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BBC Science Focus Magazine - October 2025

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In this issue

REALITY CHECK
The science behind the headlines: Cortisol is actually good for you.
Here’s how to maintain a healthy level; What doctors really want you to know about sports supplements

INNOVATIONS
Why the future of electric vehicles may mean driving smaller and smarter; 5 of the best electric toothbrushes; Editor’s picks highlight this month’s most innovative and exciting new gadgets.

CAN YOU BREATHE YOUR WAY TO BETTER HEALTH?
Taking some purposeful deep breaths could unlock a host of benefits.

THE TRUTH ABOUT ADULT ADHD
Common misconceptions around ADHD have led to millions of adults being undiagnosed.

Baby shark

The alien-looking organism inside this glass jar goes by a variety of names. In scientific circles, it's known as Stegostoma tigrinum.

1 mins

A truck load

No, this isn't an oddly ordered traffic jam or a well-organised truckers’ protest.

1 mins

A history of violence

How's this for a poke in the ribs? It's an arrowhead that was shot into someone's ribcage around 4,000 years ago.

1 mins

'Clearest sign' of alien life on Mars found by NASA

Strange 'leopard spot' markings on a Martian rock could finally be the sign we've been waiting for that alien microbes once lived on the Red Planet

4 mins

New type of acid rain could threaten life on Earth

This 'forever chemical' is almost impossible to remove from the environment

2 mins

Human brains emit a bizarre glow

Subtle light shines through our skulls in patterns that depends on what we're doing

1 mins

Female gorillas can overpower males twice their size

Primate society is less patriarchal than we previously thought

1 mins

Largest black hole in the Universe discovered

The black hole grew to its enormous size by consuming all its nearby siblings

1 mins

A tiny stone tool may have just rewritten human history

It's not yet clear who left the tool on the island

1 mins

Scientists are rethinking the cause of insomnia

A gut reaction might be causing your sleepless nights

1 mins

Scientists publish findings from 25-year study of 'super-agers'

The results could uncover new ways to delay or prevent dementia

1 mins

Groundbreaking footage captures hidden moment of human fertility

Observing the crucial step in human development could help improve fertility and IVF

1 mins

97% of autistic adults over 60 are undiagnosed

Their autism was missed during childhood, resulting in an 'overlooked' generation of autistics

1 mins

Cortisol is actually good for you. Here's how to maintain a healthy level

Influencers are demonising a hormone that plays a star role in regulating your body

3 mins

"Far from being the bad guy, cortisol is a hormone that's vital for our bodies and brains"

To complicate matters further, cortisol is also released in bursts, about every hour or so.

2 mins

What doctors really want you to know about sports supplements

Athletic enhancers are big business. But it's not always clear which ones actually work or what might be in them

4 mins

SIZE MATTERS

Switching to electric vehicles is making our roads cleaner, but no less congested. There's a simple solution to this problem, but no one wants to hear it

4 mins

Electric toothbrushes

Whether you're seeking professional precision or just a thorough clean, these brushes use science and dentist-backed design to keep cavities at bay

3 mins

EDITOR'S PICKS...

This month's smartest tech

4 mins

WELCOME TO THE DREAM WORLD

New technology aims to help you induce a lucid dream at will, enabling you to enter a state of consciousness where anything is possible. Dare you close your eyes?

8 mins

WHAT WE GET WRONG ABOUT METABOLISM

Weight loss feeling harder than it should? Your body isn't broken, but the old advice about how it spends energy might be

5 mins

CAN YOU BREATHE YOUR WAY TO BETTER HEALTH?

Breathing is something we do unconsciously.But knowing when and how to take conscious deep breaths could unlock a host of benefits

7 mins

Welcome to WHIPLASH Weather

Weather patterns are see-sawing from one extreme to another faster and more frequently than ever before, with increasingly deadly consequences. And the phenomenon is coming to places you wouldn't expect

8 mins

THE TRUTH ABOUT ADULT ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was long thought to be something only unruly schoolkids suffered with. Now, the science is telling us a very different story

10+ mins

HAS AI GOT AS INTELLIGENT AS IT'S GOING TO GET?

Generative AI burst into the public domain in 2022, with seemingly unlimited potential. But could its abilities be hitting a ceiling already?

5 mins

IS PSYCHOPATHY BORN OR BRED?

This is a trickier question than people might assume.

2 mins

THE GIANT PHANTOM JELLYFISH

Conjure in your mind a giant, deep-sea predator, and I bet there's a colossal squid lurking in there, perhaps with an even bigger sperm whale chasing after it.

2 mins

SHOULD I KEEP MY CAR KEYS IN A FARADAY BOX?

Potentially, yes. The invention of keyless entry means we can unlock our cars upon approach, something particularly helpful when you want to open the boot, but have your hands full of shopping.

2 mins

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SPOOKIEST EXPERIMENTS WE'VE EVER DONE?

Although science often advances through tried-and-tested methods, sometimes scientists have to find creative ways to test their hypotheses. Here are five of the wackiest science experiments ever conducted...

2 mins

HOW TO SEE THE ORIONIDS (EVIDENCE OF HALLEY)

Between 2 October and 7 November, Earth passes through some of the fine dust debris strewn around the orbit of Halley's Comet.

1 mins

SHOULD I START SNIFFING ROSEMARY?

Is there any truth to the Shakespearean phrase 'rosemary for remembrance'? Actually, yes.

1 mins

DO I HAVE ALEXITHYMIA?

We can all struggle to find the words to explain ourselves, but if you regularly experience feelings that you can't identify, you might have alexithymia.

1 mins

CAN ANIMALS SMELL DEATH?

When one little Caenorhabditis elegans worm dies in a petri dish, any others in the vicinity wiggle as far away as possible, prompting speculation that the eyeless invertebrates are responding to some sort of 'death scent.'

1 mins

HOW MANY SPIDERS ARE IN MY HOUSE?

Pest control companies will often give a figure of 40 spiders in an average house, but it's hard to find anything in the published literature that directly backs this up.

1 mins

HOW MANY ORGANS COULD I SURVIVE WITHOUT?

The annals of medical history prove that the average human meat sack is surprisingly resilient.

1 mins

MENTAL STRENGTH

Could a supplement used by athletes and bodybuilders help treat depression?

3 mins

Read all Stories from BBC Science Focus

BBC Science Focus Magazine Description:

Publisher: Our-Media-Ltd

Category: Science

Language: English

Frequency: Monthly

BBC Focus Magazine is the magazine of popular science and technology that explains the wonders of the Universe through stunning photography and accessible articles. Contributors include the very best writers and science experts, with columns every issue from renowned science writer Robert Matthews, TV presenter and scientist Helen Czerski, and science fiction author Stephen Baxter. From archaeology to neuroscience, climate change and particle physics, BBC Focus Magazine keeps you up to speed with the cutting-edge science and gadgets that will change our world.