New issue: Get more time

Modern life, and the conveniences it offers, was supposed to give us all the free time in the world. Drivers deliver to our doors; ovens spit out ready-made meals in minutes; and robots dust, mop and vacuum our floors while we eat. And yet, it seems we never have enough time these days. In fact, it’s gotten so bad that scientists have even coined a term for it: time famine. To find out what’s actually going on, Dr Ruth Ogden explores the experience of time in the digital age - and how we can find more to avoid burning out.

Holly Spanner

Published: January 19, 2024 at 7:00 am
The front cover of issue 401 of BBC Science Focus magazine

Dinosaurs

Big and scary they may have been, but dinosaurs were by no means lumbering brutes. The more we learn about them, the more we see just how misguided our early reconstructions were. This glossy picture feature compares historical depictions with our most up-to-date knowledge - and the differences are jaw-dropping.

White holes

Perhaps the most surprising scientific discovery of the last decade is that the Universe is teeming with black holes. They’ve been detected in a surprising variety of sizes: some with masses only a bit larger than the Sun, others that are billions of times larger. But what happens when a black hole dies? Carlo Rovelli reveals how they could rebound into a new, reflected form; white holes.

Dry January

Sobering science tells us that no amount of booze is good for our health. So should we rethink the way we drink?

Body dysmorphia

If you have body dysmorphia – the all-consuming obsession with perceived flaws in your looks – you're not alone; it's thought to affect one in five young people. How is tech changing the way we see ourselves? We take a closer look at this often debilitating condition and have put together a practical guide to help you worry less.

Plus

  • Meta Quest 3: Tech expert Alex Hughes straps on the Meta Quest 3 for a test drive. Having yet to encounter a truly viable at-home VR experience, could this headset finally herald the future of virtual reality?
  • Do you have a genius dog? Scientists have pinned down the characteristics of a unique type of genius dog, and it all comes down to how well they know their toys. If your pooch can retrieve its toys by name rather than chewing them to pieces, you may have a genius on your hands.
  • Yellowstone eruption: National Park. Natural Wonder. Existential Threat? There are around 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth, 170 of which can be found in the United States. Among these, few have captured our imaginations, or provoked our collective sense of existential dread like Yellowstone. So, does the threat from the supervolcano live up to the hype?

Issue 401 on sale 19 January 2024

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Holly Spanner

Staff Writer, BBC Science Focus

Holly is the Staff Writer for BBC Science Focus and looks after the popular Q&A section. She holds an MSc (distinction) in Geoscience (Space and Climate Physics) from UCL, and specialises in astronomy and earth sciences. Before joining Our Media, she worked as a geoenvironmental consultant and engineer, informing on ground risk and remediation in the north of England, while hunting for exoplanets in her spare time. Alongside this, she was regional editor of a popular theatre website for nine years, and has a solid background in curating and developing content for the digital space. Holly is also an artist and illustrator, and regular contributor to the craft website, Gathered. She has previously worked with the RSPB, English Heritage, Disney, Pilot and Brother, as well as on BBC Good Food magazine, Home Style magazine, and Papercraft inspirations magazine. She enjoys photography and has a sustained interest in antiques.
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