MEKAMON V2 COU'-P WE BUILD ...

WORTH £250 WEsTWORLD?

O CARCRASH
G
!!=:-N~
SAFETY TESTI
FU f UAE
PEOPLE TICKUSH JUPITER'S ASTEROIDS
+ INSIDE THE CITY OF CAVES AREA 51: THE TRUTH HOW WATERLOO WAS WON ISSUEI>l
 L /-\. N J) S UN K N <> W N
Embark on a Unique Journey
------- ------
Explore the endless wilderness with Discover. Lands
Unknown, a new Unique Game from Fantasy Flight
Games! When you find yourself stranded in an unfamil-
iar environment, you and your friends must explore to
survive! Every copy of Discover: Lands Unknown is
completely unique, distinct from every other copy in
the world! Do you have what it takes to survive?

DSCOl £ 57.99

........c EVERY GAME

1) 1S CC)VE lt
LANDS UNKNOWN
UNIQUE I

....... ._
."-··---~
.........,....,___
'--
,._.....
............
.......
"""'".....

c 21ll! f - y F1giU Galftes ~ l.ando IJr".o,-.lhe ~

GarTMS ~ 811<1 re FfG logo.,. 'hi~ d Fontay Figl>l G.-- f ANTASYf liGHfuAMfS.COM
 hesheerscaleofthe assembled was because its manufacturer simply

T machines that humans

have been able to buUd
since the late-zoth century Is
astonishing. The Bagger29),
which spearheads a by no
means exhaustive list of vehicles in our cover
feature seems impossibly massive- so big it makes
me question not just how they built it but why. I
like to think that part of the reason thatail 14,200
tons of this giant bucl<et-wheel excavator was
loved bigmachinesl
Also this issue, we delve into the world of
airborne predators and what makes raptors the
perfect hunters, find out how close we are to
realising the technology of the android theme park
in HBO's Westworld, learn how Napoleon lost the
"It ex tracts enough
Battle of Waterloo and explore the science of the cool to power several
electromagnetic spectrum. Enjoy!
million homes"
Ben Biggs
Editor M ega Machines, page 22

Meet the team ...

CharlieG Baljeet Charlie E Scott Duncan

Production Editor
Napoleon's ~feat at
Waterklo was a aitical
moment in history. Tum to
page 74 to find out how
close he came to victory.
Research Editor
from destroying space
junk to monitoring Earth,
space lasers have many
functions. Learn more over
onpage66.
Staff Writer
Are you getting ready to
start spring c~aning the
house? Find out about the
science behind the products
you wrn be using on page 40.
Staff Write.r Senior Art Edit or
Birds of prey ore prolific As a Wttstworld fan I was ~
predators. Ois<:CM)r how fascinated to read about the g
these feathered hunters are technology that could make it ~
perfeeUy adapted to tal<l> possible to build a real-6fe c
down their prey on page 44. Westworld park one day. ~

FOLLOW US... 0 How lt Works magazine 0 @HowltWorksmag

www . howj twocksdg Hy . corn How lt Works 003
 (. SPACE
22 Mega machines c Space lasers
We examine the technology that From guiding spacecraft to
drives some of U1e 1Ml11d's most destroying apocalyptic asteroids.
colossal vehiCles we explore the many applocations
of this excifug technology
3 Crash testing cars
What is string theory?
•3 Exploring the
Trojan asteroids
34 Electromagnetism
explained
How meddhng with the EM ill HISTORY
spectnJm has changed the
74 How the Battle of
scientific world forever
Waterloo was won
40 The chemistry When Napoleon Bonaparte
of cleaning returned from exile he was
confronted with two armies
42 Why tickling makes
blocking his road to power. If the
us laugh
Little Corporal was to regain his
empire he would have to crush
( fj Er.JV I RClNMEJJT both of them

44 How birds of ~0 The Lincoln Memorial

prey hunt
82 The truth about Area 51
The incredible tools raptors use
to bring down their prey

50 Wildlife of Canada's
boreal peatlands
53 Rapid river waves
~ Earth in a year
SF The foam-nest frog

(f TECHNOLOGY
58 Could we build...
Westworld?
How we'll construct the theme
pari< of tomorrow's world

64 Inside the city of caves

65 Meet the prototypes

MEET THIS ISSUE'S EXPERTS...

James Horton Jo Stass Jodie Tyley Jonathan Laura M ears Step hen Steve Wright Tim
f"o<rner HIW Johas been a The founer EditOf of O'Callaghan BiomOOjca scientist Ash by Steve ha.s \YOfked as Williamson
membef J.tmE>5 t$ a oind "<f•tOf
v.·tll@'t HIW and All About Wit h a bac~ound in Lau~ escaped the s............. ._,. M cd1tor on many History Of War
biochemist and fOf<Ym ... )'NI'S. History ""'t;oclded astmphys.cs. fo.-rner lab to wnre about writ« ard l!d<to< pullllc.lUons. He f:d tOf Twn has a
b medvlologis1. He sn. " ~rtlcutarty many toprcs on her HIW and All About sc:ienoe and is ro.v lo<r>ver- tniO)'$looklf>g to the passion 'ora1
is currently dc>ng a II"I(Ofe$t(ld tO tho c.lfCCf. frot'n SCICOCe Space journalist WOf'bng tow.vds Y<>= lkHS p.t$1. ha•·'V ..... thongs mi'itary bu!
PhO '" mac;hme natur.a1 world and f.c:tJon to sceence Jonathan enjoys her 1'110., ..-slyrntngued wrtlltn for All Studies and wnteS
learning and technologo<:al f oet. and Homy Vll df!fv1ng tnto t~ computatoonal by tecllnology and About History •nd abouta~eof
ewlut.onaty theory tr1f'IOYltlt0nS. to honey ba<lilr= 'vondets of .space. f.'YOU".ion. Earlh sc~ History Of War. tmnoricateras.

004 How lt Worl<s k1r: k1r: klr:,IJ Q klr:it k1r: Q [ls:i gQ I I !.1 · t;; Q !!l
 IB Why tickling
makes us laugh

00 Global eye
Science and tech news from

~~ $JN
wo~tv\12
around the world

16 Wish list
The gadgets, games and apps
we've got our eye on
.£249.gg,
~95 • 18 Interview
We talk to physicist Jim
11 Could we build... AI-Khalili about the future of AI

Westworld? P4 Brain dump

Your questions answered

How the Battle ! 0 Book reviews

of Waterloo I
• Brain gym
was won GM! your brain a~
wtth our puzzle pages
~ How to...
Put a candle out with C02
9 Letters
Our readers have their say

• •

Tom l ean
Tom is a histonan of
sctence at the 8rrtish
'
VIctoria
Will lams
Evolvt10N1ry
Ubrary \\'Of"..ing on btolog st ~rid formo<
o.al h1$lO<Y projects. Woo-Id of Animals
H 15 first book. Y«1t er V.ckv IS
Electronc Dreams. fasconated by
was p..JbltShfod nature arid"-'"''
1n 2016. wt.en OUi doO<s.

www . howjtwocksdoll y . corn How lt Works 005

 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

SCI=NCE
W1th (.)Vel' 14 n1111on 9<lbdl monthly USt'IS. Uve Scl~ce tn.akt!s ~et"y day a ~rue tl'IOfe nec-eso.og
lrJ~tklmir\tlt.lg thi fel5Cifl.lbng worldMQJnd U\. For !he $Cienoegt!f!k IHevetyOne, llve S<:ience
brt\1~ dowo the stones behind lho ~t 1ntcrO'Stdlg news ~nd photos on tOO tntemet.

Europa's thiCk shell

of ice conceals a
mysterious ocean.
that is POtentially
home to alien lile

ANIMALS
Giant prehistoric shark was
too hot to avoid extinction
Words by Mindy Weisberger
ew research suggests the mega lodon·s
N body temperature may have played a
par tin its demise. A giant prehistoric
predator that still fuels nightmares and
fascinates scientists today, this massive Jlsh
could grow to up to 21 metres long, and it tool<
down prey with a terri fying mouthfu l ofteeth
measuring up to tB centi metres.
Fearsome though this gla nt hunter was. it
disappeared from the oceans about 2.6 million
years ago. Scientists have now turned to the
body temperature of Otodus megolodon to offer
an explanation as to why it died out.
Themegalodon is thought to have been able to
therrnoregulate (adjust) its body temperature in
response to cooler or warmer water, enabling it
to hunt In a broad range of habitats. But was
megalodon's body temperatweslmllarto that of
modem sharks? To lind out. sclenllsrs used
www . how•twpc ksdgil y c orn
geochemlstry to examine rare carbon and
oxygen Isotopes in megalodon teeth and in the
teeth of modern sharks. These isotopes form
different bonds depending on the animal's
temperature when teeth form, researcher
Michael Griffiths, an associate professor in the
Department of Environmenta 1Science at
Will lam Paterson University in New jersey, told
L.lve Science.
With this method, scientists could estimate
what the anctent beast's average body
"It could grow up to
21 metres long ond
took down prey with
18-centimetre teeth"
--
Weighing up to 60 tons, the megalodon
is the largest predator every to have
roamed the Earth
temperature may have been and thereby find
clues that might explain how megalodon's
biology or habits doomed it to extinction.
PrellmInary resuIts suggested that megalodon
was •quite warm· for a sha rk. Griffithssaid.
Ancestors of today's ma kos and great white
sha rl<s that swam alongside megalodons
m Ill ions of years ago 11kely had body
temperatures of about 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.
By comparison, megalodons may have been
running a body temperature as high as 35 to 40 f
degrees Celsius, the body temperature of whales. i
~
This means the megalodon must have had a
very active metabolism that required frequent
~
1_
feed lng. When the cl Imate warmed the §
~
mega lodon's prey moved to cooler waters at
higher latitudes. food scarcity and competition
~
<
~
from new predators may have combined to drive f
the megalodon to extinction, Griffiths explained. ,.
How lt Works 011
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
._I SCI=NCE
SPACE
Saturn is losing its rings
Words by Meghan Bartels
hancesare, you wou ldn't recognise
C Saturn without its trademark thick band
of rings. But if you could travel3oo
million years into the future, you would need to,
because by then it's likely those rings would be
gone -and they could disappear even faster.
That's the conclusion of a recent
investigation Into a phenomenon ea lied 'ring
rain', which pullswaleroul of Saturn's rings and
into the planet's mid latitude regions. Combined
with research from lastyearustngCassini
data to look at a different type of inflow from the
rings to the planet, that find means the stunning
HEALTH
structures could be gone In as little as too mlllton
years, a brief time in universal terms.
The new research relies on ground-based
observations gathered over a couple of hours in
2011 from Hawaii of a spedal form of hydrogen
that glows in infrared light Thatspeci6cform of
hydrogen makes up the ring rain phenomenon.
The results were stark.lf the sheer volume ol
ring rain the sdentists spotted during those few
hours is typical for Saturn's weather forecast
then that rain would eat up a huge amount of the
icy rings, between 420 to 2,800 kilograms every
second! That incredible rate, combined with the
The Cassini spacecraft
cDptured this stunning
view of Saturn and its
rings on 25 April 2016
current mass of Saturn's rings, Is what lets
scientists calculate that JOo-million-year life
expectancy, although the large range on the
In fa 11 calcu latlon means there's quite a bit of
uncertainty about the rings' Uietime.
The fate of the rings looks even grimmer
considering research published last year using
data from Casslnl, which looked at a different.
more voluminous typeollnfalllrom Saturn's
rings that Is descending onto the planet.
Together the two phenomena could gorge
through the rings In around the estimated too
million years.
 GLOBAL EYE
PLANET EARTH

World's
biggest ~
••
>

natural •
'"'
0

•• "'"'•
Jigsaw ~
0
2
<
~
'

puzzle §"
~
~
z

c
Words by Brandon Specktor

hi lllngbetweentheArctic
Ocean and Siberia's frigid
•
•
~

~
0
g
0

"1?
northern seas I ies the ~

~
cluster of rocks known as the New ~
Siberian Islands. Viewed on foot, ~
~
the Islands are a near-uninhabited IS
canvas of tundra covered in snow ~
~
roughly three-quarters of the year. (
g
However, satellite images posted by 3
~"
the NASA Earth Observatory have ~
shown the bleak Islands looking .§
entirely different. ,~
:
In a photo snapped by -a
the Landsat asatellite in June 2016, 2
the Anzhu Islands (a subset ofthe ~
<i
New Siberian Islands! meet the sea ~

In a giant jigsaw puzzle of cracking "

~
<
b
Ice. According to NASA, it's not ~

unusual for Ice to cling to these •

w

~z
frosty Islands year-round, though,
"The appearance of this ice can ~.•
§
change on a dailybasis, altered by ?
~
;.
currents, winds, and seasonal '&
cyclesoffreezingand melting: f
When above-freezi ng
summertime temperatures briefly "'
<
"S

free the Islands from their regular

"..,.;
snow cover, gorgeous Ice mosaics §
£
•
like this one emerge for anyone
~<
quick enough tand airborne
5
enough! to see them. ii
E
A few weel<s earlier, NASA wrote, ~
"
i"'
and thissame landscape would be
completely white. A few months B
later and the snow would return j
aga in for another long Arctic winter. .,
0

:J

~"
1
,
~

~
8
c
••
;<
~
F<>r a small period of time the remote ~
0
"
New Siberian Islands turn into a ~

j~w puzzle of fractured ice. as ~

<
0
seen in this NASA image captured by <
z
the landsat 8 satellit e
"
How ll Works 013
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Ll V SCI :::1\tCE
STRANGE NEWS
commoners, and women died ot a lower
han half the characters had died - tB6 out
of the 330 characters we Included - witti
violent deaths being the most common."
The median survival tJme of characters
was 28 hours and 48 minutes of show
time, with llfcspans rnnglng from a mere
n seconds to 57 hours and 15 i11 inutes.
.'
• www. ho w itworksdgr ly . eo m
HISTORY
What hides
beneath Dracula's
Transylvanian castle?
Words by Mindy Weisberger
hlstoricTransylvanian castle that may
have once imprisoned Vlad the lmpaler -
ikelythe inspiration for Bra m Stoker's
bestseller Dracu/a - still stands today. But what
lies beneath it? New research that uses radar
scans of the ground beneath the structure Is
beginning to reveal what's hidden below the
building's imposing facade.
Castelul Corvlnllor- also known as Corvln
Castle, Hunedoara Castle or Hunyadl Castle
- began as a fortress built in central
Transylvania (now Romania(. In the 15th century
the bloodthirsty despot Vlad Ill, prince of
Wallachia (better known as Vlad the Impaler(
was purportedly imprisoned in Castle Corvin
by Hungarian Governor John
Hunyadi (loan de
Hunedoara). The building
is a hodgepodge of
construction from
The bloodthirsty Vlad the lmpaler
may have been imprisoned in this
Transytvanian castle
different periods, said lead researcher Isabel
Mo rris, a doctora l candidate with the
Department of Civil and Environmental
Englneerlngat Princeton University in New
jersey. it ha s also been the subject of numerous
excavations. However, maps of the site are
inconsistent and much of the archaeologica l
record Is mlssl n~. presenting chal lenges to
scientists exploring the castle today, Morris
expla ined. for lhts reason, she and her
colleagues chose ground-penetrating radar
(GPRI to conduct their surveys.
The scans helped the researchers identify an
administrative complex built during the 17th
century. The radar also revealed places where
parts of thecastlewere held up by bedrock and
supported by built-up human-made structures.
Reconstructed rooms In the castle's depths
Include a torture chamber, but it is unknown if
the grim chamber ever housed Vlad the Impaler.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH

dar. With over 27 million global monthly users, TechRadar is packed with
breaking news, expert in-depth reviews. fantastic features and easy-to-
follow how to guides for anyone unashamedly obsessed with tech.
GLOBAL EYE

NEWS

NEWS October but waited two months before

Ford fights fireworks with

noise-cancelling kennel
Words by Cat Ellis
ar manufacturer Ford has created a anirnations in the night sky that won't start your

C noise-cancelling kennel to keep man's

best friend safe and happy from outside
sounds, such as fireworks.
four-legged friend.
Such displays are gaining popularity, but for
now experts say that pet owners should take
Research by the Royal Society for the care and make sure their pets feel safe and
Prevention of Cruelry to Animals !RSPCA) has comfortable during celebrations.
revealed that4;percentofdogs in the UKshow "While softer-sounding alternatives could be a
signs of fear when exposed to the sound of step in the right direction, it's important for pet
fireworks. Ford's kennel uses the same owners to take necessary steps now to keep their
technology found in vehicles a nd noise- pets safe if their community i.s putting on a
ea nee Ill ng headphones to protect pups' sensitive trad ltional firework d!splay; says Or Pamela
ears and help stop them panicking. Re id, vice president of the anti-cruelty behaviour
The dog house, which is only a prototype for team at the American Society for the Prevention
now, is insulated with high-density cork and a of Cruelty to Animals !ASPCA). "Pet owners can
sound system that emits opposing frequencies to Visitwww.asRCa.org for tips on how to keep pets
cancel loud noises tor at least dramatically safe and calm:
reduce them]. The idea was inspired by the
noise-damping technology used in the Ford Edge
SUV, wh ich uses thecar'saudiosystem to cancel
noise while driving.
Sound-proofing is one way to protect pets from
loud noises, but technology is providing other
options. Fireworks are a long-standing tradition
for marking special occasions such as New Year
in spectacular fashion, but drone ligh tsbows are
gainingpopularity as a bang-free alternative.
lntel's Shooting Star Drones are s pecifically
designed forthe purpose and can be
programmed using regular 3D modelling tf you're a dog owner you'll know just how s tres.sful
software to create three-dimensional New Year's Eve or Bonfire Night can be for a canine

www . howitw p rksdq lly . cpm

 MekaMon V2
• Price: £249.99/$249.99 www.mekomon.com

M eet M ekaMon , the world's first gaming robot, now available to fight t he virtual fight
in your living room. The accompanying app will act a s your interface into t he virtual
world, where you can face off with opponents through augm ented reality. M ekaM on
isn't just about bringing robot wars to your hom e but also a lively and interactive
personality. With the u se of several smartphone controls, M ekaMon can crawl around
and explore, but even without direct control this robot will let you know how it's feeling
and can even be woken with a simple tap on the head.

