Tom Howarth
Tom is trends editor at BBC Science Focus. He obtained an MPhil degree in advanced chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge, where he conducted research into amyloid protein folding using fluorescent lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Before joining BBC Science Focus, Tom worked as a science communicator at the European Southern Observatory and has previously written GreenBiz and Geographical Magazine too. Today, he covers all types of trending science stories, from ecology to epidemiology, chemistry to computer science.
Recent articles by Tom Howarth
How one man made six million Wikipedia edits (and counting)
He’s touched a third of all articles on English Wikipedia. But the site’s founder says it's not all about the numbers
6 (very weird) new inventions that could change your life
From real-life holograms to smart contact lenses – these inventions are bringing science fiction into reality
I survived the worst fire in space history – and was told to keep it secret
New nightmare unlocked
How AI could soon be used by Wikipedia, according to its founder
Jimmy Wales, internet entrepreneur and founder of Wikipedia, reveals major changes coming to the web’s biggest bank of human knowledge
Wikipedia not run by ‘left-wing activists’, says founder after Elon Musk criticism
Jimmy Wales told BBC Science Focus the Tesla CEO’s claims are “just factually wrong"
Landmark ‘ageing atlas’ reveals how your organs change over a lifetime
Scientists are building the clearest picture yet of how we age – right now to your cells and DNA
New DNA evidence reveals how Napoleon’s army was actually defeated
Not to self: never attempt an invasion of Russia in the winter
A flesh-eating parasite has almost reached the US border. Should we be worried?
A deadly fly once wiped out across North America has resurfaced in northern Mexico
The surprising ways Parkinson’s can now be spotted years early
A wave of new breakthrough tech could detect the disease years – even decades – before major symptoms strike
The hidden trigger behind Parkinson’s has finally been spotted
The findings mark a major advancement in our understanding of the world’s fastest-growing neurological disease
Your brain runs on autopilot most of the time. Here’s how to take back control
A new study has found that habits rule our daily lives, and yet they may be the key to achieving our goals
Long-distance runners may face higher colon cancer risk, early findings suggest
Running is overwhelmingly good for your health. But can you take it too far?
Groundbreaking video captures hidden moment of human fertility
Observing the crucial step in human development could help improve fertility
Taking common vitamin D supplement may actually lower your levels of vitamin D3
Yes, you read that right
How to cut your dementia risk: 7 key lessons from the world’s most important studies
The latest research is revealing clues about how you might be able to lower your chances of getting dementia. Here’s what the science says about keeping your mind sharp.
This strange skull has completely baffled scientists for 60 years – until now
The Petralona skull was discovered in Greece in 1960, yet who this person was or when they lived has remained a mystery
Artificial sweeteners may speed up brain ageing, study claims
Many of these sweeteners appear in diet sodas
What your spatial awareness reveals about your dementia risk
Difficulties with navigation could reveal the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease – long before memory loss becomes apparent
An ancient tooth is reshaping what we know about Stonehenge
A single prehistoric cow tooth has revealed that Stonehenge’s builders may have brought more than just giant stones from Wales
A new mega-earthquake hotspot could be forming beneath the Atlantic
Mysterious earthquakes in the region have long gone unexplained
We may have solved a major part of the puzzle of how life got started
Scientists have recreated a key step in the chemistry of life – offering new clues as to how our genetic code came to be
121 random fun facts that will blow your mind
Our collection of the best interesting trivia covers animals, biology, geography, space and much more
How we read emotions could reveal a hidden sign of brain ageing
Ageing isn’t all doom and gloom: you may see the world in a more positive light
Archaeologists have unlocked new secrets of life in Pompeii
Far from being frozen in time, Pompeii lived on as a fragile community built among the ruins