Table of contents for October 2023 in BBC Science Focus Magazine

We’re terrible at spotting liars. Instinctively, we think we know when someone is lying to us, and sometimes we’re right, but just as often we misread the cues. Take, for instance, one of the most common ‘facts’ about lying: that you look up and to the left when you’re being deceitful. False. Several studies have debunked this idea. We look around when we’re recounting long, complicated stories because holding someone’s gaze hogs the mental energy needed to communicate them clearly. In fact, one study by the University of Michigan analysed real court case data to discover that liars tended to look directly at the questioner for longer than truthful interviewees. Science hasn’t had much success either when it comes to spotting a fib. The polygraph (aka the lie detector test)…

EYE OPENER Red lightning LAKE PUMA YUMCO, TIBET This may look like the trailing tentacles of a swarm of jellyfish, but it’s actually a rare atmospheric phenomenon known as a sprite. (It’s also the winning image of the ‘skyscapes’ category in the 2023 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.) “This electrical discharge occurs much higher in the atmosphere than normal lightning,” says Royal Observatory astronomer Dr Ed Bloomer. “While the gradient of colours is beautiful by itself, the image also reveals the delicate structure of the plasma.” Also known as ‘red lightning’, atmospheric sprites are caused by intense lightning discharges, which create powerful, upwardpropagating electrical fields that ionise the upper atmosphere. They’re associated with powerful thunderstorms, but only exist for a fraction of a second – making them harder to…

A breakthrough medical technique has unlocked “unlimited” possibilities for more effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, tumours and other brain diseases. The scientists behind the discovery, based at Imperial College London, believe that the new method, which involves “bubbling drugs into the brain”, could also prevent diseases from developing. It may also have the potential to delay brain ageing and slow memory loss. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and, worldwide, there are some 55 million people living with it. There is currently no cure for the disease, nor most other brain diseases. This is partly because the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in our brains inhibits the delivery of most drugs. The BBB is there to protect the neurons in the brain and it does so by acting like a…

In a world of cookie-cutter, carboncopy smartphones, the new Fairphone 5 stands out. It isn’t the prettiest device, nor is it the most powerful. It doesn’t even have mind-bogglingly good cameras. Instead, the Fairphone 5 is simply built to last. Fairphone doesn’t want you to trade in your phone for something new in a couple of years. The company would much rather you hold onto your device for as long as possible. To that end, it has made the Fairphone 5 easy to repair, given it a warranty that lasts five years and has promised to support it for far longer than any competing devices. In fact, from sourcing materials right through to the end-of-life process, the Fairphone 5 is about as sustainable as smartphones currently get. But does this…

…THE EXTRAVAGANT HOME BAR Sure, you could learn to make your favourite cocktails. Or you could invest in a cocktailmaking machine that looks as if it’s been swiped from the set of Blade Runner. Barsys 360 is a futuristic ring that will set you back £395. Select your favourite spirits and mixers, and the 360 will suggest a list of possible cocktails that it can make, and then pour the ones you want, learning over time just how you like your drinks. It’s a good idea in theory – less so when you realise that’s all it does, leaving you with a selection of basic cocktails and a deep hole in your wallet. Barsys 360 thebarsys.com, £395 …A CREEPY ROBOT IN THE WORKPLACE If the super-powered androids of I, Robot…

There are around 15 species of eels in the Anguillidae family, all of them long, snake-shaped fish and most of them migrating between the ocean and freshwaters inland during different parts of their lives. The most remarkable journey is made by the European eel, (Anguilla anguillla). Born in the Sargasso Sea, in the central Atlantic, they hatch into transparent larvae that look like leaves with tiny fish heads stuck on. They drift for thousands of miles on Atlantic currents and arrive on the shores of eastern Europe where they transform into bootlace-sized young, known as glass eels or elvers. They mature in shallow coastal seas and eventually change colour to become larger yellow eels before migrating along rivers and into lakes. For decades, eels stay in inland freshwaters, before changing…

Just One Thing Dr Michael Mosley’s popular series returns to explore the big difference that small, simple changes can have on your life. This season kicks off with a subject that’s close to all of our hearts: the health benefits hidden in a cup of tea. BBC Radio 4 Also available on BBC Sounds Uncanny This supernatural show returns. If you missed the first season, like I did, check it out on BBC Sounds. The concept is brilliant: Danny Robins, the host, invites listeners to share their personal ghost stories – paranormal cold cases, if you like – and invites mystics and scientists to come up with explanations. BBC Radio 4 Also available on BBC Sounds Planet Earth 3 It’s back! The first episode of this monumental series – years…

reply@sciencefocus.com BBC Science Focus, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST @sciencefocus www.facebook.com/sciencefocus @bbcsciencefocus The logical alternative Reflecting on deep-sea mining debates (August, p24), it would seem logical for the resources and funding being ploughed into the endeavour to instead be invested in recycling rare metals from electronic waste. Given the vast quantities of electronic waste produced globally, this would provide a sustainable, closed-loop supply of these metals, tackle the impacts of electronic waste pollution and prevent damage to deep-sea ecosystems. It would use metals we’ve already extracted, rather than risking long-term damage from deep-sea mining, which would only end up generating further electronic waste pollution if recycling strategies aren’t developed! Morag Hewett, via email Assumed knowledge Reading the Q&A about fusion power (September, p77), I was struck by the fact that…