Kano
computer kit
• Price: £149.99/ $149.99 kano.ms

Building a c,o mputer is hard work - it

involves learning how to make a circuit
board and connect all the pieces together.
This build·your·own computer set makes
learning t hese new skills easy. Follow the
book to build your own C·o mputer (and code
it) step·by·step. When you're finished u se !
your new computer to code pictures, build
..··,·
animations or create musical masterpieces.
....··'.
..
.... ..
,•
•'

Roli
Songmaker kit
• Price: £549.95/ $649.95 www.roll.com

Whether you're a f ut ure music producer or just an

enthusiast, the Roll Songmaker Kit could be this year's
must-have gadget for you. Roll has created several
individual interchangeable blocks to act as a portal
studio, allowing musicians to replicate sounds on t heir
touchscreen ·style design. These blocks are now available
as kits, such as the Song maker. This compact studio
inclu des the super-powered keyboard, an LED·
illu minated light pad b lock and a loop block for f urther
control. With the accompanyin g app and producing
software, the Songmaker Kit is a great way to make your
musical Inspirations a reality.

016 How lt Works www .b ow i twork sdgily .cpm

 Light L16
camera
• Price: £1,850 (apPfox. $2,365)
www.Ug ht.co

Though the light l16 may appear

to be a simple cross between a
spider and a camera, this
high·tech gadget is u sing its • Developer: !nfin!tvGames.io
many eyes to produce stunning • Prioe: Free I Google Play I The App Store

''\ photography. Equipped with 16 This puzzle game forces

lenses, this 52-megaplxel camera you to read between the
·..··..' ...
........... has a Sx optical zoom ability. These 16 lenses work together, taking multiple lines to form the hidden
images to produce the final combined image. Built·in auto-sensing shape within. As the name
technology means the L16 also adjusts its settings in response to light and suggests, you can create
camera stability automatically. Though it's bigger and heavier than a an endless range of
sm artphone, the L16 is a much more compact piece of technology than different designs to unlock
traditional professional DSLR cameras. the next challenge.

·-···-·------------------------- -
Q Lepsby
~ Fieldguide
John Lewis
. . . . . ... . . .. . . & Partners • Developer: Change Theory
• Price: Free I Google Play I The App Store
As the social media

125 scientific platform to share

your bu tter fly and
moth photographs,
challenge set Leps can also
suggest the identity .t ....._ -
• Price: £30 (apPfox. $40) of the species in
www.iohn~is .com
your Images.
Are you up for a serious challenge? Then
put your skills to the test with this

~ BioBiox
fantastic STEM kit. Ideal for ages eight and
up, this kit of 125 scientific challenges
includes a buzz wire and an aim·and·shoot • Developer. Goldsmiths I Imperial College London
game to test your coordination. There's
• Price: Free I Google Play I The App Store
even some bubble science challenges and
Play and explore the world
a moving dinosaur included.
of protein docking using
......................··... this Tetris·style game to
.......... ... learn how molecules of
•'·'
... ·· '• medicine and vitamins bind

REDS 14~-·in-1 onto complex proteins of

the body.

build-your-ow n ---------------------------------
solar robot
• Price: £19.99 (approx. $25) www.lobnlrwls.com
,, ~Q.J acceleratAR
• Developer: Cockcroft Institute I
What's better t h an one robot? 14 University of Uverpool
robots. With this robot building set you • Price: Free I Play Store
can build up to 14 different types of Build your virtual
robot, ones that can walk, roll, swim or particle accelerator
f loat. The solar panel can be attached using some paper
to a combination of plastic parts so cubes and your
you can be as creative as you want to smartphone and bring
be with your design. This Introduction to life these amazing
to solar t echnology Is great for any pieces of technology in
budding scientist or engineer.

www . howitwocksdgHu . corn

, your living room.

How lt Works 017


AI has started to teach itself. Should we be worried about what the future holds?
rolessor jimAI-Khalllllsa theoretical
P physicist, author and broadcaster. His
BBC four documentary The joy ofAI
explores how machines have developed
inteUigence that can exceed the capacity of the
human brain.ln contrast to the apocalyptic
hysteria of the press that warns of robots rising
against their human creators, Professor
Al-Khalili explains that AI has tremendous
potential for humanl<ind, from hea lthcare to
climate change. The danger comes from who has
control over the powerful technology and what
they choose to do with it.
There are intelligent machines everywhere
we look ln our everyday Uves, from Slri and
Alexa to the algorithms that predict the
shows we would Uke on Netfilx. What does
'artificial intelligen.ce' a.c tually mean?
Artificial intelligence IAI) Is Intelligence that is
not human or ani mal. We have created
machines that can do something intelligently.
When we think of Intelligence, we usually mean
something really clever, but Ails not necessarily
that clever- it's just a machine that can do
something that can mimic things; maybe tasks
that humans do. Whattsexcltlngis that some AI
is showing unexpected types of Intelligence.
What are some of these unellpected types of
intelligence that we are seeing?
You can playchessagalnsla computer and we
now know the best can beat even the best
human opponent, even the srandmastersof
chess. But to play chess a computer just has to be
a ble to crunch through lots of numbers and
possibilities- ·uIdo th is what will happen?'-
and lt can work through billions and billions of
combinations and then work out what the
optimum thing Is to do. ll looks Intelligent, but it
is just number crunching. But now there are
computer programs that are beginning to show
intuition, almost lil<e tmaglnatlon. The AI
company Deep Mind produced AlphaGo and
AlphaZero- both computer programs-and they
trained them on old 198osAtarl computer!Jilmes,
like Asteroid and Space Invaders. They don't have
to glve theAis the rules of the game, they don't
have to show them how to play. they just say
watch this game and watch the patterns for
018 How lt Wori<s
•
1m
pixels- figure out what you need to do. These AI
can quickly figure it out and within a few hours
can beat any human on Earth. They are figuring
out new strategies that haven't even occurred to
humans. Thatisquite exciting -they're starting
to show real creatiVity.
What is the smartest form of AI that we have
avallable tons?
The smartest AI we have is still pretty dumb by
human standards. We use AI on our phones:
GoogleTranslate, Si ri, Alexa. That'sAI. It's
listenIng to what you have to say a nd figuring out
what it means and respond ing, but itis still
doing it blindly. it's still a machine, it Isn't
conscious, it is not aware. The very best AI are
a ble to search through patterns of data, or
images for example, and pie!< out thi ngs that we
can't spot as humans. f'or example, looking for
very early cancer tumours in hea lth care, they
can spot cancerous cells in moredetall and more
quickly than a human can. So the smartest Ai
are the ones that are actually helping us do our
jobs better.
Al'e we going to see more of that in the
future - AI having a role in healthcare and
other industries to better society?
Yes, it's inevitable. We have had the Internet for
20 years, and the World Wide Web, and we look
-
back and think, 'How did we evercope?What
was the world like before the Internet?' lt's
completely transformed our lives. I predict AI
will do the same, and lt won'tneed25 years to
revolutionise our dally lives as much as the
Internet has- it wlll do thatln ten 0r15. Al is
coming, I'm certain of it. AI is going to be used in
healthcare, finance, transport. environmental
studies, research.
AI is goi ng to be here whether we ltke it or not.
But we have to remember that new science or
tech Is not necessarily good or evil, it's how we
put it to use. An example is in the military. You
cou Id see the value of autonomous robots going
In and doing bomb disposal or discovering
landrnines, because that is going to be a lot safer.
But on the other hand autonomous killer d rones
can take the decision to take out humans...
Machines killing humans, machines making the
decision themselves: that's the sort of thing that
is very scary and that is the sort of thing we need
to have regulatlonsa!Jilinst.
For me, the scariest thing is if we don't have
that conversation and if the publicarescared of
AI, then there wlll be a backlash. They'll
disengage and sovemmentswlll see it as less of a
priority. The tech won't slow down but itwlll be
In the hands or big hlgh·tech companies, like
Amazon and Pacebook, or in the hands of cyber
terrorists. Wider society needs to know what AI
will be capable ofsowe can putt he regulations
In place. not to slop il but to make sure we're still
In control of it.
From a teclt perspective what are the biggest
challenges ln progressive AI? Has lt gone as
far as it can possibly go or will it continue
teaching Itself?
IthJnkthe tech isadvancinga lot. There has
been a massive increase in computing; there is
more and more data available for AI to use and to
be trained on. The Idea of big data Is something
people find frightening- what does 'Big Brother'
know about me? But that's what AI feeds on- it
needs data.
There are new types of computer algorithms,
which means AI is learning foritseUand it's sort
ofwrltlngitsowncode. That isexcitingand new:
it's learning the way we humans learn. If you
look at a toddler ora baby,ltlooksaround the
www . how j twocksdgtly .cpm
world and ltsees its hand and picks things up.
You learn from your environment all the time
a nd life evolves and develops. Machines are
developing learn ing.
I'm excited, it wil l change our lives. I'm not
scared of AI, I'm scared that wider society lsn't
ready for it or doesn't appreciate how it might
change the world.

Are there particular regulations you would

like to see or hope to see?
There needs to be more broader regulations on
what isdonewlth our data. Healthcare Is a good
example.ll's brilliant: we will have personallsed
medicine, so if you have a health problem, H your
genome has been mapped, they can pinpoint
exactly the right treatment for you. But who
holds all of that Information about you? What
safeguards are there in place that stop it being
used for other reasons if we just allow Amazon
and Google and l'acebook to have whatever data
they want from us?Who knows wbattheywiU
do with it
Regulations on transparency, who controls the
"I'm not scored of
algorithms, what do you allow the AJ to do: artificial intelligence,
governments need to decide what we do- just
like no chemist or biologist wants chemical or
I 'm scored that
biologlca I weapons. There are regu iations and wider society isn't
laws and treaties that stop most countries using
them. it's nott he fault of chemists and biologists ready for it"
if someone builds a weapon, the same way it's AI might be used extensively In machines over the
not the fault of a computer science or AI expert If next few decades, from making medicine to music
someone uses AI like that, but we need Jaws and
regulations In place to prevent that. it's not the AI
you have to worry about it is who controls it.

Is there anythin.g you want to see (or

yourself in AI?
There are still mysteries outthere that we
humans with our puny human brains are unable
to cracl<. so the big problems in physics, lil<e
whatls darlonatter. what is dark energy. what Is
the theory of everything. are there particles
beyond the Hlggs boson?Wei rdly enough. AI
might be able to help us solve those problems
because sometimes some of these problems
become so complex that a human can't literally
get their head around the problem.
Solutions to climate change, population
movements, how we utilise dlmlnishing
resources. water and food supplies. Those are
big, complicated mathematical problems that
require a lot of data, and AI might be able to
make sense of it better than we can. That's
where the power of AI comes in, and that's where
it's really exciting.

www. bowltworksdoflu. eo m
EVERYTHI
THE Delve into the discipline that aims to build and develop our knowledge of our
world and beyond with the Book of Amazing Science! Complete with brilliant
biology, curious chemistry and phenomenal physics .

...-
........

•
.:.·
• f\
 ®

Edd ie
Eddi e Stob art
Delivering Sustainable Distribution I l l
TY86659
Eddie StoE.art Box Lorry

TY86646
Eddie Stobcn1 Curtalnside Truck

TY86650 Eddie Stobart Skeletal Container

TY86649 Eddie Stobort Fridge

Eddi e Stob art
Temperature Controlled Ojstributionl l l TY86651
Eddie Stoborl Drop Bar Truck
DID YOU I<NOW? The vast surface area of the caterpillar tracks mean the trail t he Bagger 293 /eoves is no deeper t han o footprint

Operating the "The highly efficient

machine alone extracts
How this giant excavator
leaves mountains of
enough cool to power
rubble in its wake the homes of several
million people"
BAGGER293
Dimensions
220mtong Rotating wheel
94.5mtaU A 2lm·c~Cameter wheel rOYles the 18 bucket s
Weight bockets to pick up rock •nd drop it Each of the !8 buckets
14, 196tn onto the oon"eyor belt below. Ofl the mach1ne has a
Cap acity Conveyor belt system volume or 6,600L.
218,880 tons of K1ktmetres of conveyor belts feed rl'IOV1ng 2d01000rn ' of
I soil per day 1 through the machine to gather earlll1n a single day.
$ the coal and transport rt from the
-> , site to be loaded onto tra.ns.

A crE"N of five are requi'-ed to

Cate rpillar tracks operate the Bagge< 293. They
The mighty machine can find themselves walkifi9
moves along on caterp91ar as rar as 9.71<m a d<ly ltl the
tracks w ith a top speed or process of crewing this mega
around O.S3km/h. mining machine.

--. .....,....., ,..,......,,........ ,...., ~

The Bagger 293 Is

f1 roll VI llll ~~ 1111 ~~ KRl

currently being

I 0
...;\
used In a mine
near Hambach.

Ill I I(~~(~' ~~ o ~~~~l~\n 1 nr S west Germ <tny

The Bagger 293 excavator is the world's largest land vehicle

ts incred ible size and jagged-edged wheel machinery,such as conveyor belts and crushing metres In just one day. The highly efficient

I makes the Bagger 29JIOOI< like something

looming on the horizon of a post-apocalyptic
nightmare. But what looks lll<e an Intimidating
circular saw is actually composed of giant
buckets designed to scoop earth as the wheel
revolves and digs.
Baggers are a series of bucket-wheel
excavators that operate In large, open min!ng
pits. They are able to move thousands of tons of
material every day, and when used with other
systems, they act as some of the most efficient
earth-moving machines in operation in the
world today.
The Bagger 293 is the biggest of these monster
machines. Based in Germany, it holds the record
for the la rgest and heaviest land vehicle in the
world. 1t weighs as much as 2,000 adult
elephants and is as tall as a )a-storey building.
Astonishingly, it can dig a hole the length and
width of a football field to a depth of over 25
machine alone extracts enough coal to power
the homes of several million people.
They're mostly commonly used in brown coal
(a softer type of coal made of naturally
compressed peal) mining as an alternative to
blasting. Instead, they scrape away atthe soft
rock to expose the harder rock that lies beneath
before getting to work on extracting the coal.
When they're In action the result is literally
earth-shaking.

www. howitwg rksdoilu c g m How it Works 0 23

 A crawler takes a tes t
drive aJong the
crawlerway \

' -- .........
1 ~~~ r en
...... -
~ ...... ...------.
1 ~~ '' ((;:j
,.... ..... ..-.~-
::n r
:<1 .----
I n1 1JJl 1v1 11 ~ ::r1 o 1
The BelAZ 75710 is the world's
largest and highest-payload-
capadty dump truck
BELAZ
.
0•m•ns1ons
zo.Gmlong
8.16!:>m 1\,gh
I
75710 Designed and built by Belarustan
automobile engineering company
BelAZtotransportr ockslnminesand
tackle tough terrain in challenging CRAWLER
9.87m wide weather, the Be!Az 75710 Is a far cry Dimensions
Weight
360tn from the usual dumptrucks you see on 40> 35m
6.t-7.9m high
the roads. The vehicle even earned a
(~d1ustablc)
spot in the Guinness Book of Records for its giant size. Weight
Although the basicdesignsticksw ith the conventional 2.72ltn
two-axle setup, the wheels are doubled. The Be!Az 75710
boasts eight59/8oR63 tyres as well as four-wheel drive and
four-wheel hydraulic steering. These features give the Operator cabs
Two cabs, one at each
mega machine an Incredible turning radius of about2o
end of the vei'Ocle, are
metres. The 8.165-metre-high and 9·87-metre-wlde 75710 used to cortrol al d the
can carry about450 metric tons in one go, but it isn't just cra-Me<'s systems.
this mega machine's size that gives it monster dumptruck
status. it's also powerfu1, hosting not one but two MTU
65-lttre, 16-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engines that drives
the vehicle at an impressive maximum speed of 64
l<ilornetres per hour.
The crawlers move on
eight treads. two per
corn(!{, with each tread
containing 57 shoes.
each of ·w hich ts 2.3m
long and O.Sm vnde.
 DID YDU KNOW? The crow/er- transporters consume 350 litres of fuel per kilometre and its tanks hold 19,000 litres
Top deck
Til e top deck that carries
the rockets is nat <ll)d
square ~nd ab0<.1t the size
of a baseball intield.
-
Laser docking
In 1985 a laser docking system
was added to the crav1iefs.,
allovmg them to dock vnthln
0.635cm to L25cm or~ futed
-1\Jon at the lauoch pad.
Megawatt power
Both crawlers have l6 traction
motors. powered by four I ,OOOkW
generators. a nd are dnven by hvo
2050kW diesel "''19'"'•·
Jacking, equalising
and levelling (JEL)
system
MooitO<ed and controlled from
alside the aawle<'s control
room, the JEt syste<n l<eE1l5
the I.ClPE< deck and l)oCk·up
points le\IE!to prewnt its
rocket oayload from toppling.
While the teams working on t he
crawler-transporters get to
work on the upgrades, rockets
themselves are getting much
bigger. A b igger size means a
greater supply of fuel (enabling
longer and faster journeys) and
more capacity to tr ansport
goods into space. SpaceX
currently has the biggest and
most powerful rocket - the
Falcon Heavy. This partially
reusable heavy-lift rocket
towers at 70 metres and has
twice t he payload capacity of its
nearest competitor. The Falcon
Heavy m ade its m aiden flight in
February 2018, and there are
more planned this yea r.
The Falcon Heavy weighs almost as
much as three Falcon 9s togethe<
The OOCL Hong Kong has a gross
tonnage ol210,89 .tons

• I • • • • • ' I

• • • • • • • • 0

Forn1idable
• n s I
I 1
These ocean-going mammoths
can transport incredible loads

OOCL
HONG
KONG •
--
• ••
Dimensions
399.9m
Weight
19J,317tn

MADRID
MAERSK
Dimensions
399m
Weig11t
210,019m

MOL
TRIUMPH
Dimensions
400m OOCL
Weight HONG KONG
192.672tn Dimensions
399.9mlong
BARZAN Weight
19J.317tn
Dimensions
400m
Weight
199,744tn

MSC
OSCAR
Dimensions
395.4m
Weight
l97,362tn

CSCL
GLOBE
Dimensions
399.7m
Weight
184.320tn

MAERSK
'EEE'
Dimensions
399.2m
Wei91rt
194,153tn

026 1-bNitWorks
DID YOU I<NOW? Operating over 250,ooo kilometres of track, the us railwoy network is the /orgest in the world

I I I • '

.. '

SYMPHONY
OF THE SEAS
Dimensions
362m long
72.5m hogh
IS decks
Weight

The Ghan is one of the world's longest passenger trains. Consisting of 44 carriages and
two locomotives, the titanic train Is over one kilometre long. Hosting the Ghan is an
impressive 2,979 kilometres railway that bisects Australia. Running from Adelaide in
the south to Darwin in the north, the route connects both sides of the country for the
first time and travels at an average sp eed of 85 kilometres per hour. 1t took nearly
three years to complete and the Ghan embarked on its first journey in February 2004.

www.howitwprksdgUu cgm
 Dimensions
ll1m~
Weight

Dual fuselage
A dual lu!.al.1ge p<OIIid<l'
enough room inside rhc
plane to carry multiple
g1ant paylaads into space.

