BBC Knowledge Magazine - August 2016

In this issue

Our cover story this month, for me, is about the ultimate quest of mankind. How to manipulate life – to extend, to design, to create anew. Regenerative medicine and biotechnology is making mind-boggling strides - new tissue is being grown in petri dishes, brain mapping is becoming more sophisticated among many other things. It’s not long before the first working replica of the human brain will be created. In the story, you will also read about the Russian billionaire who is funding research on how to transfer human consciousness onto a computer. It is another step towards the direction of pursuing immortality by using robotics and the technology as a supplement to aid natural life. It is a gripping article, a mini digest of all-you-need-to-know about the journey ‘to build a human’. On page 40. Not all our features are looking into the future. I loved the feature on Why Rome Ruled the World (pg 34) and on the History of the Underwear. I know for sure that my 10-year old would be tickled silly reading the latter. Inside we also have a fantastic conversation with Sunil Khilnani, historian and author of one of the books I have thoroughly enjoyed recently – Incarnations: India in 50 Lives. A must-read. And thank you to all our young readers for submitting in their creative works for the Get Published in BBC Knowledge initiative. We received such wonderful poems and essays from all across the country and the selections are inside the pages for you to read. Congratulations to all our young published writers. Cheers.