BBC Focus Magazine

[M Paul Lloyd]

I have been asked by Focus central to sound you all out for some much needed feedback on the magazine content. The opinion of the Focus magazine readership is very important to those tasked with putting each issue together and this is your chance to make a difference.

So what would you all like to read about in Focus in the future?
For example are there any subject areas that you feel are being missed out?
Perhaps you have some ideas for longer features?
Or is there anyone in particular, celebrity or expert, who you would like to see writing for Focus?

[nemisis39]

Or is there anyone in particular, celebrity or expert, who they would like to see writing for Focus?

ME sorry couldnt resist

Ill have a ponder and see what comes up, but one idea could be something that is covered on the forum ie the science fact verses science fiction section. As i understand it is a tech mag and not a science fiction mag that might not be possiable, but if that particular area was covered it could be amuseing if nothing else to see what appears in it, and i don't mean that we take a subject from that section and put it into the mag itself. Although that could be an area that could be explored take a question posed in the forum and have the experts look at it to give there thoughts on the question asked. didn't we used to have that ( or something simlar) in the mag before it was re-vamped

[M Paul Lloyd]

I hear tell that if your idea gets used you may well get a mention in the mag'

I have to say though Nemesis, you make a good point, we may have it all here already.... don't we?

[Ush]

The title of this thread needs fixing.

I would like to see some features on intelligence as it's a fascinating subject which is unfortunately shrouded in myth and the lies of corrupt academics.

A feature on education may also be worth a read.

A feature discussing the present state of science would be interesting, maybe that needs elaboration; the number of scientists and journals has inflated hugely over the years and it would be interesting to know if this is really a "good thing" as we are sometimes led to believe; there are far less discoveries to be made today than there was in the past, how much is left to discover? Are all the tens of thousands of papers which are published annually of much scientific use?; and so on.

I shall kindly volunteer more ideas to Focus should I come up with any and of course expect no recompense.

[M Paul Lloyd]

The title of this thread needs fixing.
.

Please offer up your fix Mr. Ush and it shall be done.

[Hyrulian Outlaw]

Well, what is there to be done! The mag isn't in need of any drastic revamps, it covers everything pretty well already!

Perhaps a slighty larger gaming section, but thats just my personal preferance.
I would like to see more on future consumer tech, in the tomorrows world sense.

A monthly showcase of the minds of science would be nice, lets head towards the scientists as celebrity rolemodel. These guys don't get any coverage outside of dedicated journals and some well written features on the unsung may well inspire people into academic science. I'm not talking the Hawkings of the world but those who most will never of heard of.

[Pandora]

More archeology features would be nice. Maybe an indepth look at Gobekli Tepe, Pompeii, Harappa, and of course the latest Egyptian finds in the desert (there's a lot being found at present), with may be an article written by Dr Zawi Hawass (Im a big fan of Zawi )

[Ush]

Linda Grottfredson writes well and may be suitable author for a feature on intelligence. I am sure their are others but she has come to my attention.

[Nails]

Recently I have noticed a big increase in articles on space, which although interesting is getting a bit tiresome.
But I havn't bought this months yet(!) so I shall buy it this weekend and have a flick before I comment any further.

Personally I would like to see a little more the other way around, some of the focus team occasionally popping up on here and joining in our discussions, especially those threads that are just begging for an expert opinion....

[Flakkarin]

My favourite thing about the 'newer' magazine I have to say is the columnists section, always an intriguing read.

I think the scientist thing is a good idea - there are some truly inspirational hard-working folk out there who should be role models, good idea Hyrulian.

I would also like to see a short section explaining succinctly some major concepts or questions - like what is string theory? Just a one page who-what-when-where-why-how kind of thing.

From my own point of view I like to see articles and features about things you never thought about before - that's why I liked researching my essay about whether volcanic activity can cause glaciations - because who would think that? Especially when everyone thinks volcanoes = CO2 = warming. Challenging views that people don't even realise they hold wrongly.

[Ush]

Some features on large scale engineering projects like the Three Gorges Dam project or even an old engineering project like the London Underground would be interesting to me but they may be a little too outside the remit of Focus.

[nemisis39]

very good point falk, but i think it may just take up all the mag space for the next few issues on that particular subject ( look at the thread you started in the grey area thats a book in its self now isnt it . Not that that is a bad thing, I found and still fine that thread very informative.

Ush you've been watch the discovery channel again haven't you , would be interesting to see how modern engineers would tackle the london under ground or some such other old engineering task from scratch useing modern day equipment to see the diffrent way they would approach the task.

I looked back we did have a

post's from the forum

section in the mag some issues back before the revamp. I suppose thats was what i was getting at, but a more indepth look at it from a outside source. A little bit like the Ask The Expert section, were they ask us to give our thoughts on a particular question but in reverse. Take a thread from any section here and ask them there opinion could be a guest speaker/speaker's ( so to speak ) each time.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I did mention to Focus central that 'Posts from the Forum' was missed Nemesis.

As to modern day engineers tackling the London Underground, well I think I can safely say that it would be severely hampered by health and safety regulation.
When most of the tunneling took place lives came cheap and despite some clever innovations (which we still rely upon today as it happens) it was exceedingly dangerous work. Plus tunneling below a flood zone probably wouldn't even get planning permission these days.

[nemisis39]

I did mention to Focus central that 'Posts from the Forum' was missed Nemesis.

Plus tunneling below a flood zone probably wouldn't even get planning permission these days.

funny enough thats what i told my kids that when they asked could they dig a toy car tunnel under the garden pond ( or something along those lines )

[M Paul Lloyd]

Similar principle I guess, although tunneling under rivers (and things like the English Channel) seems ok, so I could be wrong. Thinking bout it, much of the underground is now under residential areas that were not so built up in the old days so that would be a significant factor worth taking into account. Any resident Garden Gnomes on your pond?

[Colm]

Perhaps a section on the history of certain inventions... Sort of like that thing with Jeremy Clarkson (I forget the name), where the invention was evolving over time.

And a decent one, like it would take a multi-page article for just one item...

Also, updates on the progress inventions that are promised (especially by Focus itself years ago ) like sky cars and water for fuel, etc.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Wasn't it Richard Hammond with the 'connections' revival that you are thinking of Colm? but yes I agree all grist to the mill.

[Colm]

No definitely Clarkson - he had one about guns, one about computers and a few others

[M Paul Lloyd]

Ah, must have missed those, but they sound intriguing. Maybe one day?

[Croatguy]

Bring back the World's Greatest Mysterious feature back. There are many other mysteries that were not covered by Focus, and its always fascinating to read both arguments. The What If....articles should also be recalled as its interesting to to speculate how the world could be such a different place from just a small event that had of taken place in history. There was not enough of them in Focus.
More articles on consciousness and quantum theories as these two fields are exciting and always sprouting new theories, less on wildlife, climate and green issues as enviromental topics are always in the paper and are just covered to death by other sources. I think everyone on Earth has got the message now about global warming - we really dont need any more info on the subject.

Here is a list of topics that I would love to see covered in Focus:

Nikola Tesla's works
Truth and Fiction in Old Wives Tales
Simulation Argument
Holographic Universe
Nonlocality Entanglement
Time/Space before Big Bang
Subliminal Messenging
Future evolution of humans
AI singularity
Golden Ratio
Rogue Waves
Butterfly Effect
Transhumanism
Gravitrons
Psychology of Death
WOW Signal
Lucifer Principle


Thats all I can think of for now