BBC Science Focus Magazine April 2022

Could you imagine watching an Earthrise? It would feel like a dream: a glowing, blue-green gem of a planet creeping up over a grey horizon. The chance to see Earth from space is just about the only thing that could convince me to set foot onto a rocket pointed at the Moon. But let’s be honest, unless Elon Musk slides into my DMs, “should I go to the Moon?” is not likely a question I’ll ever have to answer. But for some, it seems like a trip to the lunar surface and back might not be totally out of the question in our lifetime. Over the next decade, an armada of probes, rovers and satellites from national and private space agencies will descend upon the Moon. For the most part, they…

H2O: The Molecule That Made Us How does our most precious resource tie the planet together? This brilliant series is now available on iPlayer for the next six months. Available on iPlayer Freeze The Fear Wim ‘The Iceman’ Hof seemingly has the ability to control his body temperature, allowing him to do things like run a barefoot marathon in the Arctic. In this show, he’ll put celebs to the test and hopefully we’ll learn a little of the science behind his feats. BBC One Check Radio Times for details Space Tourism – What’s The Cost To The Climate? As Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson invite tourists to join them on a rocket into space, this programme addresses the elephant in the room. How much harm does space tourism do to the climate? BBC World Service Monday 11 April, 8pm Also available…

If my brain can’t feel pain, why do we get headaches? →p79 JULES HOWARD As it turns out, huffing and puffing can be quite useful in the animal kingdom. Zoologist Jules explores how and why evolution led to animals that can blow themselves up like balloons. →p44 PROF TURI KING Turi and her team were the scientists who identified the remains of Richard III. Now she’s appearing on BBC Two to help solve family mysteries using DNA tech. →p66 DR ALEKS KROTOSKI As presenter of The Digital Human on BBC Radio 4, Aleks has spent much of her career navigating sea changes in tech. Who could be better to guide us through the strange new world of the metaverse? →p70 CERI PERKINS A former employee at CERN, Ceri takes us on a deep dive into operations and discoveries,…

A far–out way in RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA Imagine arriving at an event, joining the queue to get in, and finding yourself standing in the world’s largest kaleidoscope. That’s what visitors to 2022’s LEAP: One Eye On the Stars tech conference found when they arrived at the venue in Saudi Arabia. The installation, made by London-based architecture studio STUFISH, stood six metres high, three metres wide and covered a 40-metre path into the exhibition. “The ambition was to achieve an endless horizon for people to walk towards,” says MAciej Woroniecki, a partner at STUFISH. Scenes from Saudi Arabia’s natural environment, across the land, sea and sky, were shown on LED tiles, which were then reflected by specially designed foil mirrors to achieve the kaleidoscope effect. But could the world’s largest kaleidoscope have been even bigger? “The effect…

Your article about intimacy (February, p66) really hit home with me on a deeply emotional level. My husband has often said to me that my social media use, internet surfing and messaging on my phone is deeply intrusive and has created a barrier between us. So the phrase ‘technoference’ really stuck a chord with me. We’ve worked hard as a couple to put aside technology-free moments, and this has worked for us. While technology has helped us reach out to more people, over time, I believe it’s made us more isolated. We should all seek out face-to-face relationships and physical contact with others, as a way of boosting our mental health and making us happier people. Natasha Russell-Carr WRITE IN AND WIN! The writer of next issue’s Letter Of The Month wins a…

reply@sciencefocus.com BBC Science Focus, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST @sciencefocus www.facebook.com/sciencefocus @bbcsciencefocus Save our skies As a pilot, the idea of the skies being full of small aircraft scares the hell out of me (January, p44). Small aircraft – like the little bubble helicopters – are difficult to see and they tend to be where you don’t expect them to be. If all of these people are talking to air traffic control, the frequencies will become jammed and you won’t be able to get a word in edgeways, never mind keep track of what everybody is saying. I hope they rethink this whole idea. I do not want to share the sky with hundreds of little hornets. Emily Johnston Tardigrades in space I was fascinated to read your article about blasting tardigrades into space in 2040 (February, p26). Then…