High wing design

The giant high wing design
allows launch vehicles to be
released from the a1rcraft Eng ines
centreltne for safe deployment. St>< Prall & Whllr••Y PW4056
lhrust·rcmge 1et engines sourced
The large,t plane you rrom uS<ld 747s powe• the
will see in the sky at Stratol<lunch into the ;)ir.
the moment will be
the Airbus A380

The biggest commercial plane is the Airbus A380. So far, 232 of these impressive,
double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliners have been built. Until the
Stratolau nch is comp leted, the Airbus A380 sets the record of having the largest
w ing span - approximately 15 per cent larger than the Soeing 747. The plane can seat
up to 853 people, and has a cruising speed of about 1,050 kilometres per hour. The
Airbus is the first commercial airliner to have a central wing box made of car bon
fibre reinfor ced plastic and a smooth ly cont oured w ing cross section to reduce
aerodynamic drag.

028 How lt Works www. b q w itworksdg rlu . eo m

DID YOU KNOW? In the 1ggos, Orbital Sciences Corp dropped rockets from o converted L- 1on airliner to put satellites into orbit

Centre wing
The re.nforced centre wing
provides lift and stability to
support the weight of the
launch vehicles.
Wingspan
The wingspan os the
largest of any plane, with
a width longer than an
Art1€flCiln football f;eld.

'--iFWiOlAi.h\iC.H
Ji'(S,-a.I.S
-~M

c;;..-.;iiiAiOl.uUiiiCii
3 Launch
Onc::c rt reaches

SYSTEMS
.................

The cockpit fean.u·e~ thf'l SM'I'IC

pedals, steering nnd 4lltitude· nnd Upandaway
speed· monitoring systems used
on commercial planes.
2 Tfoe Stratofaunch will
take the rocket to an
altitude of 35,000 ft.

l Takeoff
The Sttatolauo'loh w 11 use f::::O:::::::::::::::d ;"1:~==:=::::::==J 4wayReturn
Woth ots flight
its
now on
space. the
into
load
uquid oxyqeo and hydrogen Stratolaur>eh wdl return
as fuel to generate a U1f "'' to base.
of 90,720Kg·foroe.

• • •
A replica passenger
compartmefll is atlaehed
to a hydraulically powered
propulsion system.
DID YDU KNOW? In the early years of crash testing cadavers, pigs and chimpanzees [and other animals] were used!

Big impact
E•periencing an acceleration or
around 80 tirn~s t~ rorce or qr<Mty. Lights, camera
crash dlUnmles have inbu1lt sensors High·pov:ered lights surround
and accelerometers to record their the sled test to ensure the
movements during the test. clarity of the images from the
high-speed cameras.

Catching the crash

High-speed CttlnerdS tecord
the sled test at a rate ol l ,OOO
r,ames per second. allowing
e11glr>ee~ s to evaluate U1e
airt>ag and seat belt ~ m1ngs.
 ~ Subscription offer

- -
• •
to How lt Works and get a Powerball Supernova Pro·

The ultimate fitness gadget!

Experience stunning icy-blue LEDs powered
by a super-spinning rotor as you develop the
strength and dexterity of your fingers
-~'-'"'

FASTER THAN GO COMPACT CHALLENGE YOUR

AN F1 ENGINE SUPERNOVA! TECHNOLOGY STRENGTH
Computer-balanced Includes 6 induction- Includes multi-function Produces 0-351b of inertial
rotor is vibration powered blue and LCD counter to record resistance powered just
free to 15,000rpm+. white LEDs. spin speed (Pro model). by your wrist.
 ~ Subscription offer

WHY SUBSCRIBE?
• Brilliant value- save money
on the cover price
• You'll never miss an issue
• it's delivered direct to your door

+ INSIDE THECITY OF CAVfS AREA 51: THE TRUTH HOW WATERLOO WAS WON

PRINT PRINT &

Six-month DIGITAL
subscription to Six-month subscription
How ltWorks to How lt Works in
in print, plus a print & digital, plus a
Powerball Supernova Powerball Supernova
"" ""

"Tem\sand-oondlli!'ll'l!l: lffiaofter enlilles fl~N UK Direct Dftbk.st.escrb~ to pay jUst £26.00 e..el)'6mo1Mtls pl:lsrecelve a Pc:Meltla1 SupefMYa. Gii'IIS()t'l!y avallah'e fot flft UK StJb9orlbef'!l. Gills subjf!r<:l 10 avallabiily. Re~ a'lowup to 60 days lOt lhe
del very Of ~'OUr gilt. In ll'le e~;E'flt ot st.oci<s be.f'\9 ell.hausled y,e reeeNe lfle tlglll10 te;zfaoe V~tlll l!erll8 of aftYJIIar valle. PriCes and savlng9 qooted are CCJ1ll)tl'OO t<> bu)i~ 111111)tieed pr11\tlw.les. You o1111 reoef\oe 13 mue:~lfl: a. yeer. vow &JOOCIIPii011 i3 tOf me
mlrfmum 1em1 EJ)&dAeo. You can 'Mite 10 ue or eel os.10 e&f!OEII ycm slb&Ct\"llloo wllh~ 1<1 Clays ot pofd'laoo. Pay.l',IEIM ~ rof'KE!IIlOOat'ie aher the 1·1--day canceUaton penocl unle&c9 e.xoep'liooal droumsoonoos apply. Yoor stattMf)' rightS are 1)01 afft)cled. Plioef.
COI'l'ect at potnl ol Pftll ancl Wblecl to change. UK calls wll oo&t :ne same as o\tler Slanciard to:Etd-llne rumbers (S1!11tlr'Q 01or 02) or are lnduaed .u pM ot arri ~CIUSI.ve oc tree nlnute&afOW.anoe6 {If oftered D'( your pbOne tallll•
For'"" \(1(11'1$ andoonoillona pleMoe \Wt; www,biL;:!?'' 91ifmi . O'terencts 21 Febn.taJV 2019.
Oif'9Ct D&bll oriQJNfOr's erence 768195
DID YOU J<HOW'i' Named afterjames Clerk Maxwe//, the world'slorgest submi//imetre telescope sits atop Mauna Kea valtmrrq

Magnetic field
The rn<19net1c field
oscillates at90' to the
electric field- they uavel
at right angles.

Wavelength
The distance between waves
can be smaller than the width of
The electric field
oscillates in phase with
the magnetic field - they
go up and down together.
CTENC ·

The current travels

through tile wl<es to
the el~tflc term.n<IIS

Battery
The battery provides
• direct current that
flows constantly in
one direction.
DID YOU J<HOW? In 1834, Thomos Davenport used o battery-powered electric motor to power a small electric cor

Commutator
Tills split metal rillQ
tu•ns a; the coil spins,
periodically reversing the
directlon of the c:urenL

A static magnet srts around the

outSide of the motor. creating a
steady magnetoc foeld.

Brushes connecllhe Wires

to a rotatflg structure
called the commutator.

Magnetic field
Changing the direcboo or
WhM a ca.W'l'ctnr tto~ovs the current flips the
through thl> coil ot
magnetk: field induced in
1nduces ll magnct1t th2 coil, making lt spin.
f•cld around the wire.

This simple hand

trick shows whic h
-F
way a wire will
move fna
magnelic field -8
-
•• •
•

0
o·
DID YOU J<HOW? When matter collapses into o block hole it releases o bright flash of high- energy light coiled o gommo ray burst

~
' I

Organic stain remover
These chemicals. usually hydrOQcn
peroxide, break do\-vn colour-eaus1ng
molccu~s and arc effccttvc when the
item as washed at a temperature htgher
than 40"C. Hydrogen perox1de need$
lo mix wath tetraacetytethyk:mediamtne
to work allow~r l~ml'@falures.
Usually with ore soft side and
one rougher s<de. scouring pads
are designed to mechanically
remove d'ft USing rnction tO
bredk the particles 1005€.
Dry cleaning clothes
0ry·cle."'*'9 shops use chemical
SOlvents other than water to wash
OO'ocate cl()(h ng and textiles that
"""Id be damaged '" a washing
machine Of' dryer.
DID YOU J<NOW'i' The ancient Bobylonians invented soap around 28oo SCE using animal fats. wood ash and water

This uses a powerful jet of

water under htgh pressure.lt
effectively blasts dirt oi l
sturdy surfaces like paths and
Dish detergent walls and washes •t away.
Detergents use d>emic<lls called
surfactants that anov•.' water to
penetrate grease and separate
the partides, maiOng it easier to
loosen the dlrt from yotX plate.

This cleaner IS great at l.i!Ckl.ng colourfUl

stans. The chemocaiS rn bleadlretease
oxygen molecules in a Process c:<~red
OJtidation, wl1ich break up the chromophores
responsille for the cclo<rring.
 SCIENC
Tickling can help to strengthen social
bonds between family members
Why
ticklin
makes
uslaug
How this strange reaction is a human
evolution that kept our species safe
eneath your skin a re mill ions and
millions of nerve endings- branched
arrangements of while-coloured cells
thatsendslgnalsto your brain. They're telling
your brain that the label of your jumper Is
digging imoyour back and that the paper
between your fingertips feels smooth. When
these nerves are touched lightly they stimulate
two regions of the brain: the somatosensory
cortex, which analyses the sensation. and the
anterior clngulated cortex. which processes
pleasant feelings.
Ifsomeone brushes a feather against your
skin, both of these areas of the brain burst Into
action and you experience the feeling ortlckllng.
This experience mal<es us laugh, but not
because we find it tunny. lt appears that what
042 HowltWorks
we're actually doing is showing that we are not a
threat to theaggressor(in this example, the
person with the feather). Think about the places
on your body that are mostticldish- usually it's
the neck, armpits and feet.
Humans are a social species who live in
groups so they are able to pass knowledge from
one generation to another and across
individuals. When our ancestors engaged in
tickling the aggressor was teaching the other
person how to defend themself. If you Imagi ne
someone coming to tickle you on yours Ides, you
would probably clamp your arms down to
protect yourself. Evolutionary biologists expect
that tickling is a form of harmless attack on
others in our social group. MaJ<ing another laugh
involuntarily is a display of dominance.
______..., >
~
www . how itworksdgily .cpm
 lkJIId your own 30 printer t o take lkJIId & pro.,a rnme advanced robots
homaand leam30deslcn in with Rippers & optical cannons In
3D Printing Robowars

Build & race FPV drones & build a Create a sophisticated 30

proarammable LED race hoop in came with the 'Unity' Game Erclne in
Drone Racing 3D Game Design

Leam about codes, build Spy pd,ets Build a number of 20 cames, and
and e~~plore cyberseanlty In le.lrn araphk and sound design In
Cyberspy Academy 2D Game Design

Cane as a day camper at one of our three venues In the South of England,
or join hll'1dreds of other young people fran around the UK and 01erseas
at our flagship residential camps where you also spend evenings playing
laser tag.leamlng extreme soldering and disassemblng electrorics.

Want to Know More?

Tech Camp is the UK's original camp of its kind and remains the only one
spe<iallslng in teaching mding through advanced tak!Hlome projects.
lt's perfect for creative youngsters who like making things (or taking
them apart I) or show those who are forever playing games how to start
designing their own.
We have tutors from Institutions like Cambridge & Imperial, maximum
groups of eight, and exdusive courses not available anywhere else.

www.techcamp.org.uk info@techcamp.org.uk 0118 380 5678

DID YOU KNOW? The world's largest roptor is the Andean condor, with o wingspan of 3.2 metres
than just a simple set of knives; eagles, for
example, have impressively tailored talons to
suit their feeding hablts.'JYplcally. eagles and
many other rap tors have three forwa rd-laclng
toes and one facing back, perfect for gripping
prey such as mice or rabbits. The grey-headed
eagle, however, feeds on Hsh and therefore has
evolved two toes facing forward and backward.
This enables them to snatch at the scales of a
slippery fish. Not a ll birds of prey need ta lons
with a vice-like grip. When prey is already dead
there Is no need to have feet capable of holdt ng
themslill, something the vu lture has become
accustomed to. Their feet are more suited to
The eyesight of a raptor is around eight times better than that of a human
standing for long periods of time, enabling them
to scavenge on the remains of a previous kill. as hawks, however, sport 2015 vision, allowing All th is requires clean and healthy eyes, and in
them to see something at zo feet that a human order to maintain a sharp. moist set of
HAWK·EYED would typically see at five feet (1.5 metres}. Being binoculars these birds have a nictitating
Soaring high In the sky, ra ptors use their able to spot prey at th is distance puts raptors at a membrane that wipes their eyeba lis, sh:n itar to
excellent vision In order to spotthel r next meal. huge advantage while hunting. Though we the wipers on a ca r.
it's believed that some ea n spy medtu m-sized typica lly recognise a circling raptor as being on
prey from up to 1.6 kllometres away. This the hunt, this impressive eyesight allows some PILOTS OF PRECISION
impressive sight is the result of binocular vision. birds to target their prey from the comfort of a The wings of a rap tor act as their natural engine,
The eyes of most other species of birds are on treetop. a method called 'still hunting'. Buzzards driving them through the skies and allowing
either side of their bead, but raptors have have perfected this technique and will perch in them to navigate wind currents. The feathers
forward-facing vision. This allows them to focus wait. silently anticipating the slightest that make up their wings consist of a fibrous
in on their prey while retaininga 340-degree movement of a small mammal below. protein called keratin, the same material found
Held of view. it's not only movement raptors can spot in human hair and nails. Layered like feathery
Humans typically have zoJzo vision, meaning though. Thanks to their ability to see ultraviolet scales, they vary in size and shape, carrylng out
they can see dearly at zo feet(6.t metres} what light, these birds can also track their next meal dlllerem roles to ensure a smooth flight. Larger
should normally be seen at zo feet. Rap tors such via the UV components in the urine of their prey. primary and secondary Right feathers at the

046 How lt Works www , how itworksdgjly .cpm

DID YOU KNOW? Roptors con been found on six of the seven continents, with the exception of Antarctica

ends of the wings propel the bird through the air
and keep it airborne. The tail feathers, however,
act as both a brake and steering rudder for a
rap tor, in a simi.lar way to the rudder of a boat.
Even so, different behaviours in raptorsdemand
different shapes and sizes of wing.
Ospreys spend a great deal of time soaring
over the seas and so have long, rounded wings,
whereas hawks, which are more agile and rapid
Dyers, have shorter, narrower wings. Yet despite
their impressive engineering, neither of these
birds (nor any other for that matter) can riva.l the
kings of speed: the falcons.These incredible
hunters are some of the fastestan ima is on the
planet, and top of the p11e is the peregrine falcon,
which can nosedive at a speed of over321.9
kilometres per hour. This speed and agility
al.lows fa lcons to hunt other birds while still in
mid·air. Diving to stril<e a pigeon, a peregrine
fakon grabs onto its flying food in a manoeuvre
described as 'binding to it' before bringing it
back to its lofty nest to feast upon.
BIRDS WITH BITE
At the beginning of their lives raptors are born
with an 'egg tooth' at the top of their beaks with
which to break through theiregg.Aschicksgrow
they develop a characteristic hooked rap tor beak
that they wil.l soon begin to use to tear Oesh, its
sharp edges cutting away each bite. Though all
rap tors are fierce hunters they each have
different palate preferences. Some enjoy the
meat of mammals while others prefer fish, and
like their talons, their beaks are adapted to suit
their prey. There are even those that enjoy eating
the entire animal, bones and a \I.
The bearded vulture has a diet consisting of
around So per cent bone, and their beaks have to
be particularlystrong to break them apa rt. This
might not seem like a nutritious diet, butt he
nutrients lle In the rich marrow within the bones
of the animals they scavenge upon. Though their
beaks are tough enough for the job, these birds
also employ another method for bone breaking:
they gather up bones then drop them while in

How does a Life blood

Each feather has a New plumes
The protecbve
feather grow? blood supply until
1he feather is fullY
sheath splits as the
new feather eme(ges
Building a bird's greatest assets fornoed, hence \¥hy
from the skin.
is a delicate process newborn chicks
Protection have btue quills. Sheathed
Within the sheath
As a follicle dev€1ops
Bumpy start keraiinocytes
a feather Js
Small, raised bumps on the developing from
produce keratin,
surface of a chick's skin known compone<>ts
w hich forms the
as placodes begin to form. called barbs.
sheath of the feather.
These placed<'" then elongate
lo ronn a lubul<::~( structure
known as the feather genn.

www . howitworksdo il y . corn How lt Works 047

fllghtto break them apart. Once fragmented the
bones are easy to peck apart, the vu ltures
swallowing bits of the bone whole before their
highly acidic stomach acid completely breaks
lhemdown.

