror ever made, it had been polished using a calibration device that was out by 1.3mm. 3. To fix this, the Space Shuttle Endeavour took a special corrective lens up to Hubble, where it was fitted over the course of five separate spacewalks – the most of any Space Shuttle mission. 4. The fault was eventually traced to a chip in the paintwork inside the calibration device. This exposed a tiny bit of shiny metal that reflected just enough light to distort the measurements. The…

In 1628, the English physician William Harvey created a sensation by publishing a radical new view of how the body uses blood. Until then, doctors had relied on the 1,300-year-old teachings of Galen, a Greek physician, who claimed that blood was created by the liver and then consumed by living tissue. In contrast, Harvey argued that the amount of blood is fixed, and constantly circulates round the body, being refreshed by passing through the lungs and other organs. Harvey’s revolutionary view implied that blood supply was limited – casting grave doubt over widely-used practices such as ‘blood-letting’. After sometimes bitter criticism, Harvey’s claims were confirmed and he is now regarded as one of the founders of modern medicine. But historians have since found that Harvey’s revolutionary ideas about the circulation…

How can we harness animal senses? Humans have been using animals’ senses for thousands of years. Dogs are a great example: we’ve used their sharp sense of smell to help us hunt and, more recently, to help police locate drugs or explosives, and even to detect the presence of certain illnesses, like tuberculosis or cancer. Marine mammals have also been valuable, but in a different way: instead of utilising their behaviour directly, we’ve been inspired by their echolocating clicks. In 2010, scientists at the University of Southampton developed a new kind of sonar that works in shallow waters, based on dolphins’ ultrasonic signals. Could we use insect senses too? ‘Sniffer bees’ may soon become a thing! Bees are currently being trained to detect various odours by a team at the…

The world’s largest study of ‘jumping genes’– small pieces of DNA that can copy themselves throughout a genome and can transfer between species – suggests one jumping gene, called L1, played a vital role in the evolution of mammals. “THINK OF A JUMPING GENE AS A PARASITE. THEY COPY AND PASTE THEMSELVES AROUND GENOMES, AND IN GENOMES OF OTHER SPECIES” Researchers at the University of Adelaide traced jumping genes across 759 species of plants, animals and fungi. They found that cross-species transfers, even between plants and animals, have occurred much more frequently throughout evolution than once thought. “Think of a jumping gene as a parasite,” said Prof David Adelson, who led the research. “Properly called retrotransposons, they copy and paste themselves around genomes, and in genomes of other species. How…

MILLENNIALS Millennials have another thing to worry about: they are likely to have worse health in middle age than their parents. The Health Foundation found that the stress, anxiety and lower quality of life faced by millennials is likely to lead to a higher risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease later in life. HELICOPTER PARENTS Children raised by controlling parents have poorer control over their emotions and worse social skills than those raised in a more relaxed manner, at team at the University of Minnesota has found. Kids used to doing things for themselves are better at adjusting to the changing demands of the classroom, they say.…

It is thought that up to two-thirds of the world’s population are infected with H. pylori, but it doesn’t cause symptoms in everyone. Michael is a science writer and broadcaster, who presents Trust Me, I’m A Doctor on BBC Two. His latest book is The Clever Guts Diet (£8.99, Short Books). Recently, I returned from a trip to Perth, Western Australia, where I met one of my medical heroes, Prof Barry Marshall. Not only did his research improve the lives of millions of people, it also changed my life, in a strange and unpredictable way. And it turns out that there is a new and unexpected twist to his work. Back in 1993, I was a pushy assistant producer working in the BBC science series department. I was desperate to…

Dutch bike company VanMoof has already left tracks on the bicycle business, with a world-first subscription service and alarmingly advanced anti-theft protection. Now, it’s adding two new electric bikes to its range. The Electrified S2 and X2 both have an intelligent motor, pedal assist and quick-charge mode. They can travel 150km (93 miles) on a single charge, which is enough to cruise from London to Brighton and back. They also come with a ‘stealth lock’ system. If a bike is tampered with, it emits loud warning sounds, deterring potential thieves. If it’s stolen, the bike enters lockdown mode, where all systems are shut down and the lights flash. If that doesn’t deter the pesky thief and they make off with the bike, the owner can alert VanMoof’s Bike Hunters and…

