Recreating the Sun on Earth

Inside the May 2014 issue of Focus, we reveal the pioneering projects that are racing to realise the dream of limitless energy.

Published: April 2, 2014 at 11:00 pm

On sale date: 3rd April 2014

Issue: 267

Recreating the Sun on Earth

The Sun is our main energy source, whether directly, or via plants and the fossil fuels they leave behind. Now, with our growing need for clean, abundant power, labs are getting ever closer to harnessing nuclear fusion, the mechanism of the Sun. Inside the May 2014 issue ofFocus, we reveal the pioneering projects that are racing to realise the dream of limitless energy.

Noah's Ark: the True Story

Even those who didn't make it to Sunday school know what Noah's Ark looked like. It was a long, pointy wooden ship, right? Well, no. At least if the British Museum's Middle East expert Irving Finkel is correct. He's discovered a clay tablet with a set of instructions on how to build the ark. We find out what they say, and whether there's any truth to the Bible story.

Hawking's Black Holes

They are the most enigmatic objects in the Universe; we can't see them and we don't know what happens in their depths. Now Stephen Hawking thinks that black holes may not be the inescapable beasts we believe them to be. We look at his controversial new theory, which claims that stuff can actually leak out of them. Grey holes, anyone?

Also inside this issue:

What's happening to our weather?Why the jet stream is to blame

Chocolate galore:10 reasons why it's good for you

The dream maker:The gadget that claims to control your dreams

Spacesuits: The next generation of high-tech space wear

Plus

How Do We Know:The geology of the British Isles?

Q&A:Why are most people right-handed?

MegaPixel:Awe-inspiring images from the world of science

Tech Hub:Could telepresence devices help us work anywhere we like?

To Do List:Cloud Labon BBC Two

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