RUUNG THE ROOST

Raptorsareamongsome of the largest flying
birds on our planet and need equally sizeable
nests to raise their young. Known as an eyrie,
these imposing wooden cortstructions are built
high up in treetops, cliff tops and even on
telephone poles. As a monogamous pairing,
ospreys rear their yearly clutches together ln the
same nest for some 20 years. Th ese creations can
span between 1.2 and 1.5 metres. so as the years
pass more and more material is added to the
nest. sometimes extending Its reach to some two
metres In length.
Smaller species of raptortend to incubate their
Neck
young for around 28 days, whereas larger bi rds Owls can rotate the1r heads
such as the golden eagle will sit on their eggs for up to 210•. and they have 14
around 45 days. Similar to gestation, the time vertebrae 1n their neck
which helps them to achieve
until a chick fledges the nest varies depending a wide range ormovement.
on their size. Small raptors ca n leave the nest In
around 28 days, whereas larger birds can take up
to two and a half months.

Ears
An owl's ears are able to
detect the slightest
movements of tts prey.

UnJike most roptors.. the

teathers of many 0\N'Is reach
all tht:> Wi'1'J dcM.rn to their
toes. These feathe<s can be
beneftcial during hur>bng.

11 an osp<ey fails to mate

they may build a
'frustration nest' 101' the
following breeding season

www. ho w itworksdg rly . eo m

 DID YOU KNOW? In Latin 'roptor' means 'plunderer' or 'abductor'

Anatomy of an owl
One of the world's most deadly predators is
perfectly adapted for nocturnal hunting

Lungs
An owl's 1\Jngs do not e><p.lnd and
contract ro1ce a ITliJIT1fTlal's would.
Gas exchange occ~~S onstrod on
the owrs air c"!>>lancs.

Bearded vultures are the

largest birds in the AlPS
and number between
2,000 and 10,000 globally

Incredible
•
wtngspans
These raptors dominate the skies
in which they hunt

Andean condor California condor

Gizzard W•f19W"' vp to 3 2m WongSpan up 10 3.0m
Here, Inedible parts of prey (such
as bones and fur) are held while

r----- _J th1s muscular organ breaks dO\•m

the rest or the meal. noese are
then cornpoessed into pellets and
regurgitated later. White-backed vulture Bateleur eagle
Wingspan up tO ?. ISm Wingspan up to 1.9m

Bonelli's eagle
Wingspan up to 1.8m Marsh harrier
Wif)Qspan up to L.34n

Swallow•talled kite
WIOQSP.ln up to I. 36m Buzzard
"The wings of a roptor act Wingspan u;> to L28m

nus is whe<'e the doges!flle os their engine, driving

enzymes a<e secreted to
break down food In the f•st
stage of d gestion.
them through the skies and
Peregrine falcon
~
Sparrow hawk
helping them navigate" Wongsoao UP to 1.15m Wingspanupto0.7m

www . howitwocksdoll y . corn How lt Works 049

 • •
1 na a's 1e
rea peat an s Great grey owl
Canada's northern wetlands are more than just a breeding
ground for mosquitos- they provide resources for some of
the planet's most impressive animals
White-tailed deer
ccupying a vast swathe of

0 Canada's northern
wilderness, the boreal
zone is often described as a forest.
Large parts ofthls region,
however, a re covered not by
trees but by swamps, fens
and bogs. Thanks to the
high watertable, many of
thesewetlandsare
underla in by peat, pa rtla lly
decomposed plant material
that is great for the garden
but provides poor growl ng
conditions for trees. Boreal
peatlands, or ·muskeg· as
they are called in Canada,
are instead dom lnated by
mosses. lichens,low-
growingshrubsand
emergent aquatic plants
suchas sedgesand
cattails. Despite the cold
winters, these features
support a surprising
variety of wildlife
species, including
some of Canada's
most iconic fauna .

Massasauga Be-rs are caned 'ecosystem eng1neers'

Snakes aren't Widespread In peatiMds due to the cold
'"'nters, but this rare rattle5nal<e 5UMves fre<!Z1"9
con<itoons by using one of thos eco.ystem's der'"'"9
teat~YeS. Sphagntm moss hommocks C..'lf'l be relat..ety
willlTl and dry iOSide when temper,1turoso.~side
pk.Jmmet. so these rattlcsNI<es huddle tOQCthet Wlthll
them to hobemalc uotll the spnng thaw.
because the dams they buold can
sigorfacantly i"'')<1Ct the landscape. In
peattands beirller <1.1ms aHect the dre<:1•on l£~1'.
of water flow and the height of the water
table. These changes can dry out or
saruratc the soil. altcnng the types of plant
that c..., grow nearby.

050 HowltWorks www . how i tworksdgj l y .c pm

 lJID YOU KNOWi' The boreal forest is named after Boreos, the Greek god of the North Wind

At home in
themuskeg
From caribou to caterpillars, the animals of
Canada's boreal peatlands are well adapted
Swamp sparrow
Unlike the common house sparrow. the swamp sparrow tS hard
to spot as it hrdes among the leaves of reeds, sedges and
shrubs. Thanks to its call - a high·pitched, repelitious trill - it
tends to be heard more often than it is seen. Boreal bogs are
among its preferred nesting habitats.

to take advantage of this ecosystem

Woodland caribou
Symbolic of remote boreal and tundra
regions. woodland caribou \ovander in
h~rds l.11rough peat bogs eating shoots in
summer and lichens in wlntef. 'When they
find a lichen patch they clear awey the
snow using specially adapted hooves.
M.1!es and femclles both produce antlers,
but these are smaaer in the fem.1!es.

Moose are instantly recognisable from the1r

long laces and the male's broad antlers. In
the summer indlviduat males, or females
with calves, move around peatlands eating
water plants and fresh leaves. In winter they
shctter among trees, and their barking call
m ay be the only sign that a moose is nearby.

Fathead minnow
~....- , This is. one of the few fish that thrive in !i
the acidic \".1atcr of peat begs. They ~
occur in small pools, feeding on organic ~
matter and aquatic insec ts. such as :;
mosquito larvae. Most pools freeze in Northern bog lemming ~
~
winter. however, so it is unlikely Lhat fish
sur vive from one year to l he next.
Arctic shrew ill"'
------------"'
www . howitw p rksdoll y . cp m How lt Works 051
Find out how the dinosaurs survived and thrived, about the mass extinction event
that ended it all, and what these ancient creatures left behind for us to find.
am YOU KNOW? The tallest tsunami wove ever recorded reached o run-up height of 520 metres!

Rapid river waves

What exactly are tidal bores and how do they form?
idal bores occur when previously calm
river water is suddenly impacted by
last-travelli ng waves some few metres
high. Flowing from the opposite di rection as the
river current, water from the river's mouth Is
sent back as waves known as bores.
There are thousands of rivers that deposit
millions of tons of water Into the world's oceans,
but not every one experiences the ocean
throwing water back into them in the form of a
bore. That's because there are several conditions
a river must meet In order for a tidal bore to form.
The mouth of the river that empties into the
ocean must be wide enough to flltcr the water
into the narrower inland part of the river, and
the bed of the river must be relatively shallow.
Each year the Severn River in the UK has
around 250 bores that travel atop Its water. The
most frequent and almost daily bore occurs In
the Batang River in Malaysia and has been
named Benak. These ocean tides aren't sending
salt water upstream though; rather the ripple
effect of their tides pushes river water at the
mouth backward along the river. Atu 11
understanding of these impromptu waves is yet
to be achieved, butlikeanytide, the
gravitational pull and phases of the Moon play a
vital role in their formation.

Making waves River

The watef flowing into the
What is needed to form ocean will be flowing In the
these giant ripples? opposite direction to which
the bdal bore w111 travel.

Incoming tide

Wide m outh Tidal bore

In ot"~f for a ridtll bore to fOt'l"t\
the mourn of a riv<!< emptying
llto the """"" must be fall1y
Wide. alowmg 11 to act hkc the
broad end of a fume!.
Riverbed
For a parbcularty lltense
bore, the nve<bed must be
t"'-ll~ flat and shallow.

Ocean
lncom·ng wav-es ffom
the ocean tngger the
ripple effect upstream.

Waves
Wa\fl typie.111y reach a heqlt of
atound a few meves and travel Surfers can often be
about tv.o or three tmes the seen hitching a ride
on the fast-flowing
<l)eCd or a normal t lda' current
current of a tidal bore

www.howj twprk s dgllu cpm

DID YOU KNOW? The minimum oge of the Eorth is estimated by measuring radioactive decoy in the oldest known rocks
 Complex building
ifi;;L.- - - - - - - - - - . . . . J - materials - - - - - - Air supply
Proteins within the The bubbly fO/Jm con!J1ns all the
(<)male's secretion have ox;'gen the dC\'cloping tadPOles
~ nrimicrobiJI properties need \Nhile they're'" l he nest.
and ac t as surfactams to
stabilise the foam.
Spacious home
The thrashing hmbs of ~
enthusia$11C froQs allow a mother
to bu Id a foam nest m<Jny tlffii!S
bigger than ~If.

...
•

Grey foam-nest
tree frog
Cll!romanUs-xeramrJe!irla
Class Amphibia
Territory Central. Eastern
and Southem Atrica
Diet Insects
Lifespan Unknown
Adult weight Unknown
Many legs make light work of these frothy egg holders
hiromanlis is a genus ofrrog found In aee frog, are the work of many determined legs. laying can tai<e hours, so the female will have

C Southeast Asia and thesub-Saharan

tropics of Africa. These frogs are known
as the foam-nest tree frogs because of the
impressive frothy structures they create when
ra in signals the start of the breeding season.
While the foam nests may appear simple In
comparlson to other feats of a nlmal
architecture, they have some peculiar
properties, and, in the case ofthegrey foam-nest
Their nests are created when a female attracts
multiple males, who will compete for access to
her. The successful individual will then cli rob
onto her back before she secretes a fluid that she
will beatintoa foam along with her mate, both
frogs using their back legs to whip it up.
When a large nest of bubbles has formed the
female begins to lay her eggs, which the male
then fenilises. The process of frothing and egg
breaks to rehydrate. Other males will by now
have arrived to contribute to the fertilisation
process. When all her eggs are laid and fertilised
the frogs part ways and the foam is left to
develop a protective crust.
Afterfour toslx days the tadpoles are ready to
hatch. The bottom oft he nest becomes soft. so
the tadpoles are able to wiggle out of their eggs
and drop straight Into the water below.

056 H<mltWori<s www . b ow j twocksdgjl y .cpm

DID YOU KNOW? The tungora frog 's Spanish name [sopito de pustulos) means 'pustulated frog '

Developing within the nest.

embryos rely on the
11utrients in their eggs to
help them survive a1ld grow.

Big family Safe shelter

The foam nest needs to be Under the hard outer layer
~~-.::....--- fOOmy1 because a female the embryos are protected
frog can lay thousands of from microbes. predators
eggs each breeding season. and the harsh sunlight.

Waterfront property
The nest is carefully positioned
over water so Lhe tadpoles can
drop safely when they hatch.

www . howitw p r ks dp iJy . cp m How lt~orks 057

 \

The hit HBO series Westworld takes

place in the not·so·distant fut ure,
where cltizcn.s can visit a theme
park built around the aesthetic o f
the old American western frontier.
The park is home to thousands of
'hosts' whose sole purpose is to
create the most immersive
experienoe for their guests. But
these hosts aren't actors - they're
machines. How lt Works
investigates how close we are to
stepping i nto the future so t hat we
can jump back Into the past.

058 How ltWcxks

 DID YOU KNOW? Disney's Magic Kingdom wos the most popular theme pork in 2017, attracting over 20 million visitors

Terra forming, quantum computers and synthetic

life- welcome to the theme park of tomorrow
Words by James Horton

maginethatyou step off a train and Into the creation of synthetic.sentient life. The show

I outskirts or a dusty town. The streets ore Oiled challenges us to ask whether we could create
with lile: the vendors are bartering. the
sherilfs deputies are patrolling. the drunks are
consciousness and what the consequences could
be ifwe were to do so. The sceptic reader may
gambling. With a six-shooter strapped to your scoff at this notion, but we may be closer to
side and a Stetson hat keeping the Sun from your achieving this than you might think.
eyes, you swerve past a set of Wanted posters The aforementioned bandit.likeaU of the
and through two swinging doors. Inside the other hosts inhabiting Westworld, would be
saloon an old bandltcatchesyoureyeand makes these synthetic creations, constructed from and
you an offer. There's a wagon of treasure under designed to mimic humans so closely that they
guardjustoutoftown, and If you help him takelt are all but human, only they are hybrids or our
by force you'll get haH the loot. Even though organic cells and the inorganic computers we've
you're stood in an amusement park that's created. For the vision of Wescworld to be
modelled on the Old American West, you're realised so to would the goal of building sentient
surprised toseethatthebandit • • • • • • • • • - liie,andweshiltcloserto
believes every word they've just realising this ambition each day.
told you- because for them Its
may
"We Science and technology news
reaHly. This Is the only story, the be closer Is often dominated by reports of
only world, the bandit has ever to creating reaching new mllestones In Al.
!mown. and there, in that moment, • Computers now dominate
yougettoplayyo\)rparttnlt. COnSCIOUSness humans in a host of games,
Welcometowestworld. than you including cht'ss (a game of logic),
When tl.le first episode of • • , Go (a game ofintuitiontand
Westworldaired in Octoberzot61t m1ght think Jeopardy (a game of wordplay
revea led an exclllng world ol and trlvla). ln the broader world
wonder, but one tantalisingly out of reach. Many advanced algorithms known as neural networks
of the technologJes In the programme were (Inspired by the human brain) have learned to
familiar to us and have already been the subject read ourvoices and respond to our commands.
l of much study. Artlllciall ntelllgence, They're also learning to drive vehicles, are
~
( bioenginet'ring and robotics form the centre of integrated into the software on our phones and
' this science-fiction universe and have been at work behind the scenes on our favourite
the forefront of academic research lor decades. websites. We oftentalkol the impending age of
Today's scientists harbour many dreams for Al. but In truth it's already here.
their work, but Westworldls centred around the Alongside advances ln algorithm design,
ultimate culmination of these technologJes- the Moore's Law is currently keeping pace. For over

www. howit wg rk ~ doitu cgm

Cf TECHNOLOGY
"'
five decades the observance that computers
grow twIce as power! ul every lwo years has
mostly held true, and we've been able to harness
these ever-more-powerful computers to power
our newest and greatest Al.
On the robotics side, lnstltutlons Including
Boston Dynamics and NASA have made amazing
progress Into the mechanics of synthetic
humanoids. Whereas we humans rely on a
complex, Interwoven network ol muscles !or
balance, strength and dexterity, a bl-pedal robot
achieves these attributes usIng hundreds, il not
thousands. or carefully placed actuators (tl ny
motors). But ll the goal is to falthlully emulate the
human form, the best way would be to use the
same materia 1- llvl ng tissue. Scientists have
a Iso been hard at worl< ma I< Ing progress here,
and we can expect more to come as we advance
our ability to manipulate human cells.
Building a blood vessel
Using bioink·based technology
to create a host's circulatory
system in the lab
Computer-aided design
Scans of hum<~n ti>sues woll .x:t as
instruct•ons f()( 1'tl@ computer sottwllte
t:hat will qu.cle the orint.nq process.
living eels susp4!0ded on a
liquid culture form a
'bioink'. The rutnents in the
liquidmedium""'' 5UPP(Irt
cell growth after pnnbng.
060 How lt Wori<s
With artificial intelligence, computing power
and a humanoid shell all in the worl<s, are the
hosts ol Wescworld just over the horizon? Alas,
not quite. There is a brick wall ahead that we can
all see, and we musttear it down before we can
continue. Moore's Law will inevitably begin to
crack, and without an exponential increase in
computer power we've little hope of capturing
human-level Intelligence and sentience In a
machine. This brick wall, however, Is no
Immovable object, and we're developing the
bulldozer !or its destruction. The saviour
technology's name? Quantum computing.
Moore·s Law will fail because there's only so
small a single transistor can go. For computers to
become more powerfuIand efficient, the
processing units must get smaller. At the tiniest
ol scales, fundamental particles such as
electrons begin to act a little spooky. Bizarrely,
Fusion
The cells nmv mature and develop using
the extracellular matrix's support, fusing
into a cohesive structure.
Printer head
The booonk is deposited
acc<wately and on small
vOlumes using thermal
ooergy 0< acoustoe
fO<Ces to forcibly eject
onl< from the nozzle.
Working tissue
The synthebcally created
blood vessel is complete
and ready to be
comboned with other
ttssues us1n9 a simlla•
fi.JSion·based te<:hnoQl~.
Extracellular matrix
Cel s are placed layEr by layEr
atop an ext~~lar matro<.
which acts as bolh a b•nding
surface and structural sullPO<L
DID YOU KNOW? In 2016, Horvord scientists used bioprinting to create o 'heart-on-o-chip', which behoves like living tissue

we can't be entirely sure where they are when occurring at once. The reality we live In is the and their bullets, although capable of killing
we're looking In a Unyspace.lmaglne a one that encompassesourconsciousness. This is other hosts, will only bruise a human.
computer as funnelllnga chain of electrons a little mJnd-boggling, but suffice it to say thalli Alternative Balllsllcs has already created an
down a series of runnels separated by thin walls. we need quantum effects for human-level 'air-bag' fora bullet that slows it to :w percent of
Quantum theory tells us Ifa runnel were to consciousness, then a computer may need it too. its speed. The park's creators could incorporate
become too narrow the electrons may well fortunately, by the time we've cracked an optional internal membrane that achieves a
'jump' to the other side of the wall. ThJs aspect of synthetic life the other elements that make similar effect Coupled with host-recognition
theuniversemeanswe're limited in how far Westworld such an immersiveexperiencewill technology, a gunshot will be slowed unless the
traditional computing can take us, but quantum surely have been mastered. When you're projectile Is pointed at a host
computers aim to turn these funky features into strolling around as a revolver-wielding Ultimately, the main sticking point to realising
assets forsuperfastcomputlngspeeds. gunslinger and you're faced with a group of the world's most daring theme park is creating
As well as a particle being uncertain where it similarly equipped hosts who'd rather you were its inhabitants. But we can be certain that when
is inspaceatsmall scales, it's also uncertain as dead, for example, you need to know the park's they Hnaily get here, everything else will be
to what it is. Particles can orient themselves In a owners will keep you safe.ln the show, a host ready for them. Will you be ready to play? Ifso,
variety of 'states'. but before they've corn mitted cannot cause severe physical harm to a guest, pick up your black hat. and I'll see you there.
to one they can be In a state of'superposltion·.
meaning they're in every state at once. If you
thlnk th is is weird then you're notaione - many
physicists feel the same way! But we can utilise
this quirk in computing. Atraditional computer
bit switches between a 1 and o when processing,
but a quantum-bit, or qublt, can be both at the
same time, unlocking exponentlally Increased
processing power for every new qu bit you add.
The processing power granted by quantum
computing may not be the only reason lt"san
essential ingredient. Superposition, as it turns
out, may also be what underlies human
consciousness. This may sound complicated, but
it essentially boils down to ma nyversions of our
synapses Ithe chemical
communications in our brain
leading to our decisions) all

The hosts of Westworld are

synlhetic: humans who believe
their role In the IMme'*" Is . .

