The repairs come after the unfortunate accident in 2008 when the system was shut down due to a helium leak throughout the tunnel. Now operational again, the Collider is currently smashing atoms at levels roughly half of what it can achieve, with the intention to ramp up the speed over time. However, with its closure in order to strengthen the machine’s magnets and address design flaws, a test run at full power has been estimated to have been delayed by over two years.

To learn more about the LHC pick up issue one of How It Works.

The asteroid in question is believed to have hit Earth on the northwestern edge of the Yucatan Penisula, centering around Chicxulub, Mexico. The huge crater that the impact caused – which was over a billion times more explosive than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima – can still be traced today and its diameter (180km) can be seen clearly in the above satellite image.

The intial impact of the asteroid would have created large scale fires, huge earthquakes, tsunamis and continental landslides. The team also noted, speaking at the 41st Lunar and Planetry Science Conference, that the asteroid would have hit Earth at 20 times the speed of a bullet fired from a gun and that collision events like these occur on average once every 100 million years.

For more information about our galaxy’s supermassive black hole, pick up issue six of How It Works, on sale from the 25th of March.

While in the video Professor Cox is talking prior to the LHC’s breakdown in September 2008, repairs to the system have now been completed and the scientists at CERN (The European Organisation for Nuclear Research) are planning to run the system at various reduced loads throughout 2010.

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 you ever wanted to know about this most popular sport.

Delve into the undergrowth with this in-depth insight to the expansive environment of the rainforests. Explore the life below the canopy and discover the many rare species that live there.

Ever wanted to know just how a high-speed jet can effectively stop on a sixpence? Well, now you can find out with our step-by-step guide to landing on an aircraft carrier.

One of the most vital processes in living creatures, the science of breathing is covered in detail in issue five. Find out how we breathe and what happens inside your lungs.

Things get steamy this month as we look back on some of the most important steam inventions of the last 300 years. We even had a chat with the Science Museum’s curator of mechanical engineering to get an insight to some of these incredible steam engines.

The issue is of course filled with hundreds of other features, including what’s inside a black box, how did the Apollo Lander work, how are waterfalls formed, what is an iceberg, why do we get fat, how do we smell, what is Spotify, how does a bullet-proof vest work and how was Stonehenge built? The list goes on, but we won’t bore you with lists – just make sure you get issue five of How It Works, on sale 25 February. And don’t forget you can also get your edutainment fix by downloading our new eMags from iTunes.

Hadrian’s Wall was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 and was the most fortified frontier of the entire Roman Empire. The wall itself spans 117 kilometres and traditionally marked the border between Roman Britain and the northern tribes of what is now Scotland. Today, however, the wall is entirely in northern England, with the border between England and Scotland lying between 15 kilometres and 110 kilometres further north.

Each month along with our print edition of the magazine, we will be releasing it in digital form through PixelMags for a price of £1.79, meaning that even if you miss the hardcopy of the mag, or just prefer the convenience of having How It Works with you at all times, it is simply a couple of taps away. All past issues of How It Works are also available through the service as well, allowing you to download and read any issue you may have missed quickly and easily.

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 rotor and turboprop engine – and all more than 40 years before the Osprey.

Capturing an iceberg collapsing or calving is a rare sight, and this couple filming off Labrador, Canada, picked up their camcorder just in time to catch the dramatic event. The pair and their dog are clearly excited about what they’ve just witnessed, but are soon chased away by a rush of smashed up ice that starts floating towards them. For an in-depth look at how icebergs are formed check out issue five of How It Works, which goes on sale on 25 February. By the way, when you watch this video just try not to imagine Kermit the Frog is behind the camera. You’ll see what we mean.

The full range of Dr Kirby’s photographs will go on display from the 16th of February till the end of the year.

Plankton are crucial to the ocean and its environment as they provide an abundant source of food for larger and more familiar aquatic organisms such as fish. This is especially important for fish larvae as they switch from their egg sacks to external feeding, as the abundance and minute size of the plankton, make even the weakest larvae able to feed on them, increasing their survival chances dramatically.

Currently, concern has been raised in the marine biology community over the man-made effects on dwindling plankton populations in certain risk areas.

Image courtesy of Richard Kirby.