In the future, the new method of opening the blood-brain barrier could be used to help delay the effects of ageing on the brain. “It sounds very sci-fi, but the theory is there and it should work,” Dr Sophie Morse told BBC Science Focus. Morse suggests that openings in the blood-brain barrier created using this method could enable stimulation of the brain’s immune cells. She thinks that this would alert tired immune cells to unwanted substances. These immune cells might then be prompted to shake off plaque as it forms, engulfing that deleterious material and breaking it down. This could prevent Alzheimer’s, and even tumours, from developing “The very futuristic vision,” Morse says, “is that you’d have [brain treatment] clinics, similar to those you’d go to for a blood test,…

I turned 50 this year. To celebrate, I decided to cycle from Land’s End to John o’Groats – just over 1,600km (994 miles). I cycle to and from work each day, about 44km (27 miles), so felt I had enough base fitness to tackle the challenge. And I could stand to lose a few pounds, too. So far, so midlife crisis. Scouring the internet, I found Pedal Britain, a company that offers fully supported ‘end-to-end’ tours – moving bags, organising accommodation and, crucially, providing food during the day. All I’d have to do was pedal about 120 hilly kilometres (75 miles) a day for 14 consecutive days. Easy! I signed up in December 2022 for a July 2023 ride, leaving just over six months to prepare. The cold, dark days…

…Finding answers to everything When it comes to AI tools, there is no bigger name than ChatGPT. The chatbot developed by OpenAI does a bit of everything. Trying to build a website? It can provide the code. Want to read a fully fledged short story about dinosaurs running local government? No problem – it’s written. Need a stand-up comedy routine…? Okay, it doesn’t understand comedy whatsoever, but it will try. ChatGPT can best be described as your know-itall friend who’s willing to answer any question you ask… and who’s strangely keen to do all of your work for you. ChatGPT chat.openai.com …Creating great presentations If building the perfect presentation isn’t in your wheelhouse – or just something you really don’t want to do – Slidesgo is aimed at you. Its…

Have you taken one of those online quizzes that assigns you an animal based on your sleeping style? According to some, there are four types of sleep animal: wolf, lion, bear and dolphin. But in 2022, Fitbit introduced sleep profiles that identified users as giraffes, bears, dolphins, hedgehogs, parrots or tortoises. These animals don’t seem to relate to the sleeping habits of the people they’re assigned to – unless those ‘dolphin’ sleepers only allow half of their brains to sleep at any one time, as the mammals do in the wild. You won’t find any of those sleep animals in the scientific literature, though. Only two are generally accepted by the scientists: morning larks and night owls. These refer to a person’s chronotype, which is their natural preference for sleeping…

On 4 June 1996, the maiden flight of the Ariane 5 launcher didn’t go well. 40 seconds after take-off, the massive rocket suddenly veered from its flight path and exploded. The cause was a tiny software error: a floating-point number represented using 64 bits was converted to a 16-bit signed integer, but the conversion failed as the number was larger than 32,767 – the maximum that 16 bits could represent. This overflow error caused the software to dump debugging data into the area of memory being used to control the rocket’s engines. The backup computer did no better, with the result that the rocket lost control and came to a fiery end. In 2015 it was reported that tests had revealed a similar overflow error could shut down the electricity…

Embarking on a journey of sobriety, however much you drink, can have profound effects on your body, leading to positive changes over days, weeks, months, and years. Within the first few days of giving up alcohol, your body should begin to respond positively. Alcohol’s dehydrating effect starts to reverse, leading to improved hydration levels. This can result in clearer skin and enhanced energy levels. Moreover, your liver, which bears the brunt of alcohol metabolism, gets a respite, allowing it to focus on detoxification and repair. As alcohol exits your system, your sleep quality may improve, leading to more restful nights. If you’ve been a regular drinker, you might also experience temporary acute withdrawal symptoms in the early days – if these are severe or you struggle to cope, seek medical…

VICTORIA GILL BBC science reporter Victoria tells us what a recent encounter between French sailors and orcas can teach us about our relationship with animals. -> p30 PROF JON BUTTERWORTH Jon, a physicist, explains how the latest measurements of a subatomic particle could lead to the discovery of a fifth force of nature. -> p34 DR JULIA SHAW Psychologist Julia is often called upon to assess the veracity of statements given in court. Who better to tell us how to spot when someone is telling us fibs. -> p56 MARCUS CHOWN Neutrinos fly through planets like ghosts through walls. Radio astronomer and author Marcus reveals how they’ll help us explore the Universe. -> p64…