How lt Works 061


Humans now caver a
considerable amount of
the Earth's land surface.
but arid. mostly lifeless
swathes of desert
remain unoccupted.
Current research in to con verting deserts into
forested areas as a method of tackling climate
change vvould provide important foundational
know!edge for Westworld designers.
Planting river red QI.Jm, Joshua
and palo verde trees that grow Underground
',Nell in desert h eat will help network
establish a biosphece for o ther Tuonel·boring machines would
plant life to follow. carve tunnels for staH to travel
unnoticed and pipework to move
fresh \-..oater throu<'lhOut the oatk.

Desalination
facilities
If the park's boundary meets a
sea, Lhen desalinalion plants
could be used to convert salt
water into drinkable fresh water.
Location, location, location
A desert area w ith California-esQue
temperatures would be oplimal. A large pacific
island, a segment of the Sahara Desert or U1e
Australian outback could host the park.
The park'" terrain could be swiftly transformed
with Ule help of mammoth exe<>vators. Today's
largest can move 9.000 tons in just one hourl

Using a military-style
system of two GPS
frequencies would
allow for accurate
tracking of guest s
A full-scale park would need
to stretch for over 40km
e nd ·to ·~nd. occupy·ing up to
J,300krn2•
DID YOU KNOW? The Turing Test - designed to see if o machine con think os o human - wos passed by o piece of software in 2014

Can we create
consciousness?
How It Worl<S talks with Professor Subhash Kak
on the challenges of creating synthetic sentience
Professor K&k is based the human bra in in the level ofcomplexity, itis
at Oklahoma State also likely that some aspects of brain
~ 1#.1
·• Universlty,.Stlllwater,
us. As well as being a
processing are quantum mechanical. But it
doesn't follow that currenUyconcelved
Ienowned expert in quantum computers, which are designed to
quantum computing perform digital processing, are the right
and neUial networl<s, architectUie for consciousness; indeed, itis
Subhash Kak he has authored zo almost certain they're the wrongarchitectUie.
R~qcm:. Proff!S5or of books, includ ing The To achieve conscious behaviou r, alternative
Ek:ctr1cal anC Computer Circle of Memory and models of quantum computers that parallel
Eng1occnng
Mind and Self. the kind of modular and hierarchical
processing that occurs in the brain will have to
One barrier to a n artificial intelligence be explored, and even this might only be
achieving consciousness is Alan Turing's necessaryand yet still insufficient."
'halting problem', which explains tbat no
human-designed algorithm can halt its It's hard for humans to determine if other
processing at a random point like the human species are truly self-aware because we can
brain is able to do. Although J)opular only appreciate consciousness from our own
algorithms such as neural networks (used by narrow perspective (tal<e the intelligent
Google's DeepMindand Amazon's Alexa, for octopus, for example). So if a computer Is one
example) are inspired by their biological day able to achieve a conscious-like state, do
counterparts, it may be that we are losing you feel humans will be able to recognise a
some crucial details as we simplify our form of sentlen.ce that's unlike our own?
organic pathways into computational ones. "If computers did achieve consciousness it wil I
With this in mind, do you feel our current quite be like ours, and we humanswlll be able
approaches to algorithms are complex to establish a connection with them just as we
enough to facilitate consciousness? do with other sentient animals. St lll, just as
•1don't thin!< there is currently anyserious each animal sees the world in a way unique to
attempt to create machines that are conscious its species, conscious computers will be
the way humans are. Of course, there are different from us. We cannot predict the nature
projects where machines or robots can operate of dissimilarity between their sentience and
autonomously in environments with oUis, but itis certain they wi11 exceed us in
uncertainty. but the basis of their intelligence reasoning capacity, memory a·nd physical
Is pattern recognition, I.e. the machine Is able aglllty,and they may have no use for us:
to reeognlse the patterns lt has been trained on
and also their generalisations, and then given Finally, what to your mind Is the immediate
where itis, it chooses a response out ofa menu major hurdle - technological or otherwise
of many responses. Thisisallcurrent - thathumani<ind will first need to overcome
'intelligent' machines do, and just increasing before we can create a synthetic
complexity will not faci litate the emergence ofconsciousness?
the new phenomenon of consciousness." "There are some who believe that if we could
emu.late a 11 the computational processes In the
Quantum computing promises to be a way brain, one would then have also emulated
for us to unlocl<much faster processing consciousness as a phenomenon. But given
speeds, but some physicists have gone that the human brain has nearly too billion ]
further and suggested that quantum effects neuronsandmany,manymoresynaptic !<
L
J'
(where particles can exist in many states at interconnections, and the biological neuron is ;;:
once) may also occur in the human brain and quite complex, itisvirtually impossible that !i
l1'
act as the basis for consciousness. If that is s uch an emulation can ever be done. {j
indeed the case, will consciousness become Persona lly, lthlnkthe best bet for achieving "
~
an inevitable outcome as a quantum conscious machlnesis via DNA-basedsystems, "~
computer bec.omes sophisticated enough? but it is unlikelysociety will ever explore this
"The classical computer is not only inferior to frontier due to its inherent dangers."

How it Works 063

'
Cf"' TECHNOLOGY Transport network
- - - - - - - - - - - - - . The business park includes
13km o! paved roads and 3km
of ra1lway. American
football
SubTropolis storage stadium
Over 70 per cent of the bu11ding . ._.,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .. Oravvn to SC(l~
torc:ompo'trison
area Is us.!d by buSHleSSes involving
WilfehOUSing and d'Slfibution, • •
• •

Caves and tunnels

The underground .n.;rrial
space is housed bet"Jeen 30 -5
and 45,7m below the surface

,., ..
Security
.
1 :.,, ·
,# , ~

Excavating rooms
Sut>Tropolis •s moM ored 24
hours a d~y by CCTV and Rooms are carved out or the solid
guards to make sure the stone a11d pillars a•e left as
complex is secure. supporl i11g columns to hold ltle
thick limestona roof up.

Knapheide
l Ford Transit and Ford F·lSOs are

Inside the taken to SubTropolis for fitting after

being assembled at the
manuf acturing plant a few minutes

city of caves
away from t he complex.

L.i ght£dge Solutions

2 This is a cloud service company

Welcome to SubTropolis: the underground for businesses and a server storage

business complex of Kansas City
amed for its u nriva lied barbecue cuisine and jazz
facility that provides the power,
SubTropolis was created via the mini ng of its
270·million·year·old limestone deposits
security and connectivity they
need to run.
made the move underground attractive to bust nesses,

F herltages, Ka nsas City Is the largest city In the

state of MissourL But beneath the water
fountainsand theme parks, undenhe feet oft he
population of a !most 500,000 people, is an excavated
mine spanning an area equivalent to 140 footbal l fields
located almost 50 metres below the surface,
Known as SubTropolls, the underground system is in
what was a limestone mine, After the mine closed it left
a network ofempty tunnels. This would later become a
new business district. Development began In the tg6os.
With over 55 companles and more than 2,ooo
employees working there today, it is estimated that ten
percent of business real estate In Kansas is in the
SubTropolis. You might expect this to feel cramped, but
with five-metre-high ceilings the tunnels are
su rprislngly spacious.
GOING UNDERGROUND
The lower energy costs and cheap rent at SubTropolis
a nd the thick walls of carved limestone olfer another
advantage. The temperature is always between 18 and
21degrees Celsius- perfect for hosting computer
3 Underground vaults
and storage
Hundred s o f thousands of
Hollywood reels are stored at
SubTropolls to keep them safe and
servers and storing food. From national arch ives to the
cool in o rder to prevent t hem from
treasured old films of Hollywood, SubTropolis is d eteriorating and being ruined.
aJways predictably cool and safe from any natural
disasters that might hit the ci ty.
4 Vanguard Packaging
This company prints
supermarket displays and signs and
moved Into t he complex to save
m oney on heating and cooling bills
and to provide a consistecnt
temperature for their p aper.
5 Paris Brothers
The Paris Brothers use the
caves as an underground coffee
storage facility while they wait to
be transported to a roasting facility
- the dark, cool environment is
SubTropolis is a hub for e·commerce and acts as both a
perfect for the beans.
stornge and di stribution site for companies

064 Howlt Wori<s www , h ow j tworksd giru .eo m

 ADVERTORIAL

eetthe LONDON

+«,ng NOW-17 MARCH 2019

prototy pes MON-SAT 10AM-8PM

SUN & BANK HOUDAYS 12PM- 6PM
FREE

japan House London explores the www.jaoanhouselondon.uk

potential of cutting-edge technology

to give us a glimpse of the future
ove over driverless cars, smart homes and the latest

M Apple technology: a vision of t he rea l future has

come to Japan House London. Procotyping in Tokyo:
Illustrating design-led Innovation brl ngs tot he Kensington
High Street centre a series of Innovative designs created by
world-renowned design engineer und University of Tokyo
Professor Yamanal<a Shunjl. The exhibition will explore the
potentia1of prototypes to act as a lln I< between cutting-edge
technology and society.
This includes Ready to Crawl. a series of robots that are
'born' ful ly formed just like a living thing, w ith all oftheir
parts created at the same time and fully assembled. Their
form and movement Is an uncanny mirroring of that of
living things. Visitors have been learning the stories
behind the prototypes. They are able to touch and
interact with select displays, offering a gllmpse of the
structures and textures of the future.
There are three core themes to the exhibition.
Prosthetics offers various Interpretations of the 'expanded The lifelike
hUinan body'. Additive Manufacturing takes prototyplng to motion of
Apostroph
the next level with )0-prlntlng, which has allowed engineers explores the
and designers to create Infinitely more complex prototypes mechanism that
with textures and the 'leell ng of the future'. Finally, Bio- allows humans to
stand and lends
Likeness Robocs goes beyond meta I and motors, with the robot the
Japanese researchers exploring the adding of llle-like motion impression of
intelligence
and behaviour to robots, giving the Impression of
intelligence. For example, the robot Apostroph examines the
mechanisms that allow llvl ng organ Isms to stand.

Sllunjl's sophisticated runn&ng

prosthetics bring future technology
and design aesthetics together

www.howj tworksdgllu c::gm How lt Works 065

DID YOU KNOW? US physicist Theodore Moimon from Hughes Research Loborotories in Colifornio invented the first loser in 1960
• •
•
, • •
• • ••
••
~

-
••
•
•

hen you thInk oflasers In space, you've time. In October201J, NASA conducted a key test

W probably got one thing on your mind

- giant battles between fantasllcal
spaceships, with explosions ringing out as good
fights eVil over a picturesque alien planet. In
reality. we're perhaps not quite there yet
(although who knows what the future mignt
hold I. But some of thewaysweareactually using
lasers a Iready, and pian nlng to do so In the
future, are still just as awesome.
Lasers have been used In space slncealmost
thedawnofthespaceagedecadesago, when
engineers on the ground used them to predsely
measure the distance to orbiting satellites. Thls
told them how high and how fast a satellite was
moving; lnva luable data that could create a
global map of all the satell ites orblllng Earth.
Lasers can also be used by two spacecraft that
are docking together, such as when a cargo
spacecraft arrives at the International Space
Station (ISSI. This lets them know In rapid tlme
how tar the two vehicles are from each other.
More recently, lasers have found an entirely
new use In space in the form ofcommunications.
Traditionally, spacecraft have communicated
with Earth- or each other - usl ng radio waves or
microwaves. But these aren't great; they spread
out over vast distances, making data-transfer
rates frustratinglyslow. They need a lot of power
too, something that isn't readily available wben
you're heading deep into the Solar System.
Laser communication, on the other hand. can
send much more data in a shorteramountof
known as the Lunar Laser Communicalion
Demonstration (LLCDIto prove just how useful it
could be.ltsentdata back from lunar orbit to
•
• • • •
Earth at a rate of 622 Megabits per second (Mbpst, • • •
which is over siX times faster than comparable ••
radio systems. flown aboard a Moon-orbiting
spacecraft called the Lunar Atmosphere and
Dust Environment Explorer (LAD EEl. the
experiment showed that laser communication
could indeed be the gold standard for the future
of spacellight.
it's not just communications where lasers are
making waves in space, either. Scientists use
lasers on satellites to fire them onto Earth,
letting them trackextremely tiny changes in
elevation on the surface, such as melting Ice at
the poles. In Septemberzo18, NASA launched a
satellite to do jusllhat called the le!!, Cloud and
land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-21. Taking
6o,ooo measurements every second, it's able to
track the changes in ice over Greenland and
Antarctica down to just the width of a penci I.
This gives us a key insight into how climate
change is warming the planet and how much of
our planet's ice we are losing.
Sure, you're saying, that's interesting, but il's
not quite galactic space banles. Well, fear not,
because some of the future uses oflasers in
space could really blow your socks oH. One in
particular is gaining a lot ofattention. and that's
using lasers to push advanced spacecraft to huge
distances, possibly to other stars, on lnterstella r

How a laser works Atoms

How do these seemingly simple devices A group of atoms are
create beams of light? gathered together
between tvvo Photons
reflective surfaces. When the atoms get
excited they release
photons of light in a
p artK.ular direct ion.

Ope ning
Directing these photons
out of iln opening can
produce a beam of
1ntcnsc light -a laser.

Excited
The atoms ar~ e><Cttcd by
addmg energy 11to the
system usong a hogh·
..cltage l!lecllic SI.Wiv.
Together
When these photons
pass other atoms. those
~toms also re:ease their
own pnot011$.

www. howitwprksdgUu cgm How lt Works 0 67

 I
voyagers. Known as a light sail, these spacecraft
would be super-thin, with a large sheet of
material just 100 atoms thick. At their centre
would be a small device weigh ingjust a few
grams contai nlng a 11 the Instrumentation.
Firing a laser at these giant sails (which would
span a football pitch or more), it cou Id be
possible to accelerate them to extreme speeds
approaching the speed of light. This could make
the travel tlme to nearby stars- such as Proxima
Centauri at4-2 Ughtyearsaway- more
manageable. Conventional spacecraft using
chemical propulsion wou Id take several
thousands of years to getthere, but a light sail
could mal<e it to the star in a generation. This has
inspired projects like Breakthrough Starshot,
funded by Israeli-Russian billionaire Yuri
Mllner, which hopes to launch such a spacecraft
in the coming decades.
Lasers could also provide a way for us to
protect Earth rather than leaving it. For example,
it might be possible to use a laser to heat the side
of an asteroid that was headed our way. ThIs
effect would be tiny, bu t If done long enough in
advance it could give the asteroid enough or a
push thallts path would change to miss our
planet. ln20lJ, scientists from the University of
California, Santa Barbara, US, even suggested it
might be possible to use such a powerful laser to
destroy an asteroid completely. They said a laser
could be used to evaporate an asteroid's
material, and even If it wasn't destroyed it could
still be pushed out of our way. !none year, their
Idea-called DE-STAR - could obliterate an entire
asteroid measuring 500 metres 11.640 feet) across.
Closer to home, scientists have also proposed data to be sent in spac;e
that lasers could be used to get rid of some of the much quicker than us•ng
traditional rad1o waves.
space junk orbiting our planet. By firing a laser at
debris in orbit it would cause one side of the
debris to heat up, changing Its orbit and bringing
it back Into our atmosphere. With thousands of
pieces ofspace junk orbillng our planet, this Is
thought to be a great way to start cleani ng up
some of the mess we've made.
Ifscience is more yourthlng, check out the Space propulsion
European Space Agency's (ESA) Laser A powerfullas<>r could puoh
an extremely thin spacecraft
Interferometer Space Antenna ILlSA) idea. They called a light sail to incredibly
wantto launch three spacecraft In 2034 that h•gh speeds.
would fire lasers between them. Monitoring tiny
fluctuations In the lasers, they hope to fl nd
ev idence for gravitationalwaves- ripples In
space-time caused by huge events lll<e colliding
black holes- passing over the lasers.
So while we're not setting off to fight an evll
alien civilisation with laser weapons just yet, we
are finding some pretty amazing ways that
lasers can be used In space. lt might be that In
• the future our first visit to anotherstar- or the
first aliens from another star to see us -could he
• thanks to lasers in space.
•
• •• 068 How ll Works www ~ bow j tworksdgiru . com
•
•
•
~--~--~
• . -----------,·-----~--~---~---------------------------------------------------­
DID VDU KNOW? The word 'loser' is on acronym for 'light amplification by the stimulated emission of rodiotion'

Gettin\J rid of
space junk
S.ts ol SPaCe debris could be
brought back into Earth's
almOSI>here by usk>g a ~r
to heat them up,

Finding
gravitational waves
By firing lasers between three
space<:rMc. ESA hopes 10 flnd
tiny fluCHI<ltions that ~re
ev1denco of gr~itntionol WOW!$.

