New issue: Inside a Black Hole

At this point in time, black holes feel… inescapable. I’m not talking about their gravitational pull, but rather how every week seems to bring the publication of a new paper about these cosmic monsters. For such enigmatic objects, we hear an awful lot about them. This is mostly thanks to the discovery, made a little over 10 years ago, that we could detect and measure gravitational waves. When this happened, we found a new way to look at the Universe. Until then, we had relied on various types of sensors to collect light (X-rays, visible light, radio waves and so on) or particles, such as cosmic rays, to examine the Universe. All of which, famously, tell us almost nothing about black holes. But then, on 14 September 2015, we picked up the signal created by two black holes spiralling around each other and merging. The event didn’t create a flash or a bang; instead, it created a ripple in spacetime that surged towards us at the speed of light. Here on Earth, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) picked up this vibration in the fabric of spacetime and, in doing so, gave us a new way to probe the Universe – and a means to investigate the behaviour of black holes. Fast forward to today, and LIGO and its new partners – the Virgo interferometer in Italy and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA) in Japan – have become black hole hunters, tracking 300 mergers between them. The signals received and the measurements taken are slowly disrobing black holes of their secrecy. By analysing these signals, scientists can determine how a black hole formed, its mass and spin, its energy output and much more. We’ve discovered black holes are much bigger and much more common than we thought, and that there might be different generations spread throughout the Universe. And yet, we still haven’t been able to peer inside one. That final frontier still remains… or does it? Read this issue to find out.

Holly Spanner

Published: May 20, 2026 at 7:00 am

The front cover of issue 433 of BBC Science Focus

Mega-Firestorms

Climate change is causing devastating wildfires and things could be about to get worse… for all of us.

A touch-starved population

New research is revealing the importance of physical contact, and how not having it affects our health and wellbeing (but it's good news for pet-owners).

Ultra-processed foods

It's not you – 'Big Food' and their UPFs have an uncanny knack of overwhelming our willpower. And that might be what makes them so difficult to avoid.

How to make better decisions

Have you ever thought deeply about your thought process? It's not procrastination, I promise, but it could be the route to making better decisions.

Plus

World Cup fever: Could new aerodynamic features in this year's ball decide the fate of nations?
America underwater: Disaster could be heading for America’s coastline and far sooner than experts first thought.
Q&A: Your questions answered. This month, you want to know: What does narcissistic baiting look like? What is pee, actually? Why do insects fly into lights? What’s the best temperature to wash laundry at? What is histamine flushing and what can it tell you? Why mies does my cat get zoomies on a full Moon? Should I stop eating hot dogs? And more…

Issue 433 on sale Wednesday 20 May 2026

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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.

Issue 433 of BBC Science Focus is on sale from 20 May 2026