A cure for hiccups? That's nuts I’m writing not with a question, but with a cure for hiccups (Summer, p80). My mother read about it somewhere years ago and it works for our family 99 per cent of the time. It’s a spoonful of peanut butter. My daughter, now 24, seems to be prone to hiccups and it has worked for her since she was about five. Other friends and relatives also find it to be successful. Ramona Cronin, via email WRITE IN AND WIN! The writer of next issue’s Letter of the Month wins a trio of hardback science books. Put pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) and you could get your hands on Chip War by Chris Miller; Future Stories by David Christian; and The End of…

Populations of wild boars are expanding across Europe, but scientists have warned that they shouldn’t be eaten because they contain unsafe levels of the radioactive metal caesium. High levels of radioactivity have been recorded in wild boars for decades. It was long thought that the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine caused the shaggy, tusked creatures roaming the forests of Germany and Austria to become radioactive. But researchers from the Vienna University of Technology in Austria have now shown that nuclear weapons testing from the mid 20th century is largely responsible. The study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, pinpoints the cause: atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted across the world by various nations in the 1950s and 1960s. “We were stunned to see that nuclear weapons fallout still impacts…

COLUMNISTS COMMENT A French sailor named Lou told me, recently, about his frightening encounter with a group of orcas, or killer whales. The majestic marine mammals displayed some troubling behaviour: five of them approached the yacht he was sailing and then rammed the hull, spinning the boat around repeatedly. The incident lasted 80 minutes and left the small sailing vessel’s rudder split in two. The orcas then appeared to toy with the floating foam that was leaking from the broken rudder, pushing it around with their noses. In the shipyard, Lou described the encounter. “It looked like the orcas were playing,” he said, “and that they were training each other.” This was just one of a series of incidents that have been making news headlines recently. And that’s because a…

…A pop-up desk for WFH My laptop sits on a throne of cardboard boxes. This serves two purposes: it cuts out neckache and it prevents people on video calls from being subjected to the sight of my dangling double chin. Realising just how many of us endure such a makeshift workingfrom-home setup, Logitech has come up with a rather cute solution. The Casa Pop-Up Desk is disguised as a coffee-table book by night, but by day it folds out into a laptop stand. A wireless keyboard and trackpad are hidden inside, so you can create your own comfortable workstation when you need it. Logitech Casa Pop-up Desk logitech.com, £179.99 …A truly advanced instant camera “Made for those who embrace chaos, beauty in the everyday and the tactile pursuit of craft,”…

A biometric passport contains a computer chip and an antenna. Like contactless credit cards, when the chip in the passport is placed within 4cm (1.5in) of another transmitting antenna, power is induced in the chip, allowing it to send and receive a signal. The chip in your passport contains your name, date of birth and passport details, as well as encrypted biometric information used for facial, retinal or fingerprint recognition. The passport inspection system compares these with the scanned traveller details at passport control. If they match, then the little doors open and you can pass through.…

Energy drinks – from Red Bull to Monster Energy – have gained immense popularity as a quick and convenient way to give yourself a boost. One of the newest, PRIME Energy, which was founded by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI, went viral when it launched earlier this year, but the high levels of caffeine in it have led to it being banned in some schools and facing scrutiny from lawmakers and health experts. But what does the science say about this and other energy drinks? Different energy drinks contain different amounts of caffeine, but often much more than you’d find in a typical cup of instant coffee, which generally contains between 30-90mg. For example, in the UK, one 330ml can of Coca Cola contains 35mg of caffeine; a 250ml can…

A yo-yo mainly relies on the laws of conservation of angular momentum to perform tricks. The basic up-and-down motion is caused by the string unwinding from the central axle, which causes the yo-yo body to spin rapidly. When it reaches the end of the string, the angular momentum of the body gives it the energy to wind the string up again, bringing the yo-yo back. This works just as well in microgravity, providing you keep the string taut. In 2012 NASA astronaut Don Pettit took a yo-yo on board the International Space Station and demonstrated several tricks, including some he invented that actually require weightlessness.…

If humanity suddenly had to abandon Earth on a fleet of space-arks, we would probably go extinct before evolution by natural selection had time to alter our bodies to cope with the new environment. Even if we assume that air, food and water could all be synthesised and recycled indefinitely, a microgravity environment currently causes astronauts aboard the International Space Station to lose about one per cent of their bone density each month, even with strenuous daily workouts. After a few years of this, everyone would be suffering from severe osteoporosis. If our voyage took us into deep space, we would also need to worry about radiation. Galactic cosmic rays would bathe us in roughly 250 times the normal background radiation we receive on Earth and a single solar flare…

It has been 15 years since Catherine Tate’s fanfavourite Donna Noble left Doctor Who. Perhaps you remember it like it was only yesterday, which is something that can’t be said for Donna herself. David Tennant’s Doctor was forced to erase her memories of their time together, lest her puny human brain burn out from too much Time Lord knowledge. You may be shocked to hear, however, that there are doubts over Doctor Who’s scientific rigour. “We don’t know the ultimate capacity for human memory,” says neuroscientist Dr Dean Burnett, author of Emotional Ignorance: Lost and Found in the Science of Emotion. “No one’s lived long enough to fill it, for a start. If you did replicate the human senses in a computer and stored everything that you got from a…