BBC Knowledge Magazine - April 2018
BBC Knowledge Magazine - April 2018
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In this issue
The future's bright, the future is dazzling. Particularly in this issue of BBC Knowledge... Mission into the Sun, our cover story, tells of how two different solar missions are getting set to stare down the most lustrous orb in our solar system and return to tell the story. The other future-forward feature, Where’s My Flying Car?, puts down new timelines on innovations that are only just coming into their own, while Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain details the fascinating advances that can be expected as scientists work with mini-brains in lab dishes. This issue, we also bring you innovations unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2018, and there’s a great story on The Science of Fighting Fat as well, which takes a long, hard look at the different diets going around as well as offers practical tips on losing weight. Looking into the past, What if the Dinosaurs had Survived? speculates that the world would have been a very different place if dinosaurs had not been wiped out in a mass extinction all those millions of years ago, while The Nuclear Pioneer who Escaped the Nazis lays out the story of Lise Meitner, whose contribution is valued even today. There is also, of course, the Devdutt Pattanaik special that explores the Serpent Lore of India, and all our other interesting regulars to keep you engrossed.We predict the the future of your reading is looking bright...
Are We Close To Making Our Home Away From Earth?
Our exploration of the cosmos is hampered by our bodies and minds, which struggle in space. So could we ever overcome our Biology and settle among the stars?
10 mins
The Viruses That Made Us Human
Viruses give us infections, from the common cold to Ebola and Aids. But new research shows that they may also have played a key role in shaping the evolution of homo sapiens.
9 mins
Can You Supercharge Your Brain?
Your brain is the finely-tuned machine that controls all your actions and emotions, so it makes sense to keep it well-oiled. But, asks Rita Carter, are there any scientifically proven methods to ensure it works better for longer?
7 mins
The Yaksha's Quiz
One day, a man approached the Pandavas while they were in exile in the forest.
6 mins
Are Dogs Making Us Healthy Too?
While we know our furry friends are brilliant companions, Dr John Bradshaw finds out if they could actually be making us healthier too.
6 mins
Welcome to the Jungle
As our cities grow, animals are having to carve out a niche in this most human of habitats. Fredi Devas, producer of the urban episode of Planet Earth II, spent four years getting to know these metropolitan pioneers.
6 mins
How Should History Remember Fidel Castro?
To many, he was a heroic champion of the disenfranchised; to others, a cruel tyrant. Following Fidel Castro’s death in November 2016, we asked five historians to offer their verdicts on the Cuban leader’s life and legacy.
5 mins
Ismat Chughtai
Author and historian Urvashi Butalia details the life and words of a feminist powerhouse.
8 mins
NASA's Compact Nuclear Reactors Could Power Colonies On Mars
IF humans are ever to build colonies on the Moon or on Mars, we are going to need a reliable way of powering essentials such as lighting, water and oxygen supply – not to mention a means of producing fuel for the long schlep home.
1 min
Acoustic Tractor Beam Breakthrough Could Lead To Levitating Humans
HERE’S an idea that is really gaining traction: for the first time, University of Bristol engineers have created an acoustic tractor beam capable of trapping objects larger than the wavelength of the sound being used.
1 min
Huge Slabs Of Ice Detected Beneath The Surface Of Mars Could Sustain Human Colony
ONE of the many problems standing in the way of humans establishing a colony on the Red Planet is obtaining a supply of fresh drinking water.
1 min
First Self- Balancing Robot
This robot is the Planar Elliptical Runner (PER).
1 min
Is Social Media Making You Anti-Social?
Many of us have experienced the ways in which social media has changed the online world. But should we be worried about it altering our behaviour too?
8 mins
What You Need To Know Before You Get In A Driverless Car
Autonomous vehicles can take much of the danger out of driving, but they also present us with new problems to solve. So what needs to be figured out before the technology gets the green light?
7 mins
Saadat Hasan Manto
Saadat Hasan Manto felt deeply and wrote strongly; his work invigorates and disturbs.
7 mins
King Of The Mountains
Picture a primate that grazes like a cow, climbs cliffs like a mountain goat and forms groups as big as shoals of fish. Noah Snyder-Mackler introduces Ethiopia’s gelada.
7 mins
Is Technology Changing Our Brains?
We increasingly rely on social media to talk to friends, GPS to navigate and the web for information. But, asks Jo Carlowe, is that wise?
10 mins
Are You a Genetic Superhero?
Recent research has revealed a handful of ‘superheroes’ walking among us, whose DNA gifts them with resistance against serious diseases. Now, as Kat Amey observes, just have to find them…
8 mins
R. K. Narayan
Author and historian Urvashi Butalia tells of the life and words of one of India’s most-beloved writers.
6 mins
The Knights Templar God's Elite Warriors
Dan Jones tells the story of a crack unit of holy hard-men who spent 200 years defending crusaders’ interests in the Middle East with unblinking ferocity
9 mins
Snapshots
This blue and white harlequin shrimp was snapped
2 mins
Tragedy On The Matterhorn
The conquest of the last great Alpine peak in 1865 should have been a triumph, but instead ended in the deaths of four climbers. Peter H Hansen examines its impact on attitudes to mountaineers
6 mins
Lake Of Giants
In the Peruvian Amazon, a family of giant otters fends off hundreds of caiman to dominate a lake. Only through teamwork and guile can they beat their reptilian rivals, says PHILIPPA FORRESTER.
7 mins
The Transformation Of Indra
Indra is within us, writes mythology expert DEVDUTT PATTANAIK, as he traces the changing perceptions of the god, in the first of a series on Indian mythologies history Indian Mythology
6 mins
Cockatoos Got Rhythm
Birds might generally be better known for their singing, but new research carried out by Prof Rob Heinsohn from the Australian National University (ANU) has proved they can also be a dab hand on the drums.
1 min
Computational Origami Takes A Big Leap Forward
An MIT professor of computer science and an assistant professor in civil engineering at the University of Tokyo have joined forces to come up with a better way of… making paper rabbits.
1 min
Questions at theFrontiersof..Probability
It’s not all about tossing countless coins and rolling dice, says Robert Matthews. Probability researchers are also working on ways to unravel the secrets of the universe
5 mins
ARevealing History of Underwear
From riotously colourful corsets and ‘virile’ Y-fronts to punk-rock leggings, underwear has long possessed a rare ability to push creative boundaries and spark moral outrage. Edwina Ehrman, curator of a new Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition, introduces Spencer Mizen to seven of the most influential designs of the past 300 years
6 mins
Injustice 2
Publisher: NetherRealm StudiosFormat: PlayStation 4 and X-Box
1 min
Is Technology Changing Our Brains?
We increasingly rely on social media to talk to friends, GPS to navigate and the web for information. But, asks Jo Carlowe, is that wise?
10 mins
BBC Knowledge Magazine Description:
Publisher: Worldwide Media
Category: Science
Language: English
Frequency: Bi-Monthly
BBC Knowledge is a magazine for young inquisitive minds where well-researched, handpicked stories are matched with breath-taking visuals to cover science, history and nature. Written by renowned International and Indian experts, its wide range of features provides riveting and up-to-date information on topics as varied as technology, archaeology, natural history and space exploration. With material meant to stimulate the mind, BBC Knowledge looks to empower a generation of young readers.
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