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

THE TEAM

2020 IN IMAGES • THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC DOMINATED THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND HAS HAD А PROFOUND EFFECT ON ALL OUR LIVES. BUT IT WASN’T THE ONLY THING ALTERING OUR LANDSCAPE. HERE, IN PICTURES, IS A SELECTION OF SOME OF THE STORIES THAT SHAPED THE WORLD IN 2020

BOOKS OF 2020

ANCIENT MEGAFLOOD HINTS AT POSSIBILITY OF LIFE ON MARS • Data beamed back by NASA’s Curiosity rover tells of floodsraging across the planet’s surface four billion years ago

Ireland’s first-ever dinosaurs discovered

Haunted house visitors monitored

Camel fur inspires new gel-based cooling technology

Eating chilli peppers may help us to live longer • Large-scale study suggests consuming spicy peppers may reduce death by all causes by up to a quarter

ENTOMOLOGY

Good month

Bad month

Scientists develop nanoparticles for treating Alzheimer’s disease • Enclosing drugs in nanoparticles could allow them to cross the blood-brain barrier

20 POSITIVE NEWS STORIES FROM 2020

THE CRACKS IN COSMOLOGY • In terms of our understanding of the Universe, some things just don’t add up. Which means either our measurements are wrong, or our theories are…

RISE OF THE CLONES • ANIMALS – FROM PETS AND LIVESTOCK TO WORKING DOGS AND EXTINCT SPECIES – ARE BEING CLONED FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES. BUT COPYING ANIMALS FROM THEIR GENETIC MATERIAL IS CREATING PROBLEMS AS QUICKLY AS IT’S SOLVING THEM

HOW CLONING WORKS

CLONING - THE STORY SO FAR

MIND GAMES • Virtual reality is being used to treat a wide range of mental health problems. Meet some of the scientists who are pioneering VR therapy and the people who are benefitting from it

TECH IN THERAPY: WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON

MEET THE BACTERIA KILLERS • With the medical world struggling to treat antibiotic resistant infections, could scientists turn to a group of viruses that explode bacterial cells from within?

LIFE CYCLE OF A BACTERIOPHAGE

A HISTORY OF PHAGE THERAPY

THE YEAR OF THE VACCINE • The race to protect us from COVID-19 has led to nextgeneration vaccinations

GOODBYE CLICKBAIT, HELLO COMMUNITY • Algorithms have turned the online world into an echo chamber. Let’s welcome back diversity, critical thinking and a sense of community

SWARM INTELLIGENCE • Small, simple, cheap satellites are being developed toexplore and study space in new ways. If we deploy themin vast swarms, these ‘CubeSats’ could changethe way we see and protect our planet

THE BIRTH OF CUBESATS

LITTLE WONDER

LAUNCHED FROM THE UK

ON THE ORIGIN OF US • PALAEOPROTEOMICS, A NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT STUDIES THE PROTEINS OF ANCIENT REMAINS, IS SHAKING UP HISTORY. NOT ONLY CAN WE NOW PEER FURTHER BACK IN TIME, BUT THE TECHNIQUE IS ALSO LETTING US SEE OUR PAST IN A NEW WAY…

LANDMARKS IN THE PROTEOMICS REVOLUTION

REWILDING • CAN IT SAVE OUR WILDLIFE AND TEMPER CLIMATE CHANGE?

THE WOLVES’ RETURN

HOW TO BRING BACK THE TREES • The UN aims to reverse the loss of forest cover and to increase forest area by 3 per cent worldwide by 2030. Other organisations are calling for higher amounts of forest gain. But how could they be achieved?

CROSSWORD • GIVE YOUR BRAIN A WORKOUT

BEAT THE BURNOUT • Get the better of pandemic fatigue with the help of science.