Deflecting asteroids
it could be POSsible to deflect
lncoming asteroids by t'idng a laser
at them, pushing them otf course.

A g""t ~ beacon on Earth

could be> !..sed to send
Monitoring Earth messages smiar to Morse
Lasers 11 ·~can be u><!d code to a nearby star system.
to tracl< mll'lute changes on
Earth's surface, s1.1ch ns ice
melting ar the POles.

Seeing the universe

Firing a'"""' into t he sky
(known as an a111fictnl guide
star) l\elps teJescopes overcome
atmosphcnc tntcrlcrcnce.

www. howitwprksdoUu cgm How lt Works 069

DID YOU KNOW? The late Stephen Hawking thought a type of string theory could be the universal theory he was looking for
 Find out everything that you need to know about stimulating science,
trailblazing transport, transformative technology, spectacular space,
humorous history and the extraordinary environment!

TECHt-ipl.O>CY t; Tlt-"NSPORT SCIENCE D sPllo.CE Q aN\ROt<MENl 0 ~~Sl~

r ~,

0\sco\Jer the \ncred\n\e

secrets o'. th~ 'Nor\d -"!

\Ne \\\le \n
DID VDU KNOW? NASA 's OSIRI5- R£x completed its 2-billion-kilometre journey and arrived ot as teroid Sennu in December 2018

Trojan camp
At the Trotan camp there
are around 2,439 Trofan
astcrods recorded. This is
the second dcstinabon in
On re[uming from the first
Lucy's ioumcy, a point
Greek camp, Lucy will
Lucy wrll reach in 2033.
pass by the Sun in order to
Once data rs collected
re~h the Trojan camp.
Greek camp from th~se asteroids Lucy
At the Greek camp there will ioumey betwe~n each
are around 4.600 Trojan camp every six years.
astero1ds recorded. This
w ill be Lucy's first stop ln
2027 before heading
back toward to the Sun.

Individual targets
The.., are the locations of Thts rs the tra,ccte<y lucy will make
indiVidual asterotd targets around the Sun to reach both
Lucy wil be aimong fO<. asterood camps. After launch from
Earth Lucy w1ll O<btt the Suo tw•ce
befe<e head ng to the first swarm or
Trotan asteroids"' the Greek can-c.
DID YOU KNOW? Teeth stolen from dead soldiers were used to manufacture dentures, nicknamed 'WOterloo teeth'

When Napoleon Bonaparte

returned from exile to
reclaim his empire, standing
in his way were two
determined coalition armies
n 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of

I France and conqueror of Europe, was finally

defeated and exiled to Elba in the
Mediterranean Sea. However, just over ten
momhs later, he escaped his island prison and
landed on the south coast of France on 1 March
18t5t0 reclaim his lost empire. He quickly
gathered supporters. and armies sent by Ki ng
Louis XVIII to cha llenge him quickly changed
sides. declaring their loya lty to the returned
emperor. The news of Napoleon's return shocked
the continent and before long, a new coalition of
e:uropean nations was lined up against him.
Both the Duke of Wellington, commanding an
Anglo·AIIIed force. and Gebha rd Leberecht von
Bliicher,leadlnga Prussian army, moved to
Intercept the French, who were mountingan
Invasion of Belgium.
Wellington knew he could not defeat
Napoleon's army alone. The French slightly
oucnumbered his Anglo·Allied force, which was
made up of British, Dutch, German and Belgian
troops, plus a number of men from other nations.
F'urtherto the east, Bliichercommanded roughly
115,000 men, which would be enough to tip the
balance against Napoleon- Uonly the two
arm les could reach each other in time. Realising
thIs, Napoleon was determined to drive a wedge
between his enemles, using his superior
numbers to defeat each in turn.
On 16 ju ne, l hIs strategy almost worked. At
around zpm, French Field Marshal Michel Ney
attacked Wellington atQuatre Bras, the location
; of a vital crossroads along the road to Brussels.
f'unher east at Ligny. Bliicher was attacked by
/ /. Napoleon and forced to retreat north. Napoleon
r II ordered one of hisgenerals, Marshal Emmanuel
de Grouchy, to pursue the Prussian force closely.
while he returned to NeyatQuatre Bras. who
had allowed Well ington to escape.
Withdrawing north, the Duke halted on the
night of17June and heodquartered in the village
of Waterloo. Not far behind, Napoleon and his
army made camp rurthersoutlt,and the
e:mperorrestedata farm called La Caillou.
Heavy rainfall all througb the night soaked both
armies and turned much oftheground between
them into a muddy quagmire. This would prove
cri Ileal the following morning.
Waklngwllh full confidence, Napoleon
declared to his generals that defeating
Wellington would be ·as easy as having

How lt Works 075


breakfast•. Wellington, meanwhile, had been
surveying his battle lines with his staff,
identifying the key positions (three farmhouses)
that his troops would have to hold. He deployed a
majority of his men and cannons behind the
raised ridge line of Moot-Saint-Jean, which was
an advantageous position to defend.
At uam he ordered Marshal
Honore Charles Reille's U Corps to
occupy the woods close to the
"At one
farmhouse of Hougoumont. Men point French
of the Coldstream Guards and
Nassau regiments were
soldiers broke
garrisoned in this building and in through the
its adjoining orchard and garden.
The defenders had created holes
north gate"
in thewallsofthecourtyard through which they
could lire on the enemy.
Although Napoleon only intended this attack
as a diversion to distract Wellington from the
main french offensive, it soon became a costly
bloodbath as the attack turned into an all-out
assault to take Hougoumont.At one critical point
a number of French soldiers broke into the
building's courtyard through the north gate.
Lieutenant coloneljames Macdonett, the
garrison commander, rallied his men and
managed to shut the gate on the enemy.
The struggle for Hougoumom would last for
the rest of the day. Perhaps due to fierce artillery
bombardment, parts of the compound were set
on fire. Seeing this, Welllngton ordered his men
to occupy and defend the ruins- he knew
Hougoumont had to be held at a 11 costs.
While Wellington's right nank endured wave
alter wave or attacks. the centre-left of his battle
line was soon under pressure. At around 2pm the
French I Corps, commanded bytheComte
d'Erlon, began Its advance against the farms of
La Haye Salnte and Papelotte, advancing up the
ridge! ine toward the waiting defenders.
Approximately 17-20,ooo french infantrymen
advanced In huge columns, beatlngdrumsand
cheering 'VIve I'Empereurl' ('Long live the
emperor!'). Once they reached the brow of the
ridge they were metwlth horrific volley fire from
the British and German battalions.
The Dul<e had stretched his infantry holding
the ridge - approximatelyJ,500 men- into three
ran l<s of up to 150 soldiers wide. This gave the
defenders as much Hrepoweras possible to halt
the French advance. Most soldiers were armed
with a 'Brown Bess' flintlock musket, which had
an effective range of just40 to 50 metres 1131 to 164
feet). As these firearrnswerevery
Inaccurate, a massed volley of
shots was the most effective way
of inflicting casualties.
Once the d!stance between the
two forces had closed, the 5th
Division commander General
Thomas Plcton ordered his men
to fix bayonets and charge the
French, crying. "Charge! Charge! Hurrah!
Hurrah I' The general was killed instantly, but
his counterattack drove the French back.
Watching these events unfold was Lord
Uxbrldge, comma nderofthe British cavalry.
Seeing an opportunity, he ordered a massive
cava lry charge, wh ich successfully destroyed
d'Erlon's advance. Hundreds of men were cut
down or sent neclng by the cavalry. which
gained momentum as the horses galloped down

01:00-03:00 09:00 11:20-11:30 U:00-13:20

Night deployment Delayed Grande Batterie All· out assault
The two armies lll<!!<e attack opens fire French infantry continue
camp - Napoleon sets up With heilVy rain The f rench Cilllnons begin to attaclc Hougoomont
tis ~ners at la Oll<!flligll:, Napoleon firing on tho Anglo-AI led on Wellington's nght
Caillou farm tn the south decides to wa~ for the positrons. who promptly flank. while around
aoo wetington finds battlegound to dry ret..., hre. French tnfonlry 17-20,000menof
quarters in the vi:lage of out before begirnng beg11 advancing on d'Erlon's Corps march
Waterloo to the north. hiS attack. H()U90Umont. againSt the left flank.

www. how jtworksd gt lu .c pm

DID YOU KNOW? After the bottle, hundreds of tourists trove/led to Waterloo, prompting o market for battlefield souvenirs

the slope, where the french infantry had on ly
recently marched.
Although a decisive moment, this charge came
at a huge cost. Many cavalrymen continued to
gallop across the field toward the french
cannons, where fresh French cavalry quickly
counter-attacked and inflicted heavy casualties
on the tired British.
With the Brltlsh cavalry all but eliminated, the
french cuirasslers, or heavy cavalry, were
ordered to attack the Anglo-AIIied infanny over
the ridge. Ordinarily, cavalry held a huge
advantage over foot soldiers, especially when
attacl<ing thin lines of men, who would often
panic, break ranks and be easily chased down.
However, what Napoleon and his generals could
not see over the ridgellne ofMont-Salnt-jean was
that Wellington had arranged his Infantry
battalions into 24-by-30 square formations. Each
square presented bayonets and muskets pointed
outward at every side, posing an impossible
obstacle for cavalry to break. Nonetheless, the
French horses swept over the ridge and poured
in among the formations, seeking any gap in the
lines. for two hours the French charged back
and forth over the ridge to try and destroy the
British formations, which held, the horsemen
caught in deadly crossfire.
f rom around 4.3opm Napoleon had even more
troubling news to contend with. Through his
telescope he could now see the Prussian army
approaching on his right and to his rear. Around
JO,ooo men of the Prussian IV Corps,
comma nded byfriedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von
Bii low, were advancing on the village of
Plancenolt.lfthey could ta ke this position it
would spell disaster for the French.
Spotting the threat, Napoleon committed ten
battalionslaround 6,ooo men) of his Imperial
Guard to help defend Plancenoit. These elite
infantry reserves were a formidable opponent,
and the fight for the village turned into a bloody
struggle that lasted into the evening.
With the Prussian army outflanking him and
Wellington's battered infantry seemingly
holding firm, the battle was all but lost for the
emperor. Determined, and perhaps desperate,
he nonetheless made one last bid for victory,
ordedng his remaining elite Imperial Guard to
advance on Mont-Saint-jean.
By6pm the French had finally captured La
Haye Sainte, a huge blow to Wellington. Despite
the arrival of his ally on the battlefield, the Duke
knew his men were close to breaking. Low on
ammunition and with scores of casualties, the
Angle-Allied lines nonetheless formed ranks one
last time to defend against the Imperial Guard.
Dutch, Belgian and British volley fire at close
range devastated the French, who advanced in
square formation to protect aga inst cava Iry. Acry
of'La ga rde reculei'('Theguard retreats !'I went up
as the guardsmen hastily withdrew.
By the late evening the french were in full
retreat, and before the end of the month Napoleon
had abdicated. Wellington and Bliicher greeted
one another on the battlefield that evening.
Wellington wou Id laterrefer to the battle as "the
nearest run thi ng you ever saw in your life."

An illustration of the
farmhouse of Hougoumont .
which was defended by men
of the Coldstream Guards
and Nassau regiments

<

T
.V"
;

¥ :;!1 l; - ~

~;
~

' tt.: ·
~ .
~_j
Th<> Duke, painted 1815-16 tiy Thomas Lawrence

-
--e.. fl (1769-1830), weanng h1s ·icld Milrshal's unifor

1
14:00-14:45
British cavalry
charges
Seeing an OPPOrtunity. the British
Union and Household Brigades
charge the French line, capturing
two regimental eagles in the
assault as their horses smash
1nto French Infantry.
www . howitworksdq(Jy . c;om
16:00-18:00
French cavalry
charges
Af ter repulsing the charge, over
4.500 French heavy cavalry
gather to counter·attack. They
charge over the ridgeline and
into British infantry arrange in
square formation.
16:00-21:00
Prussians attack
Plancenoit
Arriving to the rear and oight of
the French formation, Prussian
infantry assault the French
garrison in the village of
Plancenoit - horrific close 4
1nfantry, dealing a serious blow to
quarters combat ensues.
18:30
l
20:00
The French capture Napoleon is defeated
La Haye Sainte A final desperate attack by the
After hours ol bl\ltal fighting, the French Imperial Guard is repulsed
farmhouse of La Haye Sainte in by merciless Britisk) volley fire.
the centre of Wellington's line is The elite troops withdraw and
finally captured by Frendl soon Napoleon's army ls in full
retreat. the Emperor's dreams of
the Duke's hopes of wct-ory. triumph crushed.. ..
q
""
How lt Works 0 77
 The Battle of Waterloo took place within rain-soaked crop fields and farmhouses

-
French cavalry charge
Armed wit~ SWQrds and I<Jnces and heavily armoured, Napoleon's
cavalry is successful against their Oritish counterparts but is
unable to break Wclhngto, •s infantry format1ons.

Wellington's deployment
The Aoglo·AIIiod army holds three farm
houses: Hougoumont, la Haye Salnte and
Papelotte. A ma)Onty of the Infantry are
s1tuated atop an elevated ridge

Infantry squares
VI/hen facing French cavalry
charges, Wellington's infantry
forms ti(Jht ranks of elongated
SQUares. presenting musket fire
and bayonets to prevent the units
betng outflanked and scattered.
DID YOU KNOW? Marengo, Napoleon's horse, was captured and taken back to England after the battle

The Hougoumont Coalition cavalry

farmhouse response
Napoleon's r.rst objec~ve IS Now low on reinforcements
to take the smaB compound and thinly SPfead. the road to
at HougoumooL lightly llnls~s is opening. but as the
<lel ended by only a few alied coaition infaotry stunble a
compan.es, a masslllfanuy C<Ni!Ary charge rescues them
attack is mpulsed just as the
men in the courtyard neN
brealung P"'"'-

The diversion
becomes a mass
- D'Erton's
advance
After the arLIIery
barrage. Napoleon
sends i.n his infantry.
battle 17-20,000 Frenchmen
The French army IS led by d'Erlon rush
determ<ned to take 1nto la Haye Sainte as

•
Hougoomont, believing that of the defenders,
they do Welljngcon's re-serves tndud1n9 members of
will be drawn rowMds it and the 95th R1fles and
leave his cenua n)(posc:d. Kong's Gem1an Legion.
Napotcoo's eager brother are forced bac~.
Jeromc commttnds the attDck
on the farmhouse.

Resolute coalition defence The main assault

The 2m wall that surrounds the compound
IS stubbornly defended by the Brttish, who
lire their muskets and nfles through any
9i'PS in the wall they can find. They hold
out despite waves of French attac~s.
The Grande Batterle lines up 1n the
mlddte of the field and fires countless
bursts or round shots. The bombardment
lasts for two hOurs and the all ed lines
are peppe1ed with cannon shot.

