THE BEST SCIENCE IMAGES OF 2023
BBC Science Focus|New Year 2024
A PIECE OF ROCK BROKEN OFF AN ASTEROID HURTLING THROUGH SPACE, THE FIRST FOOTPRINTS OF HUMANS ARRIVING IN NORTH AMERICA AND A GIANT MEATBALL MADE OUT OF WOOLLY MAMMOTH. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF BBC SCIENCE FOCUS EDITORS THIS YEAR, AND NO, THAT LAST ONE WASN'T A MISTAKE. ENJOY OUR SELECTION OF IMAGES THAT HAD US RUBBING OUR EYES IN DISBELIEF IN 2023.
HAYLEY BENNETT
THE BEST SCIENCE IMAGES OF 2023

Rocket science

BOCA CHICA, TEXAS, USA
NOVEMBER

SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer founded by Elon Musk, conducted two tests of its reusable Starship system in 2023. Standing 121m (397ft) tall, it's twice the height of NASA's Space Shuttle and incorporates the world's most powerful rocket to date. The system has two stages: a passenger-carrying section on top (the second stage) and a rocket below (the first stage), powered by 33 methane and liquid oxygen-fuelled engines. Its maiden test flight (uncrewed) in April not only saw the system explode three minutes after launch, but the thrust from its engines also caused significant damage to the launchpad (see inset).

Its subsequent uncrewed test flight in November saw the second stage reach space successfully. Although it's believed to have self-destructed shortly afterwards, however.

In greater detail

NORTH CAROLINA, USA
APRIL

50 years ago, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Lauterbur described a new imaging technique in the journal Nature: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The technique remains at the forefront of modern medical diagnosis, but for the last four decades, researchers at Duke University in the US have been striving to improve it. This year, they showcased their results with this super-high resolution image of a mouse brain, made possible by a combination of stronger magnets and more powerful computers. Each voxel in the image (the equivalent of a pixel in 3D) is 64 million times smaller than in a standard MRI.

Parachuting in

MIZORAM, INDIA
JUNE

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MÁS HISTORIAS DE BBC SCIENCE FOCUSVer todo
WHEN'S THE BEST TIME FOR A CAFFEINE HIT?
BBC Science Focus

WHEN'S THE BEST TIME FOR A CAFFEINE HIT?

Wakey-wakey! Find the sweet spot for a coffee shot and science says the benefits are grande

time-read
3 minutos  |
October 2024
DEAD MAN’S FINGERS
BBC Science Focus

DEAD MAN’S FINGERS

Picture the scene. It's Halloween and you've gone for an ill-advised stroll through the graveyard on the edge of town.

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2 minutos  |
October 2024
What tipping point are climate scientists most worried about?
BBC Science Focus

What tipping point are climate scientists most worried about?

Collapsing ice sheets, loss of the Amazon rainforest, melting permafrost.……. Key parts of Earth's climate system are in trouble. Which could trigger disaster first?

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5 minutos  |
October 2024
PROFESSOR BRIAN COX
BBC Science Focus

PROFESSOR BRIAN COX

The biggest space missions yet are making their way to new parts of the Universe. In his new BBC Two series Solar System, Prof Brian Cox reveals what these explorations are discovering about life in our galactic neighbourhood. Noa Leach sat down with him to talk about the most exciting new missions, life in the Universe and his top behind-the-scenes moments of filming

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10+ minutos  |
October 2024
KEEP YOUR HAIR ON
BBC Science Focus

KEEP YOUR HAIR ON

MORE THAN HALF OF MEN AND MILLIONS OF WOMEN ARE AFFECTED BY HAIR LOSS. IT CAUSES LOW SELF-ESTEEM IN SOME AND ANXIETY IN OTHERS. THANKFULLY, SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE GETTING TO THE ROOTS OF THE PROBLEM WITH PIONEERING NEW TREATMENTS

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10 minutos  |
October 2024
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
BBC Science Focus

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

Could we deflect an asteroid to stop it from hitting Earth? The success of NASA's DART mission suggests so, but only after ESA's soon-to-launch Hera mission has checked the results will we know if this approach to planetary defence is a viable possibility

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9 minutos  |
October 2024
SAVE THE SHARKS...SAVE THE OCEANS
BBC Science Focus

SAVE THE SHARKS...SAVE THE OCEANS

RUTHLESS PREDATORS, MINDLESS KILLERS, MAN-EATERS... SHARKS HAVE A FEARSOME REPUTATION THAT BEARS LITTLE RELATION TO REALITY. THE TRUTH IS, THESE REMARKABLE CREATURES ARE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE. BUT OUR WATERS WON'T BE ANY SAFER WITHOUT THEM. IN FACT, THE PLANET'S SEAS WILL BE IN EVEN GREATER JEOPARDY THAN THEY ALREADY ARE

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7 minutos  |
October 2024
COULD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BE THE CURE FOR LONELINESS?
BBC Science Focus

COULD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BE THE CURE FOR LONELINESS?

Rates of loneliness are increasing worldwide. But big-tech companies think they have the solution...

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4 minutos  |
October 2024
Olive mill wastewater: a health-boosting tonic hiding in the leftovers
BBC Science Focus

Olive mill wastewater: a health-boosting tonic hiding in the leftovers

A by-product of the olive oil production process is packed with compounds that lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of developing cancer.

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5 minutos  |
October 2024
Lab-grown meat may be better for livestock, but not necessarily for the environment
BBC Science Focus

Lab-grown meat may be better for livestock, but not necessarily for the environment

The move to put alternative protein on our plates is gathering pace but there are still questions to answer

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3 minutos  |
October 2024