BBC_Science_Focus_-_08.2019

3

FROM THE

EDITOR

Fifty years ago, on 20 July 1969, humans first set foot on

the Moon. It was a moment that captured the world’s

imagination like no other, inspiring a generation of

scientists, engineers and artists alike. Sadly, a few years

later, as priorities – and, of course, money – shifted away

from the Moon, Gene Cernan would unwittingly become

the last person to walk across the lunar surface in 1972,

and one of the last people to leave a low-Earth orbit.

In the time since, our exploration of space, particularly in the last

decade, has exploded. Okay, so we might not have put our feet on other

worlds, but in the last 10 years we’ve visited the outer limits of our

Solar System, observed Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars,

landed on an asteroid hurtling through space, looked back at the

beginning of space and time itself and, most recently, captured an

image of a black hole 55 million light-years away using a telescope the

size of our planet. It’s dizzying to think about what might come next.

So we’ve left that vertigo-inducing task in the capable hands of award-

winning sci-fi author Stephen Baxter on p44. And, if you know anyone

out there who’s convinced the Moon landing was faked, turn to p

and find all the ammo you need to prove them wrong.

Daniel Benne, Editor

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ON THE BBC THIS MONTH...

How hot would a

pavement have to

be to fry an egg

on it?  p

Telev ision

Stargazing: Moon

Landing Special

Brian Cox will be joined by

ara O Briain, Hannah Fry

Kevin Fong, in this

ute special

CheckRadio

details

JAMES LOVELOCK

On the eve of his 100th

birthday, the man who

first proposed the Gaia

hypothesis shares his

new theory with us.

 p

AMY SHIRA TEITEL

How do you practise

walking on the Moon?

Spaceflight historian

Amy looks at the training

methods that put Apollo

astronauts through their

paces.  p

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ROSIE MALLETT

‘E-noses’ – electronic

devices that can sniff out

disease – could soon be

helping us pick up signs of

illnesses, years before

they can be detected by

current methods. Rosie

tells us more.  p

DAVID

SPIEGELHALTER

If you believe the papers,

sugary treats and

processed food are going

to kill you. Well it’s not

quite as simple as that.

David helps us navigate

the headlines.  p

Telev ision

The Sky At Night Special: The Moon, The

Mission And The BBC

The world’s longest-running science

es the 50th

ude Helen

Br ta n s rs as onaut.

COVER: ANDY POT TS THIS PAGE: NASA, BBC X2, GET T Y IMAGES

Telev ision

8 Days: To The Moon & Back

Don’t miss this unique

retelling of the Apollo 11

mission. 8 Days uses digital

eects and dramatised

performances to bring hours

of declassified audio from the

missions to life. Check Radio

Times for det ails.

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