The Pnlssians arrive

With ttle arrival of the Prossian
.:wmy on his right flank, Napoleon
sends Ios lmpeti;ll GlJ.Yd to break
Wcl~ngton's '""'-they fail and
the battle IS IoS"',_
 The .,m.s on whlc;h Approximately 40%
Lincoln'$ hands rest of the Uncoln Memorial is
are fasces, wooden located underground
bundles asSOCiated
with power

080 How ltWorl<s

DID YOU KNOW? The columns and exterior walls of the memorial lean slightly inward to compensate for perspective distortions
e Linco
•
n
emor1a
Why was the 16th president honoured with a
memorial that looks like a Greek temple?
trength, wisdom, fortitude - for many;
S United States president Abraham Lincoln
embodied all those qualities, so when he
was brutally assassinated in 1865, plans for a
memorial in his honour began immediately.
However, years of disagreement over the project
meant that construction didn't commence for
nearly 50 years.
The finished temple-like building stands at 30
metres 198 feet) tall, a dominating featme of the
nation's capital, Washington. DC. Architect
Henry Bacon drew inspiration for his design
from the Parthenon in Athens. He felt it was
flttingt.o honour a man who defended
democracy with a structure from the very
birthplace of democracy. And the symbolism
doesn't end there. The building's 36 columns
represent the states of the Union at the time of
the president's death, With the entire memorial
constructed from stones from different parts of
the United States to convey the i.lllportance of
the Union to Lincoln.
The enormous statue of the man himself was
carved from Georgia marble and took four years
to complete. it was designed by Daniel Chester
French, who studied photographs and
www . howitw p rksdp ll y . cp m
eyewitness accounts from the Civil War to get
the facial expression just right. The statue sits in
the central hall, which is separated from two
other chambers by rows of columns. More than
just decorative, these provide structural support
for the ceiling.
Great care had to be tal<en to ensure the walls
and foundations were strengthened, due to the
marshy terrain. The ground had to be drained
and filled, and 122 solid concrete piers
(cylindrical columns} with steel reinforcements
were rooted into the bedrocl<. Above that is a
second series of piers, jot ned together with
concrete arches to form the memoria l's floor.
More supports were added when the Lincoln
statue doubled in size to 5·79 metres (19 feet}.
1111922 the memorial opened to the public as a
shrine, a museum and a place of pilgrimage for
millions of visitors.
"The 36 columns
represent the states of
the Union at the time of
the president's death"
The ceiling tiles were made from Alabama marble and
soaked in paraffin to turn them almost translucent
How lt Works 081

Myths and conspiracy theories aside, what is
really happening at this mysterious air base?
solated In the Nevada Desert. a dusty path leads to
I the heavily guarded Area 51- an area marked only
by orange poles. Covered with bllnl<ingsurveillance
cameras and sensors, thewarnlngslgns threaten that
deadly force will be used on those who trespass. Has
Area 51 been used as a la ndlng spot designated for
extraterrestrla I passengers on a comet? Perhaps it is
the home to aliens held captive by the government or
the site of a reconstructed Moon to fake the landing
!ootage?These imaginative stories from conspiracy
theorists are very unlil<ely.l nstead, Area 51 seems to be
where secret milltaryplanes and weapons are tested.
The airfield first began service In WWII as an aerial
gun range before the Ct.Aestablished the site as the
082 H<mltWori<s
location fur Project AQUATONE. This project was
developing Lockheed U-2, a strategic reconnaissance
plane. The new aircraft would allow the military to ny
at much higher altitudes and enable them to fly over
the USSR without the risk of being shot down. Keep! ng
this secret was a matter ot national security, but people
noticed the unusually high-flying craft that civilians
couldn't explain, so when the test flights started it
wasn't long before UFOsightlngs were reported.
While the U-2 operations stopped in the 1960s the
base continued to test experimental planes. The base's
primary purpose today is not publicly !mown, but we
can say that almost certainly there are no aliens at
Area 51. Almost.
l Tacit Blue and Have Blue
(l975)
These two planes were the first
developed with stealth technology
and carried an active radar system
to scan ground forces. Have Blue
was a prototype for the F-117
Nighthawk stealth fighter and
arrived at Area 51 in 1977.
The Bird of Prey (1992)
2 This single-seat, gull·wing
experimental aircraft with a
rada,..evading shape and is
rumoured to have also tested
active camouflage - the changing
of its surface's colour or luminosity
to match the surroundings.
The Suntan (1960)
3 This plane was developed as
the successor of the U·2 after one
was shot down by the USSR. The
Suntan used liquid hydrogen fuel
and could fly at a much faster
3,200 kilometres per hour.
TR-3A Black Manta (1993)
4 A rumoured project that is
described by t he website of the
Federation of American Scientists
as a "subsonic stealthy
reconnaissance aircraft", little is
known about this aircraft.
Aurora (1985)
5 This code name was
accidentally leaked in a budget
document and described a
reconnaissance and strike plane
capable of flying at least 6,100
kilometres per hour and was able
to reach anywhere in the worid in a
matter of hours.
www. bow itworksdgily .c pm
 •
When you subscribe*
'' The action-packed
science and
technology magazine
that feeas m1nds ' '

Order hotline OFFER

Online at EXPIRES
*Terms a.n d conditi·ons Ttos os a US subscnptoon oHer. 4 free issues refers to the US

of purchase. nt is non-refundable aftl!f" thC! 14-day canceRation periOO unless ex

nd price of $9.99 for 13 Issues toeong $12987.
compared Y.'i\:h S87 for a subscription. You wdl receive 13 1ssues in a year. You can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription wrtt11n 14 days
I circumstances appty. Your ry nght:s are not
31Mar
affected. Prices are at point of print and subject to change. Full details of the Direct Oebi1 guarantee are available upon request. UK calls will
cost the same as other standard foxed·lin• numbers (starting 01 or 02) oncluded as part of any inclusrve or free minutes allowancos (ol offerM by )'OL.I'
phone tariff). For lull terms and oondihons please visit bit.IV/malllandc. OHer ends 31 March 2019.
2019
 Why aren't there many naturally blue foods?
Edgar Malone
• There a re good reasons why most natura I foods anm't blue. Partly it's
Blueberries are one of
chemi stry - many leafy vegetables, for Insta nce, like lettuce and spinach, the few naturally
are green because they contain green-coloured chlorophyll, which is used occurring blue foods
in photosynthesis. Meat Is often red because it contains blood and proteins
that are partly made of iron, which is red-tinted and needed to carry
oxygen around animals' bodies. Evolution also plays a part- fruit tends
to be brightly coloured to attract animals to eat it
and scatter the seeds inside, so there are few
blue fruIts because they wou ldn't stand out as
well as those coloured red or orange. TL

Want
answers?
Send your questions to ...
f How lt Works magazine
'#@HowltWorksmag
@ howitworks@
tuturenet.com

084 HcMtltWOI'ks
 What
causes coffee
breath?
Tim Marshal!
• Coffeeisacidic, the caffeine it
contains dries out the mouth,
and milk contains a type ofsugar
called lactose. Bacteria love
these three things, and they're
the cause of coffee breath. LM

Why are cats scared

of cucumbers?
Sophie Oxbridge
• You may have seen videos on line of cats appearing to be
spooked by cucumbers, but it's not cucumbers in particular
that they're scared of. Cats are naturally very aware of their
surroundings, as in the wild they would have to be on the
lookout for predators, so if anything suddenly appears
behind them they will likely fi nd it threatening. It could be
that cucumbers invoke such a strong reaction because cats
in itially mistake them for snakes. Regardless, it's bestto
avoid spooking your cat as it causes them stress. JS

Cats will be spooked by any unexpected

object appearing behind them

Do any A fem ale Israeli soldier is

taught the art of camouflage ~JII"'}
countries still
have military
conscription?
Francis Lang
• There are many countries
that still require able-bodied
men- and sometimes women
-to complete military service.
North Korea has the longest
conscription period, with u
years for men and seven for
women. Other countries with
mandatory service include
Israel, Brazil, Greece,
Switzerland and Syria, to name
a few. Some have recently ~
Q.
reintroduced it, such as a:
a:
Sweden, which voted to
reinstate conscription in 2017 AVA IL ABLE AT
;; alter abolishing it in 2010 after HAYNES.CQM
AND A LL GOOD
"' 100 years. JT
"' BOOKSHOPS

www . howitw p rksdq lly . c orn


How long does it take
the Moon to orbit Earth?
Rupert Fenwick
• The Moon only takes about 27-Jdaystoorbll
the Earth. Early astronomers used this repetitive
occurrence to calculate time, measuring dates
from one full moon to the next JH
086 How ll Wori<s
The Boston Tea Party acted as a catalyst for the
American Revolutionary War of 1775-U83
What was
the Boston
Tea Party?
Amos Bramley
• By 1773, colonisls living In America
were growing impatient with the rule
of King George Ill and the British
Parliament. The British were steeped
In debt and hoped to recoup their
losses by tax ing their colonies across
the Atla ntic more heavily. The
colonists protested this taxation and
eventually the British relented, but
they retained thei.r heavy taxation on
tea. in retaliation to this, an anti-
Brltish group of merchants known as
theSonsoflibertyorganised the
'Boston Tea Party', where they snuck
aboard ships and threwwpreclous
chests of tea Into the harbour. Within
the next two years the British and the
colonists would beat war. JH
www .how it worksd gily .cpm
Is fasting good
for your health?
Ryan Butcher
• lt may be, but scientific testing Is still underway. The
original idea came from lab rats- when they eat less, they
tend to live longer and have fewer health problems. Their
insulin levels drop and their bodies sta rt burn ing through
any excess calories they've stored. Scientists are testing the
Idea on humans by cutti ng out snacks, eating earlier In the
day and not eating for whole days at a time. But we are
notoriously bad at stick! ng to diets, so research is ongoing. In
the meantime, it's always good to check with a doctor before
trying something like this yourself. LM

How did we
decide how long a
second/minute/
hour is?
Amanda Howells
• The ancient Egyptians used the
duodecimal system, which means they
Why does yawning help counted up in us !instead oftos, like we
your ears 'pop'? do now). So, when they invented sundials
to track daylight and star charts to track
Gareth Pocock the night. they split the day and nigh.t
• When there is an imbalance of pressureelthersldeofthe into 12 parts each. forming the basis of
ear, our eardrum can bulge Inward or outward In response. modern hours. It was the ancient Greeks
'Popping· our ears helps restore the eardrum to Its normal who then Invented minutes and 'second
position. As we yawn we open the Eustachian tube, which We owe our 24·hour days to the ancient minutes', and they used the sexagesimal ~
Q
supplies air to the middle ear and equalises the pressure. JH Egyptians and their sundials system (counting in 6os). LM ;;

www. howitwprksdoUu cgm How lt Works 087

 Are cars more likely to
be in an accident if they
are a dark colour?
Sophie Hemmlngs
• Black ears are more likely to have accidents
than cars of other colours, probably because
they are hardertosee. Lighter shades, like white
or sliver, have the lowest accident rates. TL

If computer
components
keep getting
smaller, why are
getting
bigger again?
Faisal Khalil
• We use smartphones to do
much more today than a few
years ago. More and more people
use them for watching videos,
playing games, runn ingapps
and even for worl<. Bigger
screens are better for
entertainment, s uch as
watchIng movies, and make
using apps easier, because
touchscreen buttons can be
bigger and more information ea n
be shown on·screen. To Increase
Why are olive oil
entertainment and usability, bottles dark?
manufacturers have been using Janet Spears
bigger screens, which of course • Exposure to ultraviolet light and oxygen
means bigger phones. n causes a decrease in the antioxidant contents of
olive on, reducing its quality. Therefore, it Is best
to store it In dark glass bottles or tins to protect it
from light and air. JS

088 How ll Works www . how itworksdgily .cpm

 Children will usually grow out

Why do kids suck of thumb-sucking when they

are t hree to four years old

their
Benjamin Entemad
• Babies have a natural reflex to suckas this is how they
feed, either from their mother's breast or a bottle. Even
before they are born they will often suck on their fingers
and thumbs in the womb. However, as well as serving as
a survival instinct, the action of sucking Is also soothing
and comforting for children, which Is why they wtll
sometimes continue to do 1t even after they have been
weaned onto soUd foods. JS

What is
white
noise?
lisa Basset
• just likewhitelightisa
combination of all the colours of
the rainbow, white noise is a
combination of different
frequencies of sounds. The
pattern is random and it makes a
characteristic hissing noise. LM

Can people be
allergic to water?
Sally Dyet"
What was the first video-
• An adult body Is made up of 6o per cent water, and yet it's game console? On sale in 1972 for Stoo, the Odyssey was
possible to be allergic to th is llfe-gtvlngllquld.Aquagenlc Marcus Spitlles primitive, yet despite havlngonlysimple ~
urticaria Is a very rare condition tn which a skin rash develops • The first video-game console was the black and white graphics and no sound, it ~
when in contact with water. tt's so uncommon that the cause Magnavox Odyssey, the brainchild of played a range offun sport. shooting. "'~
j
is still a mystery. JT German-American inventor Ralph Baer. raclngandeducationalgames. n ~

www . howjtwocksdoH u corn How lt Works 089

The Ocean Book: How
Endangered ourSeas?
Discover the science behind the threat to our oceans
• Author: Estl>er Gonstalla
• Publisher: Oekom
• Price: £19.99 I $24.99
• Release date: Out now
he threat of global warming has never
T been greater. Scientists are now warning
that if we don't do somethi ng serious to
slow the rising temperatures on Earrh we could
cause irreparable damage to our planet within
the next few years. At the centre of this are our
oceans. They play an Integra l role In the
regu lation of temperature- as they sta rt to
warm more rapidly sea levels rise, temperatures
rise, and our chance of survival falls.
This is the clear message of The Ocean Book,
which pulls no punches as lt talks you through
the science behind rising temperaturcs.lt starts
by explaining how temperature changes
throughout the Earth's history have altered the
way life has formed and the close relationship
between the seas and the climate. Then the bad
news begins. Rising acidity from greenhouse
gases; ocean currents in turmoil due to melllng
sea ice and higher preclpltallon; sea levels
predicted to rise up to five metres (16
feett in the next 300 years- it's not
always an easy read. it moves onto
endangered species and explains
how overfishlng Is destroying
habitats and howdolphinsare
hunted and killed near japan. That's
all before we've started talking about
drilling, plastic pollution, oll spills,
radioactivity and more.
!fit sounds gloomy, that's because it
is. The reality oft he situation Is that
the oceans a re bel ng horrlfica lly
damaged by human activity, and
without changing things it could soon
090 How it Works
be beyond repai r. This book won't be a pleasing
read for everyone, but it does a fantastic job of
Illustrating each of the points with simple but
effective graphics that really hit home.
Annotated maps help you see how ocean
currents flow, and images help explain the
science, while the writing keeps things simple,
sticking to the facts a nd explaining how bad
things might be if we don't act fast.
It's not all doom and gloom - there are sections
explaining the positive changes being made to
our oceans through things like preservation
areas and fish farms that are sustainable and
environmentally friendly. These small glimpses
giveusanideaofhowbig industries can help
protect the oceans, but they're few and far
between in this necessarilyunOinchlnglookat
the state of our seas.
*****
This Book is
Not Rubbish
We'll be the judge of that
• Author: lsabel Thomas
• Publisher: Wren & Rook
• Price: £6.99 (approx $9)
• Release date: Out now
As far as book titles go, this one has quite the
mission statement. Yet it's one that it seem s
determined to live up to, with the bulk of its
content comprising 50 ways in which you c an
reduce your carbon footprint on the planet.
Some of these are more practical than
others, such as turning off electrical
appliances w hen you're not in t he room,
creating compost heaps and repairing things
instead of just throwing them aw ay. On the
other hand, some of the information at hand
is a bit demoralising. For instance, this book
goes Into great detail about the harm to the
environment caused by farming animals for
meat. While it's all useful inform ation, the
defeatist in us says that there's not a huge
amount we can do about this individually.
Still, this is a very handy booklet for your
kids (who will no doubt start lecturing you
next time you put something recyclable in the
general waste). especially if they're already
hooked on the brilliant Horrible History/
Science series.
****
www.how jtworksdotlu .cpm

THOMPSON
)
·n's Most
Wond erful
Plants: Darwi n's
Botany Today
The Beagle deal
•
•
Author: Ken Thompson
Publisher: Profile Books
•
•
Price: £10.99 (approx $14)
Release date: Out now
Trad itlonally, we remember
Charles Darwin for his voyage
aboard The Beagle and the
pioneering d lsroveries he made
during this time. As plant biologist
l<en Thompson points out,
however, much ofhlsworkwas
undertaken back in the UK, and
his ground breal<ing The Origin Of
Species wasn't even published
until)o years after the end of h is
voyage. so there's a lot of ground
left uncovered.
lt's this dearth that Thompson
seeks to explore, initially focusing
on Darwin's pr imary plant-based
interests (cllmbi ng pia nts and
"Thompson marries his
keen insight with o genuine
passion for oil things founo"
www , hgwltwprfss dg il u . c:om
insectivoresl before moving onto
the phenomena of cross-
fertilisation and the different
forms of pia nts that exist. There's a
lot of ground to cover, but cover it
Thompson does, marrying his
keen Insight Into Darwin's life
with a genuine passion for all
forms offauna.
Usefu I for both pia nt
enthusiasts and those with just a
passing Interest. this is a perfect
entry point into the life of Darwin
and an Ideal waytogaina further
understanding of just how
imponant his legacy is.
*****
BOOK REVIEWS
The Science
of Supercars
Get your (super)
engines ready...
• Author. Martin Roach, Neil
Watennan, John Monison
• Publisher: Mitchell Beazley
• Price: £20 I $29.95
• Releilsc date: Out now
Around 100 years ago we weren't the early origins of implements like
that far beyond people walking in superchargers and direct fuel
front of cars with flags. Now we injection and the first use of
have supercars. Obviously a lot aluminium when making cars. it all
happened in between, which is
where this book is primarily
concerned, detailing exactly how we
feels like it's leading somewhere,
and you never feel in any doubt that
you're on a journey.
got to the aerodynamic wonders we
have today.
Inevitably this will be of more
appeal to petrolheads than anyone
else, but even so, it's difficult to do
If you're worried that the above
paragraph might ascribe the title as anything other than commend the
a bit misleading, then don't be; every high level of presentation and
step of the way the focus is shifted
back to the present, harking back to
production values on show here.
****
......................................................................................................................
NASA 1958
Onwards:
Operations
Manual
Space and beyond
• Author: Or Oavid Baker
• Publisher: Haynes
• Price: £22.99 I $36.g5
• Release date: Out now
We're fast running out of fitting various accomplishments before
superlatives to describe anything looking ahead to what could be on
that comes out of the Haynes vault, the horizon. After this the
but here we are again, and not a organisation gets deconstructed
moment too soon. Wherever we are (almost literally) brick by brick, as its
in history, NASA seems to remain a field centres and their work are put
beacon of possibility and under the microscope.
emblematic of the potential of Being too technical isn't always a
discovery. making it a fitting subject great thing as far as accessibility is
matter for a Haynes manual. concerned, but we've yet to find a
Even though it starts in 1958, this
still serves as an effective
Haynes manual that hasn't fully
engrossed us, and the trick has been
introduction to NASA'S work and repeated yet again here.
mission statement, detailing its
*****
How lt Works 091
 • •
• I •

