New issue: Mirrorlife

Mirror life could end all life on Earth. That sounds dramatic, but senior biologists have raised the alarm about experiments happening all around the world. It sounds like something in a Doctor Who plot, but no – mirror life is a real possibility. So why do scientists want to create something that’s potentially apocalyptic? Well, it could also have huge benefits (think back to splitting the atom). The first thing to say, however, is that mirror organisms are still a little way away yet – but only decades, not centuries. So far, scientists have only made mirror molecules, one of life’s building blocks. What for? Life works because its building blocks fit together. Imagine drilling a screw into a piece of wood. The screw cuts a hole with a thread that snugly matches its own. If, for some reason, the Doctor showed up and handed you a mirror version of the screw, its thread would be in reverse. It wouldn’t twist into the hole you’d just made as the threads wouldn’t match. That said, the mirror screw would still work; you’d just have to create a mirror hole for it. Mirror molecules, including DNA, work a bit like that. They follow the same principles as the biology around us, but they’re entirely incompatible with traditional biological functions. In medical terms, this means they’re effectively invisible to your body’s systems. Our biology doesn’t have the tools to recognise these molecules and break them apart. And if someone took these mirror molecules and put them together to make a cell and then an organism… you’d have mirror life. But we don't have any way of breaking it down. If it escaped the lab, we’d just have to hope it didn’t have an appetite.

Holly Spanner

Published: April 23, 2026 at 7:00 am

The front cover of issue 432 of BBC Science Focus magazine

Ozempic for all?

GLP-1 drugs provide a potential solution to the obesity crisis. What happens if we seize it, and weight-loss drugs become available to everyone who needs them?

Planet Myopia

Short-sightedness has reached epidemic proportions. Now, scientists are starting to take a closer look at why this is happening and how modern life is contributing to our collective loss of vision.

Dark Galaxies

Dark matter remains the biggest mystery in physics. A newly-discovered galaxy that appears to be made of the stuff could help us solve this mystery.

Money Corrupts

Amassing a fortune often seems to come at the cost of a person's morality. Neuroscience is revealing how a big windfall can warp your sense of what's right and wrong.

Plus

Cannabis: There's conflict growing over the medicinal use of cannabis. Does the drug actually help with mental health?
Peptides: Why is everyone injecting themselves with peptides?
Q&A: Your questions answered. This month, our experts discuss: Which animal is most likely to escape from the zoo? What’s the best way to stop being car sick? Why are carrots orange? Could we create sunlight on demand? Does Earth have a heartbeat? Can any animals play musical instruments? What happens when a narcissist crosses a narcissist? Why do beer foams last so long? And more…

Issue 432 on sale Thursday 23 April 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 432 of BBC Science Focus is on sale from 23 April 2026