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FROM THE EDITOR How do apps and computers ‘get bugs’? �p75 CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS I G H T B R I E L , D A N I M A G E S , G E T T Y : B B C PA G E I S T H I WA N G : J I A Q C O V E R Everyone I know is tired. I’m tired. I bet you’re tired! It feels a bit like a bug that everyone’s caught. According to a YouGov survey last year, one in eight of us feels TATT, Tired All the Time, stuck in a state of constant exhaustion. Furthermore, another 25 per cent of the people surveyed said they felt tired most of the time. So what’s going on? Mobile phones, a non-stop lifestyle and, in the last few years, a daisy chain of global crises, can all share some of the blame for keeping us up at night. But more serious issues, like sleep disorders, are on the rise too. This sleeplessness adds up – it doesn’t just hinder our ability to enjoy life, it’s a major risk factor in a number of chronic diseases. Sleep, as the neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep, Dr Matthew Walker, puts it, is like our superpower. It helps us form memories, and recovers and resets our body and brain in more ways than we understand. Over on p66, Catherine Offord explains what we know about this looming health crisis, and shares what the sleep experts suggest you do to hit a hard reset on your sleep and reclaim your rest. In the meantime, I strongly suggest you check out our very relaxing podcast. You can find it on your preferred podcast app, where you’ll hear us interviewing scientists about some of the stories that you’ll find in this issue, as well as others that never make it to the page. This month we’ve covered how ChatGPT is set to revolutionise education, how you can make your garden welcoming to wildlife, and how light pollution could rob future generations of the chance to see the stars. Enjoy the issue! j y Daniel Bennett, Editor WANT MORE? FOLLOW SCIENCEFOCUS ON FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST INS TAGRAM ON THE BBC THIS MONTH... DR CHRISTIAN JARRET A mid-li f e cr i s i s means dr a s t ic changes: f a s t c a r s , Lycr a-clad hobbie s and bad ha i rcu t s . But ps ychologis t Chr i s t i an e xpla ins why i t i s no c ause for alarm. ->p38 DR HELEN PILCHER A biolo g i s t who’s covered t he technique s t hat a im to br ing lo s t specie s back f rom t he dead, Helen explores how they could be used to s ave t he l a s t northern white rhinos. ->p52 CATHERINE OFFORD A repor ter and edi tor who is passionate about medicine and science polic y, C at her ine dig s in to t he nat ion’s colle c t i ve exhaustion. ->p66 PETE L AWRENCE Pete pre s ent s t he pr ac t ic a l a s t ronomy pa r t s on t he BBC’s The Sky At Night, where he tell s you how to s ee wonder f ul s igh t s . Who be t ter to help you try lunar photography? ->p82 The Curious Cases Of Rutherford & Fry A recent episode combines two subjects close to our hear t s , aliens and Egyptology, to pose the question: could aliens have really built the pyramids? (As anyone who’s watched Stargate knows: yes , yes they did.) Available now on BBC Sounds The UK’s Race To Space Is the UK about to become a g loba l player in space? Rebecca Morelle investigates the highs and low s in our ambitions f or space exploration. Available now on BBC iPlayer CrowdScience: Are Yoga Claims Bogus Claims? Yoga is said to help you lose weight, improve your hear t heal th and help you deal wi th the i l l e ff ec t s o f s t re s s , a l l while making you more flexible. But is there any science behind these claims? Marnie Chester ton adopts the lotus posi t ion to f ind out . BBC World Service, 17 February, 8:30pm CON TAC T US Advertising David.DSouza@ourmedia.co.uk 0117 300 8110 Le tt er s f or publication reply@sciencefocus.com Editorial enquiries editorialenquiries@sciencefocus.com 0117 300 8755 Subscriptions buysubscriptions.com/contactus 03330 162 113* Other contacts sciencefocus.com/contact *UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines are open Mon to Fri 9am-5pm. If calling from overseas, please call +44 1604 973721. BBCScience Focus (ISSN 0966-4270) (USPS 015-160) is published 14 times a year (monthly with a Summer issue in July and a New Year issue in December) by Our Media Company, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST. Distributed in the US by NPS Media Group, 2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 420, Shelton, CT 06484. Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, CT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BBCScience Focus, PO Box 37495, Boone, IA 50037-0495. 3

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FROM THE EDITOR

How do apps and computers ‘get bugs’? �p75

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTRIBUTORS

I G H T

B R

I E L

, D A N

I M A G E S

, G E T T Y

: B B C

PA G E

I S

T H

I WA N G

: J I A Q

C O V E R

Everyone I know is tired. I’m tired. I bet you’re tired! It feels a bit like a bug that everyone’s caught. According to a YouGov survey last year, one in eight of us feels TATT, Tired All the Time, stuck in a state of constant exhaustion. Furthermore, another 25 per cent of the people surveyed said they felt tired most of the time.

So what’s going on? Mobile phones, a non-stop lifestyle and, in the last few years, a daisy chain of global crises, can all share some of the blame for keeping us up at night. But more serious issues, like sleep disorders, are on the rise too. This sleeplessness adds up – it doesn’t just hinder our ability to enjoy life, it’s a major risk factor in a number of chronic diseases. Sleep, as the neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep, Dr Matthew Walker, puts it, is like our superpower. It helps us form memories, and recovers and resets our body and brain in more ways than we understand.

Over on p66, Catherine Offord explains what we know about this looming health crisis, and shares what the sleep experts suggest you do to hit a hard reset on your sleep and reclaim your rest.

In the meantime, I strongly suggest you check out our very relaxing podcast. You can find it on your preferred podcast app, where you’ll hear us interviewing scientists about some of the stories that you’ll find in this issue, as well as others that never make it to the page. This month we’ve covered how ChatGPT is set to revolutionise education, how you can make your garden welcoming to wildlife, and how light pollution could rob future generations of the chance to see the stars.

Enjoy the issue!

j y

Daniel Bennett, Editor

WANT MORE? FOLLOW SCIENCEFOCUS ON FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST INS TAGRAM

ON THE BBC THIS MONTH...

DR CHRISTIAN JARRET A mid-li f e cr i s i s means dr a s t ic changes: f a s t c a r s , Lycr a-clad hobbie s and bad ha i rcu t s . But ps ychologis t Chr i s t i an e xpla ins why i t i s no c ause for alarm. ->p38

DR HELEN PILCHER A biolo g i s t who’s covered t he technique s t hat a im to br ing lo s t specie s back f rom t he dead, Helen explores how they could be used to s ave t he l a s t northern white rhinos. ->p52

CATHERINE OFFORD A repor ter and edi tor who is passionate about medicine and science polic y, C at her ine dig s in to t he nat ion’s colle c t i ve exhaustion. ->p66

PETE L AWRENCE Pete pre s ent s t he pr ac t ic a l a s t ronomy pa r t s on t he BBC’s The Sky At Night, where he tell s you how to s ee wonder f ul s igh t s . Who be t ter to help you try lunar photography? ->p82

The Curious Cases Of Rutherford & Fry A recent episode combines two subjects close to our hear t s , aliens and Egyptology, to pose the question: could aliens have really built the pyramids? (As anyone who’s watched Stargate knows: yes , yes they did.) Available now on BBC Sounds

The UK’s Race To Space Is the UK about to become a g loba l player in space? Rebecca Morelle investigates the highs and low s in our ambitions f or space exploration. Available now on BBC iPlayer

CrowdScience: Are Yoga Claims Bogus Claims? Yoga is said to help you lose weight, improve your hear t heal th and help you deal wi th the i l l e ff ec t s o f s t re s s , a l l while making you more flexible. But is there any science behind these claims? Marnie Chester ton adopts the lotus posi t ion to f ind out . BBC World Service, 17 February, 8:30pm

CON TAC T US

Advertising David.DSouza@ourmedia.co.uk

0117 300 8110 Le tt er s f or publication reply@sciencefocus.com

Editorial enquiries editorialenquiries@sciencefocus.com

0117 300 8755

Subscriptions buysubscriptions.com/contactus

03330 162 113* Other contacts sciencefocus.com/contact

*UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines are open Mon to Fri 9am-5pm. If calling from overseas, please call +44 1604 973721. BBCScience Focus (ISSN 0966-4270) (USPS 015-160) is published 14 times a year (monthly with a Summer issue in July and a New Year issue in December) by Our Media Company, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST. Distributed in the US by NPS Media Group, 2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 420, Shelton, CT 06484. Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, CT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BBCScience Focus, PO Box 37495, Boone, IA 50037-0495.

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