White light continuum

60 The River Nile

A journey down one of Africa’s most important waterways

24 Pelvis

Learn about the complex junction between our upper and lower body

42Motorbike engineering engineering

How legacy bikes are being brought being brought bang up bang up to date to date

34 Hair straighteners

What technology can you find in a pair of flattening irons?

46 24

Swarms Read about the wildlife that has taken Ejection seatscommunity living to a whole other scaleGet to know the devices that can save the day in an aviation emergency

58 Asteroid Belt

Why are there millions of rocks floating in the middle of the Solar System? in the middle of the Solar System?

72 Houses of Parliament Parliament

Take a tour around the majestic hub of the British government

06

Global eye

Get the latest news and the greatest stories from the fi elds of science, technology, space and the environment

82

Brain dump: Q&A with top experts with top experts

A host of the fi nest scientifi c and technological minds from all over technological minds from all over the globe are here to shed some the globe are here to shed some light on the conundrums light on the conundrums you most want answered you most want answered

88

The knowledge: gear and gadgets

Advice on the articles of desire you should be spending your you should be spending your money on in our latest reviews money on in our latest reviews

91

Group test

Following on from our article on page 31, we pit three pairs of modern binoculars head to head

94

How to…

This month we offer some handy tips for eating with chopsticks and the basics of sailing a boat

95

Test your knowledge

Enter our quiz based on the contents of this month’s mag for the chance to bag a cool prize!

96

Letters

Get in touch and have your say on any subject. Tell us what you have learned this month, get something off your chest or simply regale us with your scientifi c wonderings