FINDTH£ Q .
s R B R A D I A T I 0 N D X c FOLLOWI NG 0
T A N D R 0 I D T y J T E 0 L WORDS... 0
ANDROID 0
R p w E L A E R 0 B G R T N E BAGGER
A T H A R c QAM N T 0 E u A BIOPRINTING
BOREAL
T 0 B L M E E R I I K J R s N CLEANING
0 R p 0 I X p T y c L A G z I DETERGENT
FROGS
L s E N B c NA E K I N E V N LINCOLN
0 •..•
0
A J H A B I A L E F R Q N 0 G NASA
PEDESTRIAN
uw E I R R s T V R H u T 0 p PIANOLA
N H G p 0 K A N L 0 c N I L L QIANTANG
RADIATION
cG 0 EA s DQ J G M E u R 0 RAPTORS
H I F u R B X c y s u N B E w STRATOLAUNCH
TROJAN
B u Q I A N T A N G c F E T z WATERLOO
0 I p E D E s T R I A N V A R
U M B A G G E R T E B N A ws
Spot the difference
See ifyou can find all six changes we've made to the image on the right

092 How lt Works

Sudoku
Complete the grid so that each row, column and 3X3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9
14fi DIFFICULT

6 4 5 2 8 6 2 5 11
3 2 4 1 7 5 6 3 7 9 2
7 9 5 4 2 3 5 7 6
4 1 3 6 5 8 4 3 6
2 9 8 7 3 4 1 9
I
3 4 6 2 9 3 5
7 2 4 9 1 8 7
5 2 4 9 3 8 2 9 8 4
'
1 7 6 _ ,_ 3 4 __1
,
-

ON
~

Q4 • . ~

Finger print

Put out a candle with C02
Use sdence to amaze your friends by putting out a candle with a heavy gas
Get ready
! Before you start the experiment make sure
you have everything you need. Get some vinegar
and baking soda to create your gas, along with
two large cups or pint glasses. You'll also need a
candle and some matches.
Pour it into a cup
4 Now pou ryourCOz from yourf1rstglass to
your second. You won't be able to see the gas, so
you'll need to use your imagination. Move slowly
and try to avoid pouring the liquid In If you can.
SUMMARY...
Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. When
they react together they produce carbonic acid, but
it's unstable and breaks down into COzand water.
The COz pushes the air out of the glass and stays in
there. Because flames need oxygen to burn, by
pouring C02 over the candles you take away the
fuel they need, therebyexllngulshlng the names.
094 How ltWorks
Get
in touch
Send you r id eas to•••
f f low lt 'Norks r1ag<m ne
tJ1 " Ho,·; I:'Norksmag
@~ hu·.-.·1 t ·.·.·or ks -~~
future'e: corn
Create some C02 Let lt settle
2 f'irstyoushoutd mal<eyourgas. Put a heaped
teaspoon of baking soda into one ofyour glasses.
3 Wait forthe bubbles to go down and the gas to
settle before you go any further. When the baking
Then add a tablespoon of vinegar. The reaction soda and the vinegar react together it produces
will produce a lot of bubbles, so don't be tempted carbon dioxide, or C02. Because the C02 is heavier
toaddanymore to the mix. thanalrlt stays in the glass.
Light your candle
5 Now it's time to light you r cand le -ask an
adu lt to help. Why not try lighting a row of tea
6 Putltout
Ca rei ully 11ft you rglass of C02 and gently
start pouring the gas onto the flame. Because it's
lights and seeing how many you can put out with heavier than air, asyou tip the glass it will fall out,
your gas? a little like pouring water. The flames will go out.
Oisdaimer. Neither Fuo.n Pl..tJt:4 i og nor its e ' ~ c.an acapc .11"&' l.1bililfy lor _, adverse
effectsecpenenced<ltringthe.IXU'Se olc;.an')'II"'901A ~ ~Ot .. ~ tmtahf!I'. Nwl/lfto
- -
fob.¥ the- -""
rnan.hcb.nr's ' -'" ' " " " " ' _ .. _ _ wtoh tlolcl ........ ..-.d
nstnJctions.
This mont h we're giving away a MekaMon
V2 - the world's first gaming robot.
MekaMon is an interactive robot that can
battle enemies in t he virtual world.
For a chance to win, just answer the
following quest ion on our w ebsite:

In which year was the Lincoln

Memorial opened to honour
the 16th president of the
United States?
a) 1922 b) 1914 c) 1961

...,.. Send your entries by email to howitworks@futurenet.com with the subject competition or
write to us at How lt Works, Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ

8 Dear HIW.
The speed of gravity on someth1n9 fall1ng IS around 122
miles per hour, yet to escape frorn gravity you need to
go around 17,000 miles per hour. Why is rt not around
130 mdes per hour?
Michael Richmond
Hi, Michael, and thanks for such a great
question! For something as massive as a space
rocket to escape Earth's gravity, it needs to
exert a force greater t han the gravitational pull
the Earth has on it. This is its escape velocity,
which is around 25,000 miles per hour to leave
the planet and ent er orbit .
The reason this speed is requi re d is because
a spacecraft does not use constant propulsion
to enter space, as this would require more f uel
than a spacecraft cou ld carry. The spacecraft
needs to achieve t hi s velocity to counteract
t he opposing forces of gravity and air
> resistance to reach the outermost layers of our
~
~
atmosphere w ithout extr a propulsion.
096 How ll Works
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comment s for us, send them to ...
0 How it Works magazine 0 @HowltWorksmag
Theoretically, as long as an object is
travelling at a constantly propelled speed,
you're correct in thinking it's possible to
escape the planet's gravitational force at a
much slower speed. However, the escape
velocity is the speed needed t o b reak away
from the pull once propulsion (for example, the
thru sters of a spacecraft) has stopped.
The force of Earth's gravity is constant and
the speed of falling objects is not the measure
of its pull as other forces are in effect, su ch as
air resistance, which slows down a fall.
Over a certain distance falling objects will
reach what is called terminal velocity, which is
the maximum speed an object can reach when
falling. However, this differs for diff erent
objects due to their weight and surf ace area.
The terminal velocity for an average skydiver
in a free-fall position, for example, is around
122 miles per hour, but the speed of a falling
spacecraft would be considerably more due to
its far greater weight.
(I howitworks@futurenet.com
Ii Making flames
8 Dear HIW,
! My class has recently done states of matter at school
j and I was wondering, whal is lire? Is il a solid, liquid.
j gas or a chemical reaction? Thank you.
l Oscar, aged 12
i.' Though solids,. liquids and gases play a key role
i In the creation of fire, flames are actually a
l fourth state of m atter known as plasma, a
i' result of a chemical reaction. Take wood, for
j example. As a log reaches around 150 degrees
! Celsius the carbon stored within it will react
! w ith the oxygen in the air. This reaction emits
j light and heat as a by-product, forming the
· fire's flames in a process called incandescence.
! Depending on the intensity of the heat or
additional elements in the fuel source the
colour of the flames can change.
Divine differences
i• De;~r
HIW,
i WhDt Is tho difference between religion and a myth?
j Martin Green
! That's a tricky one, Martin. The Oxford
! Dictionary defines religion as " the belief in and
! w orship of a superhuman controlling power,
! especially a personal God or gods." Myth is
defined as "a traditional story, especially one
concerning the early history of a people or
; explaining a natural or social phenomenon and
· typically involving supernatural beings or
; events.'' Ancient Greek mythology, for
exa mple, does not have an original text or
scripture in w hich it's outlined, unlike
. organised religions we see today.
w w w . bow jtworksd gily .c p m
Fastest flight fUt~ PLC A•d!molld Houw. J3 Ru:hmord Hi!l,
8$.1""'WJIT'O..ft~ Ootwr 6 1-1:) 6f1

Editoftol
• Dear HIW,
Edotor S.n Biggs
I have a question for you. What is the fastest recorded Scrwor Att Edf\.Of Ouncan C100k
plane and what engJnes did it use" ~rch Ed1l0f Batjeoet Panesar
Productaon Echtor Charl~ Cinger
Christian Coli ins Sti.l1l WJ tet Chattotte Evans
SYH Wr l @f Scott Outfiekf

The North American X·15 achieved the fastest .,__

Editor· n·Ch.ef Gemma La\lender

sp eed reached by an aircraft with t he Adlttn '4.llftl'\(.(l Cft!Ok!. E~ E~:Jarovtes HottCW\

~St-$,.Jodee i,_~C~i/ll" U~n~
exception of spacecraft. During its record·
breaking flight back in 1967 the X·15 speeded
through t he skies at 7,274 kilometres per hour.
To achieve this fast feat the X·15 was equipped
c--....
~~._~~ SocphmA.st-U.t.~ '.'.~
"r• k l ~y. rwn Wili=-•~ "T.om L&ol\ Vid.cr.a W'illo8111'6

_..
AIIfT'(f.~~QrobOrofl ~~~!.~food

Alllnlf. <At!)' tm~ NASA. Science Pi'\Olo i,.Obrary,

5hVIt trstOCk. ~kStoek. w~.a
with a rocket engine, which u sed anhydrous A.I(')OVti()M'land tOidf'rT"!!I'l<S arf! tK<OQniSed and resoec:o?d

ammonia and liquid oxygen as propellant. This Adwn8if"CC

WoQdllt IJ&du IIII.IIV'llli!&l)e (K\ ll!quesl,
gave the aircraft a maximum thrust of around C0mf"f"''4H(:I.I Dl!itetOr Clare OoYe
ct&r•.Cio.·tCJJfuuJn-t'IK I"'m
25,850 kilograms. t.,._if.l Ad\«tlsing Of!('('tor Mark Wright
m•rk,wtlghl@fulurenet.com
.AdY\Jita..n\) M "• ~otQ&t Toni Colc
The X· l5 was In use lor al~nost ten years beginning tonlcole(l!futureM1.eom
in 1959, and flew 199 missions 01225 607.J68
M«!IA ';.slr.ll F):C("I/ti'I.'Q l llgdeep Mi)l\n
J-udMp.rn.lllln@futYte'n~t.com
01225 6873S3

lt!t~etn•don•l
I km Jr \1\twl..'t I& tNlioll~le /Of tlee(IQ,ng. con~ttet rhe
ll"'tt-fl'lftliO:I\al ~pem•nt:-nt !O d~ ~tlner"'.l'!lp
o.:oom.mklef
HOOd d P•lnt. Liotn'olng Pill~h~;~l Sho.1w Aachcl Shaw
lleenslnSJO(vtw.net..com

-
SUbteriptlon•
tm.II.I'\Q'.,l!IIO$ conuc:t(Pmyf~t~zinKOO.Uk
Ut<Otctr n•tc.GnQu.-uo:J4484&<18SZ
c>.w1«1!1 OtCMf 11ne • nd enQU!Iid •« {0)344 848 2851
()I'll.,.,. Otdert & ~~oes »'>"'f6trrtf'!y9urtstmaswiQKSSM$
MoMCf d 'lub)C~IoM Sl'lfR)I'I Todd

--
c..... -
•1«ii0 d
. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . • • • • • • • • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 • • • ' • • • •

~W.ade Tim M.thers

Dolphin snooze ~dPf<ldl.ll(uon ~k~

ProcJuc•.on ~ ~ Qate $(Ott
AcMirtlf"'V ~don~~ lolinne Crosby
• Dear HIW, f:M1'M CdoliOM C.Wrollts lMon HUdson
Pr(do.J(dtlf'l, ...-~ ~ Cflwrt
If dolphins can't breathe underwater, then how do they
sleep? Thank you very much. ~'"90..a.or .Aiar:aMr Lawts
CNtf ~otn~: ort.,_, Aan:1n Atadl
Yours slllCerely. ~~.cwecu. Den lotthM\
t=artol ... .,.._.tor PJUI ~
Oscar ~d AI\' ()n.g-n eteg ~

Prlnted ~ \~etum PMett:lal'lllJgt\ St.core(s Bar noacs.

Prt':"'ft>>tOI.IOI\. ~· PE1 svs
Dolphins breathe through their blowholes. The DitttfbY..ct b)' ~~~. !io C'tv!d"<t ~ c:.n.rv 'Nnaorf.
I oneklt\ Fl'- SHUW!NW l"NNI.:MfOofr.f\tntll< T· ·0203 ?mq()Ol
blowhole has a muscular flap that covers the l$g.j~o?J;U

hole, and once the dolphin is at the surface of won , .4~ t.:t Ofl>t ...,...," f"!llt~»~r~ f;oiiPCI' ....t.<:h k dlll!..cclt •(11'11
..,..,, <)1(1

'"i»'lfl~ '"'""''"' ('t"'f! ~ ~~ ..... ~11f'roe4- ~"'het..~

the water it will open this flap to breathe. b "'......, '" ,,.,• .,,."""~"' _..,,,~ •·111 liol'l~ r..rn .....~niot,..
m'f"' •;J"ft! I~MI\. OCII'IOtlfKJ'J ll)~'t!'l: ~10'\~llll.,ct~
Dolphins can take in more air with each breath, tt..o!ld~ ,.,., .. .-o.....C..Ctvn~ ~l)tff tt"
l))..li"''l (._,,, t,ol!kll 1Nl Mii:.l«<l!;'tiiOI •
""="W ""' t SIC If..,..... :_.,..,....,.,.;~~

and red blood cells carry more oxygen. With a Nl("'-t.,•••C .IC)I?f-...~M•.t-o"'¥ Lmll.odoo p.;bli"'ff(:l"'w,.,-1~ .u
nghl" ' '""'~ l4tl o.mof ti'Km~riN: frl:(fbllw~S10~ tr.tnSI•>r.tod<Y
higher tolerance for carbon dioxide, while '"f)'OO•ntH" •IIV "'ll'fwotl!otJ lh- rrkN ""'!'"" ~~oo ut 1noo """''*""
Ful v1• l'<•lllk;tllf19 l.if>J{AJ I<-" • ~,, •VII~ ~OO&i6! ~ ·~ii;!.,f\j(j n
resting a dolphin will reduce its breathing rate fl'oJ OO:I "'Id W:l"'"l AtUI'J ~ flli 11;111 Ql.l'!/ 1-1011~ li!C' 14/'rt1~1)'. 9;'11h E!-\1
IU,.. N! ''o'f.l!"'" llont.c,ml•.-.,;1 nlhi, ~le~IOn i!lb~>~l.lononly ~
to between three and seven t imes a minute. 11o .-!I;'!! olfi ...... ,ll i:l:iiMI! a_O:,;ftiiCC lii i "I01~"'Q:If'lil fl> t:olll:;l. fi.IU~Q'IIYA
,....,.,.'lllf'IVII"'I"""'l.l..l'lilcv ~...,..._ t"f l,..ot\I!!O~t.t Of! .V~I! ..,,,,,..,lltoon-,.....
During sleep dolphins rest half their brain at a ... W..U... ~ t;Q~ If.\O'OIJffo;;l~<l'oir• .lo fld Nt!,A!Ii!fo d <*'l.l, 'Mth r.;~,.:l
If) l)!o ~ « pmc;,.nllle'IYces ·~ 10 In th & PJ~icni!C<'I. Aoos4"1C1'
time so they can to monitor their breathing. ........I;"' ~ioritd il't lillf p.;Oi~lor! - f'loqt ....!(htl 0<11 ((Ohlrd \",,.toot
NiC ••~ ,.(oiO fl)t \ l'&;t I)Of!KW'IIIo Cl .lo" r t - d'l:lr'll)lli U \IIIW(>l:!i llQ !ham.
'lt'l.l'l'"')f~M lt t.;l'( OVJtpefl(jt'l( fi'Q "et flfl1eled 1n ltllf ""7/WI~" ft
~·.,.rn•H~ ,..,,.,., ~,

I'~""*""'' ~01!1• !()"""' )'"' i _ , ...., ll'o<fl I"'N 0'-'f'llt!il .....,.."". ~~~
01 ~(I'HI ~~flqt'U,i;)M"'!H...'IC IO~tNo MUe.lal at\6
~lii,.I'IIOWK"•II\t Ql'f"t fl£,.1'1!-lno;l tl·~.t kefiOeiOC~.,..,,.

,v.~~·~lfl4'o<looQO nplo<lll'l •~••~ .,~~'llr

~:JAIOI'"'W illl'yll:lfi"Ut ~~ill't.lort~O>'~A
_. . .
..,.,.....~.llfld ~~ ......-..~~ ,.,.;mtt . . . ,...... . .
• (o,'ltJor: ...00,0.- ~U.. in:! allf,.;),;tl~Y(- .t»ooo\ flU"* fo~..W
r•u+t~~~'$Ubo!r'~•k~~.._,.toe-t=:tiebo
. . . ."'WJ • .,.. _ _ ... ~ ,q .......... b~~,.......

...~~--.... ~ -rw thOt'ii"C OG.;;dt,-~ 'iid:m .at~

l_.,.(.t ...,,. .....

.........
~P't'1otp.ak a--~~ --.,..,.~
~::~ . . : : . -C!\21.-n:t\ lflillc!lllfd ._..CIIbd
•. -

...,,..-_. .....
.-y ,._,,.-:....,~ .......,.~-.!

www . howitwocksdoHu corn ,.... ... ~

 I

Ch..,_AH
hoblo
The most important family story is yours. JW-:100<

Find it at Ancestry.co.uk
Ancestry provides the intorrnation you need to trace your family
history around the world. Scour the globe with access to our entire Rlt.hatdJ A

library of more than 20 billion records.

....
N<>blt

e
Easy to get started
ggg
Morethan30
q
Plus find details
-
Ancestry Hints will
•
#:.
Au1omatically
with the details you million UK military from censtJs, parish, guide you through created life stories
already know records ready to be mi gration and the process for your ancestors
discovered online. probate records. and add depth to [he
many more. facts you find.

Find your story with a free trial at " cestry.co.uk <f ancestry·
 POWERB ALL® GYROSC OPES
DEVELOP YOUR OWN GRAVITATIONAL FORCES ... LIKE TINY SPINNING PLANETS

280 Classic 280 Autostart Classic Diablo Evo Autostart

The Entry One The All Round One The Muscle One

Titan
The Most Powerful One

280 Autostart Pro 280 Autostart Fusion

-
0
g The Best Selling One The Amazing One