Science
How It Works UK
World's first planned migration of an entire nation
More than 5,000 people have applied for a first-of-its-kind migration visa that offers residents of a Pacific island an escape from the worst effects of climate change. Applications for the visa closed to people in Tuvalu on 18 July. Under its terms, 280 Tuvaluans can relocate to Australia each year from 2025 through a ballot system. Four days after the ballot opened, 3,125 Tuvaluans, roughly one-third of the nation's population of 11,000 people, had already registered for a chance to receive the visa. “This is the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world, providing a pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen,” Australian government representatives said. The representatives said that they recognised the “devastating impact climate change is having on the livelihoods, security and well-being of climate-vulnerable countries and people, particularly in the Pacific region.”
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Issue 206
How It Works UK
AN XBOX ONE?
A victim of the Xbox 360's success
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How It Works UK
HOW SNAILS BUILD A SHELL
All they need is a specialised organ, some calcium-rich food and time
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How It Works UK
THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL LASERS
What happens when a beam of energy 100 times the power of the global electricity grid is concentrated onto a pinpoint?
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How It Works UK
Europe tests its largest ever Mars parachute above the Arctic
A giant parachute built for Europe's beleaguered ExoMars mission has aced a drop test with a mock lander during a test campaign in the Arctic.
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Issue 206
How It Works UK
1,600-year-old tomb of Maya city's first ruler unearthed in Belize
Archaeologists in Belize have unearthed the tomb of the first ruler of the ancient Maya city of Caracol, which was a major centre in the Maya Lowlands during the 6th and 7th centuries.
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How It Works UK
JAPAN SETS A NEW INTERNET SPEED RECORD
Researchers in Japan say they have set a new world record for the fastest internet speed, transmitting over 125,000 gigabytes of data per second over 1,120 miles. That's about 4 million times the average internet speed in the US. This is also more than twice the previous world record of 50,250 gigabytes per second, set by a different team of scientists in 2024. To achieve this new speed, which has not been independently verified, the team developed a new form of optical fibre to send information over roughly the distance between New York and Florida.
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How It Works UK
Scientists transform urine into material fit for medical implants
Scientists have developed a method that can transform human urine into the hard mineral in bones and tooth enamel. The research, funded by the US military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), uses yeast to break urine down into hydroxyapatite, a form of calcium used in bone and dental implants. And hydroxyapatite isn't useful only for implants; the researchers behind the study said the material could be used in archaeological restoration, as biodegradable alternatives to plastic and as building materials for construction projects.
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How It Works UK
INSIDE THE MIND OF A GENIUS
What's going on inside the brains of those with truly exceptional mental abilities, and why are they so intelligent? Genetic analysis and Einstein's brain are providing us with some answers
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How It Works UK
Are polar aurorae stronger at the North Pole?
Amazing answers to your curious questions
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How It Works UK
ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES AN EARTHOBSERVING SATELLITE
Rocket Lab launched an Earthobserving radar satellite into orbit for the Japanese company iQPS.
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Issue 205
How It Works UK
GLUTEN IN THE BODY
When you eat foods like a sandwich or a bowl of pasta, enzymes in your digestive system work to break down the ingredients so that nutrients can be absorbed by the body as the food passes through you.
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Issue 205
How It Works UK
We may finally know how paracetamol works
Acetaminophen is widely used to relieve pain, but exactly how it works has long been a mystery.
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How It Works UK
2,800-year-old royal tomb discovered near King Midas' home
Archaeologists have discovered an 8th-century BCE royal tomb of a relative of King Midas in the ancient city of Gordion, southwest of Ankara, Turkey.
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How It Works UK
WHAT IS GLUTEN?
Discover how this viscous and elastic protein forms, where to find it and why some people can't eat it
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How It Works UK
INTOLERANCE TYPES
Gluten isn't for everyone. When some people consume gluten, they experience pain and other negative gastrointestinal symptoms.
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How It Works UK
Covering poo lagoons could cut most dairy farm methane
Dairy farms produce huge amounts of potent greenhouse gases.
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How It Works UK
China pits humanoids against each other in a robot boxing tournament
Lifelike humanoid robots have competed in the world’s first humanoid robot combat competition, with four Chinese teams pitting advanced fighting robots against each other.
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How It Works UK
WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT'S THE TIME?
How the world's clocks and geographic coordinates came to be set by a small borough of London
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How It Works UK
Roman-era 'fast food' discovered in an ancient Mallorcan rubbish heap
Songbirds were on the menu 2,000 years ago on the Roman island of Mallorca, archaeological evidence reveals.
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How It Works UK
HOW PLANES LAND ON WATER
Who needs a runway when there's so much water around?
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How It Works UK
ANCIENT ANIMAL SURVIVAL SECRETS
Discover the remarkable resilience of Earth's oldest and hardiest animals, overcoming mass extinctions and conquering the planet's ever-changing climate
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How It Works UK
Tour guide to the MOON
Your dusty, distant destination awaits, with unique geology that reveals billions of years of cosmic collisions
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How It Works UK
Study finds that Earth's core is 'leaking' gold
Researchers have found evidence that Earth's core is leaking gold and other precious metals, according to a new study. The vast majority (99.9 per cent) of Earth's gold and other precious metals are hidden in the centre of our planet, with thousands of miles of near-impenetrable rock between us and these natural treasures. However, while humans are unlikely to ever mine Earth's core, new research indicates that some metals have migrated out of the core into enriched rocks that eventually ended up at the surface.
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How It Works UK
HOW TO MAKE A VIDEO GAME
Have you ever wondered how video games go from an idea to a product on a digital or physical shelf? Let's explore each step in the process
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How It Works UK
JOHN FLAMSTEED
The first Astronomer Royal plotted out the constellations and mapped the heavens
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How It Works UK
OUR TEETH EVOLVED FROM FISH 'BODY ARMOUR'
Our sensitive teeth evolved from the 'body armour' of extinct fish that lived 465 million years ago.
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How It Works UK
Asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit the Moon in 2032
The James Webb Space Telescope has taken its final look at the potentially hazardous asteroid 2024 YR4 at least until the potentially hazardous space rock darkens Earth's cosmic doorstep again in 2028.
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How It Works UK
WHY ARE BUBBLES ROUND?
How surface tension plays a big role in keeping soap bubbles spherical
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How It Works UK
Researchers uncover the truth about the Moon's orange glass beads
When the Apollo astronauts first set foot on the lunar surface, they expected to find grey rocks and dust. What they didn't anticipate was discovering something that looked almost magical - tiny, brilliant orange glass beads scattered across the Moon's landscape like microscopic gems. These beads, each smaller than a grain of sand, are actually ancient time capsules from when the Moon was volcanically active billions of years ago. The beads formed some 3.3 to 3.6 billion years ago during volcanic eruptions on the surface of the then-young satellite.
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