UV BOTS  A new hospital sanitation robot can eliminate virtually all organisms in just 10 minutes, using the power of ultraviolet light. The iPT 3200 decreased healthcare-associated infections by 34 per cent in a six-month rollout in a hospital. SPEED-WRITING Chinese online commerce giant Alibaba has debuted a new AI copywriting tool. It uses deep learning and language processing to learn from millions of existing samples to write product descriptions. It’s passed the Turing test and can produce 20,000 lines of copy per second. GOODBYE, MAPS Mercedes has a new augmented reality satellite navigation system that films the area around you and overlays easy-to-follow arrows pointing exactly where you need to go. Say goodbye to confusing bird’s-eye map layouts.…

The prediction of autistic meltdowns from biometric data relies on a wristband sensor called the E4 (below), manufactured by US firm Empatica. The company was co-founded by Prof Rosalind Picard, of MIT’s Media Lab, whose research group developed the device as part of their own study into autistic behavioural prediction. However, they shifted their attention from autism to epilepsy after one participant in a trial happened to experience an epileptic seizure that was clearly visible in the biometric data. Empatica subsequently developed the Embrace, a wristband plus smartphone app that can monitor for the occurrence of potentially life-threatening ‘grand mal’ seizures. “Every one of the grand mal seizures was having these responses that we could pick up on the wrist,” says Prof Picard.…

DR ALASTAIR GUNN Astronomer, astrophysicist ALEX FRANKLINCHEUNG Environment/ climate expert DR PETER J BENTLEY Computer scientist, author PROF ALICE GREGORY Psychologist, sleep expert DR ZOE WILLIAMS GP, fitness expert CHARLOTTE CORNEY Zoo director, conservationist DR HELEN SCALES Oceans expert, science writer DR CHRISTIAN JARRETT Neuroscientist, science writer EMMA DAVIES Chemistry expert, science writer LUIS VILLAZON Science/tech writer DR GILES YEO Geneticist, food expert PROF ROBERT MATTHEWS Physicist, science writer Would seagulls exist without humans? DAN JONES, SOUTHAMPTON The gulls we most commonly see in our UK towns are herring gulls. Since the 1960s they have increasingly been migrating inland, away from their coastal habitats, to live and feed: this is largely due to overfishing and the rising sea temperatures associated with climate change (as fish are being forced to greater…

1. GRAVITY If we assume that the density of the Earth stays the same, then doubling the radius increases the planet’s mass eight-fold. Surface gravity is now doubled, so most plants and trees promptly fall over. Any animal dog-sized or bigger can’t run without breaking a leg, so large predators can’t move fast enough to catch prey. 2. DAY LENGTH Angular momentum is proportional to mass x radius squared. As angular momentum is conserved, the planet now rotates 32 times slower. A day lasts over a month! This creates huge temperature imbalances between the light and dark side of the planet, powering wind storms that flatten all buildings. 3. AIR PRESSURE If the atmosphere doubles in size too, then air pressure is doubled. This is still breathable and the extra…

Corridor on a cliff Perched on China’s Fuxi Mountain in Xinmi, Henan Province, is this U-shaped glass skywalk. By peering through the transparent floor, visitors can enjoy dizzying views of the valley bottom, located a whopping 360 metres beneath their feet. In recent years, China has developed something of a reputation for building terrifying glass bridges that appeal to daredevil tourists, and is boasting this latest one is a record-breaker. Incredibly, Guinness World Records receives 2,000 applications from China a year, so it remains to be seen if this one earns a coveted place in the book.…

Which extinct species would you most like to meet? Neanderthals. They are our closest relative. We try to reconstruct the minds of these people by looking at their culture. I’d like to know how different they were to modern humans from the same time. Who would win in a fight – a Neanderthal or a modern human? If it’s about brawn then probably a Neanderthal. They were, on average, more muscly than Palaeolithic modern humans. We know this from the size and shape of their bones, and can reconstruct their muscle mass from that. But they might have had sex rather than fight. Ah yes, early humans and Neanderthals interbred… …which means anyone of broadly European or Asian descent has a bit of Neanderthal DNA tucked away in them. I’m…