Magazine
BBC Science Focus is the BBC’s science and technology monthly magazine. Jargon-free and accessible, you don’t need a PhD in particle physics to enjoy reading it. All you need is a quizzical mind that wants to understand the world around you, and gain a fact or two to keep up your sleeve in a pub quiz emergency.
New issue | Something is wrong with our model of the Universe
Although our picture of the cosmos is incredibly detailed, as the tools we build to explore the Universe become more and more sensitive, our understanding starts to grow fuzzy. There are crucial pieces missing... and without them, our model of the Universe just doesn't make sense. We take a dive into some of the biggest head-scratchers that are baffling astronomers.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #405
Here is the solution to the crossword from issue 405 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
Anti-ageing pills are real, and some of us are taking them without knowing it
Eternal youth is the stuff of religion and mythology, but what if we could just have a bit more of it? What if there was a pill that could slow down the ravages of time, so that you could feel younger for longer. It sounds like snake oil, but there’s a growing body of research that’s betting on making it a reality.
New issue: Reclaim your attention!
Offices, the very place where we’re supposed to get stuff done, seem to be designed to make it impossible to actually get anything done. Open-plan, noisy and full of people. Meanwhile, email, messaging apps, video calls and social media provide endless distractions. It never ends. Sound familiar? We've got some science-backed ways to help keep your focus fixed firmly on the things you need to get done.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #404
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 404 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
Ghostbusters: A psychologist explains why we believe in the paranormal
Should we get Venkman and co. on speed dial?
New issue | Social Anxiety
Social anxiety is on the rise. Whether we’re using social media, video calls or a lowly text message to communicate, our interactions have become a lot more complicated since our cave-dwelling days. The pervasiveness of technology and the way we work and live in the modern world means the fear of being socially judged. The constant risk of being rejected is ever-present. Neuroscientist and author Dr Dean Burnett explains exactly what happens when that fear becomes overbearing - and what we can do to alleviate that anxiety.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #403
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 403 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
The science of Dune: Could we really make smart drugs?
'The spice' is an extremely precious commodity that greatly enhances the user's mental abilities. Could we recreate this in real life?
New issue: The Dark Universe
Normal matter only accounts for one-fifth of all the physical stuff in the Universe. The remaining 80 per cent? That's what we call dark matter. We've never seen it, and it's also totally intangible. So how do we know it's there? And yet, something is providing the gravity needed to prevent galaxies from tearing themselves apart. Do cracks in the Standard Model hint at the arrival of a new physics? In this issue, a leading cosmologist investigates how we can finally make sense of the dark Universe, and why the next few years may see a crucial breakthrough in our understanding of dark matter.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #402
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 402 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
Are people in comas conscious?
It's usually assumed that a person in a vegetative state has no awareness of the world around them. Dr Adrian Owen, who pioneered groundbreaking research that has proven otherwise, explains why we need to be talking to these patients.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #401
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 401 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
New issue | Get more time
Modern life, and the conveniences it offers, was supposed to give us all the free time in the world. Drivers deliver to our doors; ovens spit out ready-made meals in minutes; and robots dust, mop and vacuum our floors while we eat. And yet, it seems we never have enough time these days. In fact, it’s gotten so bad that scientists have even coined a term for it: time famine. To find out what’s actually going on, Dr Ruth Ogden explores the experience of time in the digital age - and how we can find more to avoid burning out.
New issue | What's next?
For over three decades we've been navigating the cutting-edge of science. So for our 400th issue it only seemed right to look forward, as we always have, to the future. Inside, we’ve explored some of the subjects that have been most popular with you – our readers – in the format that’s been most popular: a great, big Q&A.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #400
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 400 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #399
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 399 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
New issue | A blueprint for anti-ageing
Would you like to reverse your biological age? In this issue, we take a look at the simple, science-backed actions that really could slow, stop, or even reverse the ageing process itself.
New issue | Rethinking caffeine
For many, caffeine is considered a guilty pleasure. But there is growing evidence that our daily fix isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it might actually be doing us some good.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #398
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 398 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
Why scientists are now racing to stop a mass plant extinction
The race is on to document and protect the world’s plant and fungi species... and everything is at stake if we lose.
New issue | How to catch a liar
We’re terrible at spotting liars. Instinctively, we think we know when someone is lying to us, and sometimes we’re right, but just as often we misread the cues. So will we ever be able to definitively catch a liar? Well, it turns out we might. And you can find out exactly how in this issue.
BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #397
Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 397 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
New issue | Alien Earths
A little under two years ago, the JWST launched, and has been redefining our view of space ever since. But there are already more ambitious observatories being built - here's how finding life on other planets is becoming a reachable goal.