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 • Issue 176

Bees taking a break

Inside the pancreas

Gentle eruptions

Space superbubble

Groundbreaking volcanic activity on Venus detected

Ancient monster fish was short and chunky

THE SUN SPEWS ‘DARK PLASMA’ INTO SPACE

Catastrophic fire revealed Notre-Dame’s ‘iron skeleton’

A NEW MOAI STATUE THAT ‘DEIFIED ANCESTORS’ DISCOVERED

A stem cell transplant-cured HIV patient is virus-free after five years

ROLLS-ROYCE IS FUNDED FOR A TINY LUNAR NUCLEAR REACTOR

An artificial sweetener may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke

Scientists discover an enzyme that turns air into energy

Antarctica’s sea ice reaches its lowest level since records began

Bizarre dinosaur had gigantic but flimsy claws

NASA SELECTS FIREFLY AEROSPACE FOR MOON MISSION

WISH LIST • The latest tech for FUN FOOD

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NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS • The explosive science behind the biggest human-made blasts on Earth

THE TEN BIGGEST NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS • The largest human-made nuclear detonations throughout history

NUKES BY NUMBERS

What are the CROWN JEWELS WORTH? • Discover the history of the precious artefacts worn by Britain’s monarchs

St Edward’s Crown • 444 stones make up the coronation crown

The sceptre and the orb

Changing traditions

THE WEIRD WORLD OF AIRSHIPS • Pioneering aircraft that captured the imagination of a generation, airships have a brief but action-packed history

How we taste food • Discover the chemicals that combine to create an extensive assortment of flavours

FLAVOUR EXPERT GABBY SMITH • Smith works at Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Her role is to develop new flavours in food laboratories, ready to be mass produced by ice cream factories

HOW RADIATION SUITS WORK • These garments stop this invisible form of energy from wreaking havoc on the human body

WHAT IS SHINGLES? • This painful rash is the result of a lingering virus

SPIES IN THE SKY • From balloons to satellites, Earth is under constant surveillance from above

COLD WAR SPY SATELLITE

WEIRD CREATURES OF THE DEEP • Meet the strange and wonderful animals living thousands of metres below the surface of our oceans

THE POLAR VORTEX EXPLAINED • What is the polar vortex, and how does it keep the climate in check?

DRILLING FOR OIL • How machines and people work together on an oil rig

FITBIT SENSE TEARDOWN • How It Works explores the health-tracking technology of this smartwatch

WHAT IS THE CLOUD? • How the big computer network in the sky saves your photos, documents and more

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INSIDE AIR FORCE ONE • What’s on board the US president’s personal aeroplane?

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BRAINDUMP • Amazing answers to your curious questions

THE LIBRARY • The latest book releases for curious minds

BRAIN GYM • Give your brain a puzzle workout

MAKE LIGHTNING • Learn about static science in this shocking weather simulation

INBOX • Speak your mind

WE ASKED YOU • This month on social media, we asked you: What’s your favourite food flavour or flavour combination?

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