Table of contents for March 2017 in BBC Science Focus Magazine

“Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.” This line delivered by Bones in 2009’s Star Trek pretty much sums up space travel for me. I think I’d like to go to space, but I find flying in our own atmosphere taxing enough. And every time I meet someone from NASA or ESA they remind me, with one small but gory detail, how terrible spaceflight can be. For example, you can’t burp in space. I’m not saying I’d miss it, but your bodily fluids, unshackled from the bondage of gravity, will make a bid for freedom if they’re given the chance. Similarly, in the weightless world of the ISS, your body seems to decide you need less skeleton, so you expel calcium and minerals in your urine, which…

“An ability to make interspecies chimeras would be valuable in terms of providing basic understanding of species differences in embryo development and organ function. If human cells are incorporated, then this offers the possibility of using such chimeras to study not just normal development, but the causes of congenital defects; to test the effects of exogenous [outside the body] agents on human development, from chemicals to viruses such as Zika; and to test potential therapies. It would also offer the possibility of growing human tissues or organs in animals for transplants – although this is still a long way off. The goals of this study are therefore highly laudable. “There is currently much interest in these kinds of approaches, particularly with respect to animals containing human cells or tissues, and…

What did they do? A team from Tokyo University got male silkmoths to drive robotic cars towards the source of sex pheromones produced by a female. The moths were tethered to a treadmill linked to optical sensors that tracked their movements and steered the vehicle. Why did they do that? The scientists hope that the research will eventually lead to the development of biomimetic robots that can sniff out odours and locate their sources. Such robots could replace dogs and other animals used for detecting explosives or drugs. What did they find? The moth drivers passed the test with flying colours, taking just two seconds longer than free-walking moths in finding the source of the scent. Though like most of us, they picked up a few minor faults.…

“TOO MANY RESEARCHERS SEEM TO THINK THAT HARD DATA ALONE IS THE HALLMARK OF RELIABLE SCIENCE” It’s the big question being asked around the world. In these post-truth, fake news, alternative-fact times, who can we trust? Most people are pretty sure of one thing: it’s not politicians or the media. For years, they’ve been at the bottom of surveys of trustworthiness. Amazingly, a recent global poll revealed that what little trust they once enjoyed has now plunged to the lowest level ever recorded. Fortunately, those same polls also highlight the existence of the ultimate source of reliable insight: science. Not surprisingly, the current crisis of trust has prompted high-minded academics to pen pieces insisting it’s time we all put our trust in the methods of science. What’s striking about these…

Quantum physics is weird. It’s a world in which microscopic objects can be in two places at once. Where objects can be made to teleport from one place to another, and where they can mimic one another – even when they are kilometres apart. It’s the fairyland of physics where almost anything seems possible. And some of these strange happenings could be taking place in yourbrain. Right now. The idea that the way our brains function is down – at least in part – to quantum processes is not new. But it has often been derided too: how could we be harnessing fragile quantum processes in our brains, say many scientists, when they are so warm, wet and messy? After all, quantum computers need to be cryogenically cooled to near…

ELECTROLYSIS The process of passing electricity through a fluid, which will attract positively charged ions to one electrode and negatively charged ions to the other. HYDROGEN BOND An attraction between the relative positive electrical charge of a hydrogen atom and the relative negative charge on an atom like oxygen, making it harder to separate water molecules than we’d expect. IONS Atoms are electrically neutral, with the same number of negative electrons and positive protons, but can either lose or gain electrons. When they do, they’re called ions. POLARISATION Light waves wiggle from side to side as the light moves forward. If these movements are all in the same direction then the light is said to be polarised, which affects the way it interacts with matter. RELATIVE ELECTRICAL CHARGE Although atoms…

To be honest, I should have been better prepared. But I’d bounced out of my flat in the morning without checking the weather forecast and at 6pm, I was cursing my optimism. Torrential rain was pouring out of the dark sky, and I was wearing jeans, on a bike, without a proper raincoat. The slots in my cycling helmet were funnelling water down the back of my neck, and I was cold. I tried telling myself that Scott had faced far worse on his way to the South Pole, but the novelty of that ran out after about 30 seconds, leaving the remaining 20 minutes of my cycle filled with grumpiness. And every single traffic light seemed to be on red. Halfway home, I was squinting out through the small…

BRIAN CLEGG Water is all around us, but it really is an unusual molecule. Award-winning writer Brian plunges into the incredible science behind the wet stuff. p68 LEWIS DARTNELL Many of us hope that one day humans will live on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Astrobiologist Lewis reveals the problems that our biology might face. p38 CORDELIA FINE What’s the difference between men and women? In her new book, psychologist Cordelia Fine argues that it’s time to rethink gender. p90…

