Table of contents for March 2026 in What on Earth! Magazine

GOTCHA! This photo of a European bee-eater bird was snapped just as the bird stunned a butterfly with its beak, ready to eat it. The white sparkles flying around are from the butterfly's wings. If you've ever touched a butterfly, you may have noticed a powdery dust come from its wings. The powder is actually made of very small scales! IN THE FRAME This giant frame is an observatory, monument and museum in the city of Dubai, UAE. It was recently used as the site of the Red Bull Tetris Grand Final, in which top Tetris players faced off as a fleet of 2,800 drones hovering inside the frame formed the game's colourful Tetrimino blocks. INTRUDER ALERT! This extreme close-up shot was snapped almost by accident. The photographer noticed the…

You've probably learnt at school that English has six letters that represent vowel sounds – A, E, I, O, U and (sometimes) Y. But why do we single these sounds out at all? Let's uncover some of the secrets of vowels! First of all, you may be surprised to know that even though we only use six letters for them, in British English there are closer to 20 different vowel sounds. Not everyone uses all of them – or uses them in quite the same way. Think of the way you say the ‘a’ in the words ‘cat’ and ‘cake’. They're very different, aren't they? Vowels are special sounds because they are made without restricting airflow. This means vowel sounds can be stetched out. For instance, try asking ‘whoooooo aaaaare…

The record-breaking number of magic tricks performed in one minute by Indian magician Alwin Roshan – while wearing a blindfold! 1,800 The approximate number of years since the first known use of the word ‘abracadabra’, written on an ancient Roman medical charm.* 2 The number of minutes it took the great US magician Harry Houdini to escape from a locked prison cell.** 300 The record-breaking number of rabbits pulled from a hat in 2008 by Italian magician Walter Rolfo. 7 The age of Gloria Dea when, in 1929, she became known as the ‘youngest working magician in the world’. 12,514 The number of magicians who performed the same card trick simultaneously to set a new world record in Turin, Italy, in 2018. 50 The number in millions of people who…

WHO WAS TREVOR BAYLIS? Trevor Baylis was an inventor, entrepreneur and adventurer. He became famous for inventing a wind-up radio that could play for a long time without needing batteries or mains electricity. His idea was simple but powerful: what if people could get life-saving information, anywhere, even in places with no reliable power supply? Baylis's invention helped prove that clever design can solve huge global problems. WHEN AND WHERE DID TREVOR BAYLIS LIVE? Baylis was born in London in 1937. He left school at 15 and trained as an engineer. Before he became a well-known inventor, he worked in a whole range of unusual jobs – including as a swimming-pool manager and even a stunt performer. He spent years tinkering, building gadgets and dreaming up new ideas. Baylis died…

letters@whatonearthmag.com CUT OUT THIS COUPON! Each year in early March, young readers celebrate World Book Day by going to school in fancy dress costumes inspired by their favourite books. And, as you can see from these fantastic photos, there is no limit to where your imagination can take you! So, to mark this year's festivities, we are launching a special competition for you, our brilliant What on Earth! readers. All you have to do is send a photo of yourself in your World Book Day costume, and if your photo is featured in a future issue you will also win a copy of the deliciously disgusting Gross FACTopia! So send your photos to: letters@whatonearthmag.com HOW TO GET A FREE FUNNY FACTOPIA! You can also celebrate World Book Day by picking…

ANIMALS 1 How old was the world's oldest recorded goldfish? a. 13 years  b. 23 years c. 33 years  d. 43 years 2 A father Emperor penguin keeps its egg warm by balancing it… a. In a nest of pebbles b. On its feet, under a flap of skin c. On a pile of snow d. On its head 3 How many hearts does an octopus have? a. One b. Two c. Three d. Eight 4 An elephant's tusks are long, curved teeth that keep growing. What type of teeth form its tusks? a. Canines b. Incisors c. Molars d. Wisdom teeth MISSING LETTERS Add the same single letter between both sets of words so that the letter completes the words before the lines and starts the words after them. For example, in the pair PI_LUE and PLU_OOD, the missing…

MUSIC MAKERS All the musicians in a symphony orchestra A symphony orchestra can have between 60 and 100 musicians. So, if you want to start your own, here's who you'll need (the coloured circles in the list match the colours of the musicians’ jumpers): STRINGS 16 First violin players The violin is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the string family, and the first violins form the largest section of the whole orchestra, with up to 16 players. The player sitting at the very front is called the Leader and has a special responsibility: they tune the entire orchestra before every performance. 14 Second violin players Second violins look and sound like first violins, but they often play harmony parts that weave around the main tune, helping the music feel rich and…

Emoji Idioms A. A storm in a teacup B. Back to square one C. Hot potato D. All ears Hidden Phrases Butterfly Ice cube Hotshot Couch potato Word Wheel SPAGHETTI ATHEIST TIGHTS EIGHT PISTE HEATS EAST STAG Missing Letters THAWEEK, STEWILD WAITURN, SALTOWN STUMPRICE, TRAPACK HOOFACE, CHEFOCUS Link Words AIRPORTHOLE TOOTHBRUSH STROKE HORSEBACKFLIP NEWSPAPERBOY Quiz Answers Animals 1. d, 2. b, 3. c, 4. b; Geography 1. a, 2. d, 3. d, 4. b; Space 1. d, 2. b, 3. c, 4. b; Human Body 1. d, 2. c, 3. c, 4. c; Human World 1. a, 2. a, 3. c, 4. d; Lucky Dip 1. b, 2. d, 3. b, 4. c. Cube It! Spot the Difference Picture Quiz Medieval Word Search Number Triangles Bridge Puzzle Changing Rooms Futoshiki Sudoku Connect the…