BBC Science Focus Magazine

With accessible features illustrated with the world’s best photography, BBC Focus Magazine explains the theory behind scientific phenomena and really brings science to life. In every issue you’ll find news of the latest major scientific developments, a lively Q&A section plus exclusive and astonishing photographic reports that range from the breathtaking to the downright odd.

FROM THE EDITOR

ON THE BBC THIS MONTH…

CONTRIBUTORS

Tiny toad • SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

Their eyes met… • SAHARA DESERT, MAURITANIA

Sight and sound • KERTEMINDE, DENMARK

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BBC Science Focus Magazine

Climate change is already shrinking your salary • No matter where you live, a new study has found warmer temperatures are picking your pocket

Massive volcanic eruptions may have actually caused the Black Death • New research suggests that a mix of volcanic activity, cold summers and famine brought the deadly plague to Europe

Humans are absolutely terrible at reading dogs’ emotions • Think you can tell how our furry friends are feeling? Think again

Most people with high-cholesterol gene don't know they have it • Standard testing struggles to detect the condition

Grey hairs may grow when your body shuts down cancer-prone cells • Rather than a depressing sign of ageing, grey hairs are battle scars in our body's war against cancer

Salt could be key to saving Africa's largest land mammals • Elephants, giraffes and rhinos need the mineral to survive and will go to great lengths to find it

A daily dose of cheese could reduce your dementia risk, study finds • Open the crackers!

Swearing could give you a physical edge, study finds • Cursing isn't just for when you stub your toe or miss your train. Science says it can boost your physical performance

World's biggest cobweb is home to 100,000 spiders • Spiders don't normally create such large colonies, so there's no need to worry about finding one in your basement

A dementia vaccine could be gamechanging – and available already • Getting vaccinated against shingles could protect you from getting dementia, or slow the progression of the disease

What Australia's social media ban could really mean for under-16s • Many people think social media is bad for our kids. Australia is trying to prove it

Could there be a human bird flu pandemic in 2026? Maybe, say experts • Avian influenza is spreading rapidly between animal species – and every new host raises the risk it poses to us

The dark side of weight-loss drugs • Millions of people are now using weight-loss drugs, but it seems there are side-effects that come with the slimmer waistlines

HOW TO TEACH AI RIGHT FROM WRONG • If we want to get good responses from AI, we may need to see what it does when we ask it to be evil

RISE OF THE CHORE-BOTS

EDITOR'S PICKS… CES SPECIAL • The smartest tech from this year's Consumer Electronics Show

IS FREE WILL AN ILLUSION? • Neuroscience could hold the key to answering one of philosophy's oldest questions

INSIDE THE WORLD'S SCARIEST AI COMPANY • Palantir has become one of the most influential and least understood tech companies on the planet. As its reach spreads, so do questions about how its tools work and who they ultimately serve

DATA IN SPACE • Space data centres could be a new frontier for humanity, but can the promise live up to the hype?

Female psychopaths • A small but growing body of research is finding that female psychopaths might be more common than we thought. If so, how have they managed to go mostly unnoticed, and how much of a problem do female psychopaths...