How It Works issue 13 in shops now

Killer asteroids

This month’s cover feature examines the deadly rocks drifting through space. Discover the massive asteroids among the belts in our solar system and find out which ones could come close to Earth and what potential threat they could pose to us. We’ve seen how Bruce Willis and chums did it in Hollywood, but there are a number of other ways we can protect ourselves from asteroid impacts – find out how in our huge Planet Killers feature.

Renewable energy

With fossil fuels depleting with every day that passes, scientists are constantly looking for sustainable alternatives. Learn about the new and traditional practices being employed to harness the energy of the planet’s free natural resources. Take the proposed solar updraft tower system, for instance, and find out how it takes the principle of the greenhouse effect inside a chimney and drives a turbine to generate electricity. You can also check out already-implemented practices such as wind energy and learn what’s inside a wind turbine? Plus wave and tidal energy and the power of the heat stored inside the Earth.

Cloning

The science of creating a clone revealed. Since Dolly the sheep became the first cloned mammal in 1996, there have been major advances in the field of genetics. How It Works explores this new updated fascinating world of genetic blueprints and explains not only how Dolly came into being, but also the different techniques for artificially cloning an organism. Discover the risks and the rewards.

Super storms

If you thought extreme weather was worsening, you’d be right. Winds are getting stronger, hurricanes are growing in frequency, monsoons are flooding entire countries, hailstones are getting bigger, the signs are everywhere. In our super storms feature, find out what’s fuelling this severe weather. Take a look inside a hurricane, read about a real-life storm chaser’s experiences, discover the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico that adds extra energy to already-huge hurricanes, and find out why Pakistan’s recent flooding was so disastrous.

Landing a plane

Every child’s dream was to fly and land a plane. Wasn’t it? Okay, maybe it’s just us. We bring you the low down on how to bring many tons of metal down from the clouds safely and with as few bumps and scares as possible. Find out how to land in an emergency, learn what instruments you’ll find in the cockpit, and follow our step-by-step guide to hitting your target – the runway – first time.

Also in the issue…

If you’ve always wanted to know what’s inside an internal combustion engine, look no further because we have it covered – including a fantastic cutaway. Take a look inside the Lancaster Bomber, a key player in World War II, and read about the famous bouncing bomb that was designed to bypass German defences. Discover how a kidney is transplanted and how the organ is packed and transported beforehand. Saturn’s tiny, icy Enceladus moon is a fascinating place and you can learn about the amazing physical activities that take place there. You can also find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about man’s best friend the dog. Explore their unique anatomy and learn all about these intelligent domesticated creatures and how they’ve been bred to demonstrate social cognition and obedience. Sit! Stay! Good dog.

Look out for How It Works issue 13, which goes on sale 7 October. And don’t forget, if you can’t get to the shops, you can also download our handy PixelMag on your shiny new iPad, or your iPhone or iPod touch. Just visit the Apple App Store and search for How It Works, then download any issue for just £1.79. Check it out today!