Your early sample of the next jam-packed issue of How It Works is here From an interview with the inimitable Johnny Ball to a fascinating introduction to your immune system, issue five is jam-packed with knowledge for you to soak up. And to kick off the issue and the Formula One season, we have put together a bumper feature dedicated to all things F1. From the cars to the drivers and from the pit lane to the circuits, this feature offers everything ...

The world's first vertical takeoff passenger liner. Although regular readers will remember the incredibly hi-tech V-22 Osprey military helicopter we featured in issue three, this historic video reveals that VTOL technology in its infancy. Like the Osprey, Fairey Aviation's Rotodyne was an aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing while carrying a large payload. Whereas the Osprey admittedly has state-of-the-art tilt rotors, the Rotodyne featured a combination of static ...

Discover what it would be like to experience a suborbital spaceflight on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo in this impressive animation that takes you from launch to zero gravity and back down to Earth in six minutes In December, Britain's radical entrepreneur Richard Branson unveiled SpaceShipTwo, the custom-made spacecraft set to ferry eager – and rich – space enthusiasts off the planet for a once-in-a-lifetime trip beyond Earth's atmosphere. Tickets for the excursions, which can accommodate six passengers at a time, will set intrepid astronaut wannabes back an eye-watering $200,000....

Take a look at this reconstruction of an early automobile designed by the great inventor and polymath Leonardo da Vinci. Arguably the embodiment of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was celebrated for his in-depth knowledge and innovatory prowess. A master scientist, mathematician, artist, inventor, botanist, architect, sculptor and anatomist, da Vinci left literally thousands of designs and inventions, including conceptions for a tank, helicopter and calculator. However, upon his death, his great accumulated knowledge (over 33,000 pages ...

It's what you've all been waiting for: the sneaky preview of issue 3 on sale 31 December The jet engine explained Discover how oilrigs extract oil from the seabed Sharks – all you'll ever need to know about these underwater killers We take an in-depth look at the classic Spitfire fighter plane And ...

If you haven't yet got your copy of issue 2 of How It Works, here's a small selection of our favourite features to whet your appetite. Don't deprive yourself – feed your mind. It's on sale till the end of the year. We take a look inside the most advanced battle tank in the world The largest X-ray generator on Earth, explained...

Find out what Top Gear stalwart Jeremy Clarkson thinks about the G-Wiz electric car It’s no supercar, but GoinGreen’s G-Wiz automatic electric vehicle – quite popular in London – gets a classic Top Gear critique from Clarkson in this clip featuring an electric car and a table. But who will win? Fight!

A simple gyroscope demonstrates the incredible effects of angular momentum This video illustrates how a simple child's toy can defy everything we think we know about gravity. Discover how spinning the wheel of the gyroscope enables it to stand up on its own, balance on a piece of string, and generally appear to levitate – all due to the effects of angular momentum. This video also refers to the ...

On 26 November 2003 Concorde officially retired. Watch as this distinguished aircraft came in to land for the final time. Ever. The second issue of How It Works goes on sale today. Also on this day in history onlookers enjoyed the magnificent spectacle of Concorde flying into Filton airport in the Midlands for her final voyage in 2003. After enjoying her first supersonic flight on 1 October 1969, Concorde ...

Whatever that hits is toast! The Abrams M1 battletank can fire these 120mm rounds up to 4,000m, traveling at one mile per second.