Magazine
BBC Science Focus is the BBC’s science and technology monthly magazine. Jargon-free and accessible, you don’t need a PhD in particle physics to enjoy reading it. All you need is a quizzical mind that wants to understand the world around you, and gain a fact or two to keep up your sleeve in a pub quiz emergency.

The science of Dune: Could we really make smart drugs?

'The spice' is an extremely precious commodity that greatly enhances the user's mental abilities. Could we recreate this in real life?
more

Anti-ageing pills are real, and some of us are taking them without knowing it

Eternal youth is the stuff of religion and mythology, but what if we could just have a bit more of it? What if there was a pill that could slow down the ravages of time, so that you could feel younger for longer. It sounds like snake oil, but there’s a growing body of research that’s betting on making it a reality.
more

Are people in comas conscious?

It's usually assumed that a person in a vegetative state has no awareness of the world around them. Dr Adrian Owen, who pioneered groundbreaking research that has proven otherwise, explains why we need to be talking to these patients.
more

What's next?

For over three decades we've been navigating the cutting-edge of science. So for our 400th issue it only seemed right to look forward, as we always have, to the future. Inside, we’ve explored some of the subjects that have been most popular with you – our readers – in the format that’s been most popular: a great, big Q&A.
more

A blueprint for anti-ageing

Would you like to reverse your biological age? In this issue, we take a look at the simple, science-backed actions that really could slow, stop, or even reverse the ageing process itself.
more

Why scientists are now racing to stop a mass plant extinction

The race is on to document and protect the world’s plant and fungi species... and everything is at stake if we lose.
more

How to catch a liar

We’re terrible at spotting liars. Instinctively, we think we know when someone is lying to us, and sometimes we’re right, but just as often we misread the cues. So will we ever be able to definitively catch a liar? Well, it turns out we might. And you can find out exactly how in this issue.
more

BBC Science Focus Crossword solution #397

Here is the solution to the BBC Science Focus Crossword from issue 397 of BBC Science Focus magazine.
more

AI could create music that can manipulate your emotions – and voting choices

AI can churn out tunes that mimic our best songwriters. But will any of these new tracks ever really resonate with us?
more

Supersonic passenger flights are making an unlikely return. Here’s why

It’s 20 years since the public could buy a ticket to fly on a plane capable of breaking the sound barrier. But there’s a band of engineers and pilots who think commercial airline passengers are once again feeling the need... the need for supersonic speed.
more

Habits

Our lives are filled with habitual behaviours, both good and bad, but how do they form and how can we build better habits?
more