BBC Science Focus Magazine

With accessible features illustrated with the world’s best photography, BBC Focus Magazine explains the theory behind scientific phenomena and really brings science to life. In every issue you’ll find news of the latest major scientific developments, a lively Q&A section plus exclusive and astonishing photographic reports that range from the breathtaking to the downright odd.

FROM THE EDITOR

ON THE BBC THIS MONTH…

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BBC Science Focus Magazine

DISCOVERIES

Major global cities are now sinking faster than sea levels are rising • Land subsidence might now be the biggest climate threat in places like New Orleans and Shanghai

Study reveals the world's most narcissistic countries • People in 53 countries surveyed to see which nation has the highest opinion of themselves

Most planets in the Milky Way are born ‘bloated’ • The planets are unlike anything found in our Solar System

A hum could help reverse Alzheimer's • The research offers “encouraging” evidence of a potential treatment

Mosquitoes are becoming thirstier for human blood • Habitat loss may be pushing mosquitoes towards human hosts with deadly consequences

Your dog might be eavesdropping on your conversations and learning words from them • Smart dogs can learn words as well as toddlers

We've finally found the mental ‘brake’ behind procrastination • A pesky ‘motivation brake’ may control when we'd rather put things off

The ancient baths of Pompeii were outrageously filthy • The pre-Roman baths of Pompeii would've been seriously grotty, according to an analysis of mineral deposits

Meet Veronika the cow who's learnt how to use tools • It appears our bovine friends have been udder-estimated

The weight-loss pill everyone wants is finally here • Experts say weight-loss drugs in pill form may become much more widely available – for better and for worse

The top-6 space missions to watch out for after Artemis II • Artemis II might be making all the headlines, but it's not the only major mission set to launch in 2026

It's OpenClaw's world now. You're just living in it • The first agentic AI is here and looking to make your life easier. But how far will it go and what are the risks?

F1 in 2026 truly will be ‘Drive to Survive’ • The biggest Formula 1 rule shake-up in years should result in twitchier cars and more exciting on-track action

ALL TALK,  NO HUMANS • Millions of AI agents are chatting on a social media site that humans can only observe. Soon, we won't understand a word

EDITOR'S PICKS… • This month's smartest tech

FORGET ABOUT IT • WE MAY SOON BE ABLE TO DELETE BAD MEMORIES FOR EVER. BUT FORGETTING COMES AT A COST

WHAT LIES BENEATH • A revolutionary new technique is set to reveal the secrets of soil without so much as scratching its surface. Secrets that could hold solutions to problems like famine and climate change

5 DANGERS HIDING IN YOUR PROCESSED FOOD • We all know that ultra-processed foods are bad for us, but what ingredients should we particularly try to avoid? And what are they doing to our bodies?

THE COCKTAIL EFFECT

THE UNIVERSE AS A HOLOGRAM • Prof Stephen Hawking's closest collaborator explains emerging evidence indicating the cosmologist's final thoughts on time were correct and why this suggests the Universe might be a giant hologram

FRESH EVIDENCE • How a black hole explosion could explain everything

MICROBIOMES OF THE SUPERAGERS • BY STUDYING THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING...