How It Works

Welcome to How It Works, the magazine that explains everything you never knew you wanted to know about the world we live in. Loaded with fully illustrated guides and expert knowledge, and with sections dedicated to science, technology, transportation, space, history and the environment, no subject is too big or small for How It Works to explain.

WELCOME

Starfish maw

Sahara from space

Behind your eyes

The world’s biggest port

‘Quantum superchemistry’ observed for the first time ever

EUROPE ASSEMBLES THE HERA SPACECRAFT TO EYE THE DART ASTEROID CRASH

Each year, dozens of female hammerhead sharks convene under the full Moon

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is pumping wastewater into the ocean

AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BOY UNEARTHED A ROMAN-ERA SILVER COIN IN THE SCHOOL SANDBOX

Black holes keep ‘burping up’ stars they destroyed years earlier

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FIRED ITS THRUSTERS TO AVOID ONCOMING SPACE JUNK

A ‘doubly magic’ form of oxygen may challenge the laws of physics

Scientists identify the microbes that make buffalo mozzarella so tasty

Brain fog in long COVID may be linked to blood clots

Colour-changing hogfish use their skin to ‘see’ themselves

HUMAN ‘EFFIGIES’ UNEARTHED AT AN AZTEC TEMPLE WERE LIKELY LOOTED IN BATTLE

WISH LIST • The latest SPACE gadgets

The perfect Christmas gift • Get a whole year of How It Works

HOW HORMONES CONTROL YOUR BODY • Just as the nervous system sends information around the body via electrical impulses, the endocrine system provides another messaging service that has complete control of your body

THE MASTER GLAND

TARGETING CELLS • How do hormones know which cells to bind with and how do they get there?

GLANDS OF THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM • Eight major glands make up the endocrine system, and each one secretes a different hormone

IMBALANCES AND DISORDERS • The endocrine system plays a vital role in regulating biological functions. Any imbalance of hormones can have catastrophic results, leading to a variety of disorders

HOW SAMURAI SWORDS WERE MADE • Katana, the traditional blades of a Japanese samurai warrior, were forged to meticulous standards and gave their owners high status

5 FACTS • SWORD STANDARDS

BLADE ANATOMY • Explore the structure and intricate designs of katana

TYPES OF JAPANESE BLADES • Compare the structure and assembly of some of Japan’s traditional swords

ALFRED NOBEL • Meet the man behind the prestigious Nobel Prize and discover its explosive origins

GREEN HOME ENERGY • From small-scale installations to carbon-neutral houses, how the different ways we heat and power our homes impact the planet

BOILER TYPES • How much does your choice of boiler impact the environment?

SUPER-GREEN ECO HOMES

SMART AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING • Peer inside an eco-friendly house to discover the technologies that utilise and protect the environment

HOW TO DETECT LANDMINES • The technology behind the hunt for hidden explosives

WHAT LURKS BENEATH • How handheld sweepers use electromagnetism to reveal hidden dangers

FASCINATING FRUIT • From the stench of the durian to the flavour-changing ability of miracle berries, discover the wonderful world of fruit

A SWEET MIRACLE • How miraculin deceives your taste buds

5 FACTS • FRUITS THAT SMELL

DURIAN ANATOMY • Where does its infamous odour come from?

HOSTILE TAKEOVER • Invasive species threaten biodiversity across the planet. Learn about the factors that make these species unwelcome guests in their new homes

INVASIVE SPECIES UNCOVERED • Some species are able to thrive in areas...