FROM THE EDITOR

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you these are strange times. But I’m hoping that over the coming weeks and months, this magazine might be able to do some good.

First and foremost, we’re here to answer your questions about the coronavirus. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so send your queries to questions@sciencefocus.com, and we’ll get you answers. On p30, we talk to an expert from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine about why washing your hands is so effective at slowing the spread of COVID-19. Over on p32 we unpack the science behind herd immunity, and on p24 we ask a virologist whether the summer could loosen coronavirus’s grip. Plus there’s more in our Q&A section on p81.

Of course, there’s more to life than this pandemic, so we’ve got a brilliant read on Hubble’s past, present and future (p51), and also a detective story charting how DNA databases and ancestry websites are helping police around the world solve cold cases (p74).

In the meantime, if your kids are bored and you want to keep them occupied while sneaking in some science, head to bit.ly/ science_is_fun. There you’ll find 15 kitchen experiments that will help fill in some of the gaps while schools are closed.

And finally, we have a special three-month offer for new subscribers that just requires a one-off payment – a simple, no-strings way to get BBC Science Focus delivered direct to your door. Head to buysubscriptions.com/SFspring3 to order online, or call 03330 162 138 and (quote code SPR3MPG, BBC Science Focus). Full T&Cs available online. Alternatively, turn to p80.