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News
Can robots tie their shoelaces?
28/01/2015
Dexterous robots who can tie their own shoelaces and play intricate piano solos have so far been the preserve of science fiction. But neuroscientists in Germany have brought this vision a step closer to reality.
News
Let us know what you think of BBC Focus Magazine
27/01/2015
Readers of BBC Focus Magazine... we need you! Let us know what you think of the mag and you could win a £100 John Lewis voucher.
Podcast
Focus Magazine Q and A podcast – February 2015
27/01/2015
“Can lightning strike upwards?” and “What is the wettest place in the world?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Q&A
Are spiders really scared of conkers?
26/01/2015
Putting conkers around the house to deter spiders is an old wives’ tale and there’s no evidence to suggest it really works.
News
What’s on TV & radio (24 – 30 January 2015)
23/01/2015
This week's guide to science on the telly and radio...
Q&A
How do stones skim?
21/01/2015
Shape, speed and spin-rate all play a role, but it’s the angle to the water that is most important in getting plenty of skips.
The 6 hottest gadgets: February 2015
20/01/2015
We round up the gadgets and gizmos that are getting us excited this month...
Gallery
10 everyday objects
10 everyday objects as you've never seen them before
Go beneath the surface and even the most ordinary objects take on an otherworldly appearance. In these images, GE Healthcare uses X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic...
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Poll

They're the latest gadget craze: telescopic phone and camera holders that let you take selfies from a distance. But would you buy one?

Would you buy a selfie stick? Would you buy a selfie stick?

They're the latest gadget craze: telescopic phone and camera holders that let you take selfies from a distance. But would you buy one?

Q&A
What are supervolcanoes?

These are volcanoes with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8 that throw out more than 1000km3 of material. By comparison, the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens released 2.8km3. The...

If Earth orbits the Sun, why is the Plough always visible?

It's not the fact that the Earth orbits the Sun that matters, but its tilt of around 23 degrees to the plane of the Solar System. That leads to some constellations being too low in the sky to see...

Is It True There Are Dead Wasps In Figs
 Certain types of fig are male and female and so require a special breed of wasp to pollinate the females. The...
Why do we get jetlag?

It’s partly because of time differences. If I fly from London to Tokyo, taking off at 6pm, I will arrive around 6am the following day by my watch. But the local time is 2pm (3pm during...

Do coal-fired power stations produce radioactive waste?

Yes – and the waste contributes far more radiation to the environment than nuclear power stations. The radioactivity comes from the trace amounts of uranium and thorium contained in coal....

Which Animal Is Most Likely To Eat Me?

Eating humans is not a great lifestyle choice, at least for vertebrates. Mainly this is because our normal living range doesn’t overlap much with that of wild animals. You’re...

How long does a shower have to be, to use the same amount of water as a bath?

A bath filled about a third of the way up (which takes the water level over your belly button when you lie down) requires around 75 litres. An ordinary electrically heated shower puts out four...

Are earphones really damaging to health?

Doctors have long warned of the damaging effects of prolonged exposure to loud music via earphones. The popularity of portable cassette players in the 1980s led to studies claiming that around 1...

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