What’s that? A symphony dedicated to tasty Japanese soup? Not even close. It’s the name of a condition that causes some people to find certain sounds, such as noisy eating or heavy breathing, unbearable. Well, I can’t say I’m particularly fond of slurpers or mouth-breathers myself… That may be the case, but misophones suffer from extreme ‘fight or flight’ reactions when they hear certain trigger sounds, meaning that the condition can have a serious negative impact on their lives. That sounds terrible. Do we know why it happens? Until recently, many researchers where sceptical as to whether the condition even existed. Now, researchers at Newcastle University have found that misophones have an overactive anterior insular cortex, an area of the brain that links up senses and emotions. So have we…

DESK JOCKEYS Sitting for more than 10 hours a day can take eight years off your life, a team at the University of California has found. They think that inactivity shortens the telomeres, which are caps that exist on the end of DNA and help stop cells ageing. BIRDWATCHERS This’ll get twitchers’ binocular straps in a twist: climate change could be making birds less attractive, Swedish researchers say. Though the exact mechanism is still unknown, hotter conditions seem to be letting plainer birds outcompete more ornamented counterparts.…

Researchers in the US have created time crystals – substances with a structure that repeats in time. Time crystals were first proposed in 2012 by Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek and feature a structure that repeats in a regular periodic motion in a manner compared to tapping jelly repeatedly in order to make it jiggle. Now, based on the earlier work of the University of California’s Norman Yao, two separate teams of researchers have produced physical time crystals – one at the University of Maryland that involved hitting a line of ytterbium atoms with a pair of lasers, and another at Harvard University by exploiting tiny defects in diamonds. “This is a new phase of matter, period, but it is also really cool because it is one of the first examples…

It may not look much like Aunty Jean or Uncle Bob, but this tiny sea creature could be your oldest known ancestor. Dubbed Saccorhytus, thanks to its oval, sack-like body and large mouth, the newly discovered species lived nestled in the sand on the seabed of central China 540 million years ago. It was found lodged inside microfossils unearthed by a team from the University of Cambridge and is thought to be the most primitive example of a deuterostome – one of the major groups of the animal kingdom that includes several smaller groups, including vertebrates. “We think that as an early deuterostome this may represent the primitive beginnings of a very diverse range of species, including ourselves,” said researcher Prof Simon Conway Morris. “To the naked eye, the fossils…

As if the traffic wasn’t bad enough in Mexico City, these commuters have to put up with these ad-toting drones too. The slogans carried by the UAVs are urging people to use their cars less, and use Uber instead – the ad at the front says “This is why you never see the volcanoes,” a reference to the smog blocking out the vistas in the city. The makers of the ride-sourcing app see Central and South America as a key area for growth and, true to form, are utilising the very latest technology to get their message directly to potential users. While it’s a smart publicity stunt, we can’t help but worry about it catching on over here.…

NASA Science Investigations: Plant Growth Roam freely around a faithful recreation of the ISS, and grow some vegetables while you’re at it. Free, iOS/Android Filmic Pro Lets you apply studio-quality post-production techniques to video shot on your iPhone 7 – though you’ll need to put some work in if you want good results. £9.99, iOS Run The Solar System Learn about the planets and asteroids as you build up to a 10K run, with this immersive training app for runners developed by the British Science Association. Free, iOS/Android…

CHECK FORECASTS Like the weather, UK air quality is forecast every day and the government’s UK-Air website publishes maps rating air pollution on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high). According to health experts, most people can cope with routine exposure to even moderate levels of air pollution (up to 6), though anyone with respiratory conditions or heart problems might want to reduce strenuous activity if they feel unwell. SLOW DOWN But at levels 7 to 9, people with these conditions and the elderly are advised to cut back on such activity – as should anyone getting sore eyes, a cough or sore throat. At very high levels, the at-risk groups should avoid all strenuous activity, while everyone else should cut back on physical exertion, such as cycling. PLAN…

DR ALASTAIR GUNN Astronomer, astrophysicist ALEXANDRA CHEUNG Environment/ climate expert DR PETER J BENTLEY Computer scientist, author PROF ALICE GREGORY Psychologist, sleep expert PROF MARK LORCH Chemist, science writer CHARLOTTE CORNEY Zoo director, conservationist DR HELEN SCALES Marine biologist, writer DR CHRISTIAN JARRETT Neuroscientist, writer EMMA DAVIES Heath expert, science writer LUIS VILLAZON Science/tech writer DR AARATHI PRASAD Biologist, geneticist PROF ROBERT MATTHEWS Physicist, science writer How effective are planes in fighting wildfires? ROSALIND PATTERSON, US The US Forest Service has commercial contracts for a fleet of 300 helicopters and more than 50 fixed-wing aeroplanes, which dump 40 million litres of fire-retardant sludge onto forest fires each year. But surprisingly there isn’t very good evidence that it works. A 2011 study found no correlation between the use of fire retardant…

The deeper a sea creature lives, the smellier it is p82 The weird world of quantum physics could be at play in your brain p50 More than 45,000 people are thought to die each year in the UK because of air pollution p65 E. colican be engineered to sniff out landmines p60 Some plants can live without direct sunlight p86 CONTACT US Advertising neil.lloyd@immediate.co.uk 01173008276 Lettersfor publication reply@sciencefocus.com Editorialenquiries editorialenquiries@sciencefocus.com 01173147388 Subscriptions focus@servicehelpline.co.uk 08448440257* Othercontacts sciencefocus.com/contact WANT MORE ? FOLLOW SCIENCEFOCUS FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST GOOGLE+…

