How It Works UK
How many insects have been discovered so far?
The total number of named species is around a million.
7 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
HOW SKI LIFTS WORK
Boxes, poles, chairs and belts combine to carry skiers to the top of snowy mountains
3 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
WE CAN HEAR WITHOUT EARS
AND OTHER THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW WE PLANTS COULD DO
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
FORMULA FAST
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FORMULA ONE RACING
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
MY LIFE AS AN ASTHMANAUT
A CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT ASTHMA
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT COUNTERS IMMUNE CELL AGEING IN MICE
A new mRNA treatment rejuvenates key immune cells in the body, which could help them fight off infections and cancer, a mouse study suggests.
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
A dinosaur nearly as long as a bus stalked Thailand's rivers 125 million years ago
A round 125 million years ago, a Spinosaurus relative nearly as long as a bus stalked rivers to gobble up fish in what is now Thailand.
2 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
RARE ROCKS AND DEAR DEPOSITS
What are the rarest minerals on Earth? These are some of the hardest to find on the planet
3 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
LYDIA LOVES BUGS
A SHORT AND SWEET STORY OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC ENTOMOLOGIST
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
HOW TO EXPLAIN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING TO A GROWN-UP
A CHILDREN'S GUIDE TO EDUCATING ADULTS
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
OVERSHADOWED BY A SUPERMOON
Setting behind the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope on Cerro Paranal, Chile, astrophotographer Yuri Beletsky captured a mesmerising view of the 'supermoon' in August 2024.
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
RED PLANET ORBITER TAKES ITS 100,000TH IMAGE OF MARS
This year, a NASA spacecraft called the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will begin its 20th year of observing the Red Planet from above.
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
GOOD BAD HABIT
Why our brains are hardwired for both healthy and unhealthy routines
10+ min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
Supercapacitor breakthrough could boost energy storage in future EVs
Scientists have found a new way to manipulate graphene to create a substance with record-breaking energy and power density.
2 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
THE DEADLIEST ANIMALS ON EARTH
There are lots of dangerous animals out there, but not all of nature's human-killers are big and scary. In fact, the deadliest are so small you rarely notice them until it's too late...
5 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
World's oldest cremation pyre of a hunter-gatherer discovered
The 9,500-year-old remains of a woman in Malawi have set a new record, marking Africa's oldest evidence of intentional cremation, as well as the earliest known cremation pyre for an adult that is still 'in situ', or in its original position.
2 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
FLAT-HEADED CAT SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS
Researchers have photographed a rare cat in Thailand that hasn't been seen in the country for almost 30 years.
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE
You don't have to hit the high street to get the most out of your cuppa
3 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
SPACE FORCE SHOWS OFF ITS NEW ALASKA RADAR POST
Early in December 2025, the US Space Force's Combat Forces Command (CFC) formally accepted operational responsibility for the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) after the successful completion of a series of tests.
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
12 COOL AND CURIOUS SPACE EXPERIMENTS
Astronauts on board the International Space Station have conducted a huge range of scientific experiments – here are 12 of our favourites
8 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
HOW THE REAL ATLANTIS SANK
The natural disaster that resulted in the prominent ancient Greek city of Helike being lost for centuries
4 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
DRAGONFLY FACE-OFF
This close-up view of a Libellulidae dragonfly's head highlights the compact anatomy of the insect's mouth.
1 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
WISH LIST
WILDLIFE-WATCHING GADGETS
2 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE A COCOON?
How certain species of insects transform from crawling caterpillars to flying moths and butterflies
3 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
Japan trials a 100-kilowatt laser weapon
Japan has deployed a system that fires laser beams with 100 kilowatts of energy, which is powerful enough to disable small drones.
2 min |
Issue 212
How It Works UK
Earth's seasons vary wildly even at the same latitude
Earth's seasonal cycles can vary dramatically across short distances, even at the same latitudes, a new study suggests.
2 min |
Issue 212
BBC Science Focus
What Australia's social media ban could really mean for under-16s
Many people think social media is bad for our kids. Australia is trying to prove it
5 min |
February 2026
BBC Science Focus
Could there be a human bird flu pandemic in 2026? Maybe, say experts
Avian influenza is spreading rapidly between animal species – and every new host raises the risk it poses to us
4 min |
February 2026
BBC Science Focus
Female psychopaths
A small but growing body of research is finding that female psychopaths might be more common than we thought. If so, how have they managed to go mostly unnoticed, and how much of a problem do female psychopaths present?
9 min |
February 2026
BBC Science Focus
A MENTAL HEALTH GLOW-UP
Forget fine lines. Could Botox give you an unexpected mental health tweakment?
3 min |