BBC Knowledge - April 2015

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Everyday science is progressing by leaps and bounds. Recently, just when we were not looking, Canadian and Egyptian researchers theorised that the Big Bang, what was long upheld as the reason for the origin of the Universe 13.8 billion years ago, might have not happened at all. And that the Universe possibly existed more or less the way it is, from the beginning of time. While the science community grapples with this fantastic suggestion and its significance, science continues to sprint ahead. In this issue, we explore space travel.
Teleportation, that awesome ability that we secretly wished for ourselves since the Star Trek days, is big news these days. We may be still far from teleporting ourselves but read the feature on page 30 to discover the many unexpected things that are almost ready to be beamed up. But take heart Interstellar fans, if the movie left you pining for more juice on time travel - our cover story is a must-read. How To Travel Faster Than Light (page 48) discusses the fascinating phenomena of wormholes, those speedy shortcuts that hold the key to travelling through space. There is also DIY on how to build a wormhole. Easy peasy 
While on the subject of doable space travel - the test flight in October of last year of SpaceShip Two from Virgin’s Galactic Enterprise may have crashed and disappointed, but surprising alternatives to high-altitude tourism are being developed and making impressive strides. At this rate, the first space travel for tourists may just be in a balloon. Yes, you read this right. Read Balloon With A View on page 70.
The rest of the issue is packed with the good stuff too. Especially the pages on BRAINIAC quiz contest (pages 23-28) on where we announce the winner of our exhaustive, first ever all-India quiz in search of India’s smartest student. It’s Pranav Hari from Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Chennai. A big congratulations.
Enjoy.