“WE STILL HAVE MUCH TO LEARN ABOUT THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF CELLS” A team at the Salk Institute has grown the first living embryos containing cells from both human beings and pigs. To create the human-pig chimeras, the researchers injected human stem cells – master cells that can develop into any type of tissue – into pig embryos. The stem cells survived and began to integrate with the pig tissue to form a chimeric human-pig embryo. These embryos were implanted in sows and allowed to develop for up to four weeks. “This is long enough for us to try to understand how the human and pig cells mix together early on, without raising ethical concerns about mature chimeric animals,” said lead investigator Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte. However, the process is…

THE FOUL-MOUTHED Those prone to a bit of effing and blinding are more honest than the rest of us, a team at the University of Cambridge has found. Just as they aren’t filtering their language to be more palatable, they’re also not filtering their views, the researchers say. INSOMNIACS Often find yourself bleary-eyed? Try heading to the great outdoors. Researchers in the US have found that a few days’ camping can reset our internal clocks and help us sleep more soundly.…

DOGS ARE FANS OF SOFT ROCK If you find your pooch is getting a bit stressed, put on some Billy Joel. A team at the University of Glasgow has found soft rock music can have a calming effect on pent-up pups. BLACK HUMOUR IS A SIGN OF INTELLIGENCE If you want to know how smart someone is, tell them a sick joke. Those with a particularly dark sense of humour score more highly in IQ tests, researchers at the University of Vienna have found. TOMATOES REALLY HAVE LOST THEIR FLAVOUR Spanish researchers have found that constant breeding for size and yield has caused a loss of 13 volatile compounds responsible for the fruit’s distinctive tangy taste leaving our tommies watery and insipid. BURSTING BALLOONS ARE LOUDER THAN SHOTGUNS Next time…

IN THE LIVING ROOM LENOVO SMART ASSISTANT If Amazon’s own Alexa hub/ speaker Echo pleaseth not thine eye, Alexa is also available in similar devices from several other manufacturers. We like Lenovo’s Smart Assistant because it comes in a range of colours, and because for £40 more than the standard edition you can get a version with a built-in 5W tweeter and 10W woofer from Harman Kardon. $129/$179 (£105/£145 approx), lenovo.com AMAZON FIRE TVS Under its Westinghouse, Element and Saiki brands, Tong Fang Global is launching new 4K TVs later this year that integrate Alexa with the Amazon Fire TV operating system. So if you want to use services like Hulu or Netflix, there will be no more hunting for the remote – just tell the…

Your inner ear can’t work in microgravity, which can cause dizziness and space sickness. Without gravity, your skeleton loses calcium to become brittle and weak, like with osteoporosis. Long-term exposure to cosmic rays may also impair brain function, which could be critical in an emergency. Conditions aboard spacecraft can lead to insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety and depression. Redistribution of body fluids in zero-g makes your face puffy. Your eyeballs distort, blurring vision. As your heart no longer needs to pump blood up against gravity in zero-g, it weakens and deteriorates.…

WATER WORLD Many of us are lucky enough to have water available at the turn of a tap, so it’s easy to forget just what an unusual substance it is. Nevertheless, our existence – and all life on Earth – is exquisitely entwined with this marvellous little molecule. When Earth is seen from the depths of space it appears as a blue dot. This is because just over 70 per cent of its surface is covered with water. Water is present on many of the planets too, and several moons of Jupiter and Saturn are thought to have significant water resources. But Earth is, without doubt, the one body in our Solar System where water has a defining presence. It’s thanks to water and its physical peculiarities that life has…

1 BLUE PLANET Earth’s defining feature is water – it’s what makes the planet look blue from space. But there’s water on many of the planets and out in space. Water is a simple chemical compound of hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio 2:1, but it can do amazing things. 2 STRONG BONDS What makes water special is hydrogen bonding. This electrical attraction between its molecules vastly increases its boiling point and makes it less dense as a solid than as a liquid. Without hydrogen bonding there would be no life on Earth, as water would boil at around -70°C. 3 THE FONT OF LIFE Living things use water as a lubricant and a solvent, carrying a whole range of chemicals around their cells, as well as keeping those cells…

Where does your interest in insects come from? I think I was born this way. My earliest memories involve butterflies, bees and wildlife generally. I remember finding some stripy cinnabar caterpillars when I was at primary school. I took them home in my lunchbox then reared them on the windowsill in my bedroom. When I was 12, we went on a family holiday to Sweden and saw all these elephant hawkmoth caterpillars crossing the road. They were probably looking for somewhere to burrow and pupate but I spent most of the holiday picking them up and moving them to safety. How did you come to work on bees? My PhD was on butterflies, but then I got sidetracked by bees. I was sitting in a local country park watching bees,…