CATEGORIES

It's time to rethink our relationship with fat

We've all moaned about a bit of podge on our thighs or tummies, but that fat is not an inert lump of lard - it has an important job to do. And now, scientists are starting to find out even more about its hidden powers

NAPS: A USER'S GUIDE

YOU SNOOZE, YOU WIN. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT NAPPING CAN HAVE A POWERFUL EFFECT ON HEALTH AND COGNITION. THIS IS THE ART OF A SCIENTIFIC SIESTA...

BIOLOGY: MICROBES FOUND IN VOLCANIC ENVIRONMENTS COULD HELP REVEAL MORE ABOUT LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS

Researchers studying bacteria in Hawaii's lava caves have discovered intricate communities working together in hostile surroundings

First drive: Toyota BZ4X

Has Toyota's first fully electric car been worth the wait, asks Daniel Bennett

DARK MATTER: IS IT TIME WE GAVE UP LOOKING FOR IT?

After decades of looking for dark matter and coming up short, some researchers say we should take the possibility of a new theory of gravity more seriously

MONEY: CAN IT BUY YOU HAPPINESS?

We all need enough to cover our basic needs, but beyond that the link between wealth and wellness is less clear

EXERCISE PILLS: A HARD IDEA TO SWALLOW

A new pill could offer the physical benefits of an active lifestyle, but what about the boost that exercise can give your mental health?

MEET THE ANIMAL ARCHITECTS

WE THINK WE'RE PRETTY CLEVER BY BUILDING THE GHERKIN AND THE SHARD, BUT THESE ENTERPRISING ANIMALS CAN CREATE SOME SMART STRUCTURES OF THEIR OWN... SOME OF WHICH EVEN HAVE BUILT-IN AIR CONDITIONING

REVIEW: Sony WH-1000XM5: The gold standard for headphones

Some of the best headphones around, says Alex Hughes, but they don't come cheap

REWILDING: IS IT ALL JUST A CELEBRITY CULT?

In July, four bison were released in Kent. But is rewilding the best way to boost biodiversity?

DISCOVERIES

How famine and disease drove the evolution of lactose tolerance in Europe.

A MULTITUDE OF MULTIVERSES

The word ‘universe’ once described everything that exists. But as our horizons have expanded, many scientists have begun to consider what’s beyond our own cosmos, and whether there may be many other universes lurking tantalisingly out of sight by

WORKING FROM HOME VS THE WORKPLACE: A SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS

More than two years ago, many of us started working from home at least some of the time. So now the novelty has worn off, are hybrid workers more productive and happier than those working full-time in an office?

Ideas we like...

Our pick of the month's smartest tech

HOW DOES ECHOLOCATION WORK?

With its built-in sonar, honed through millions of years of evolution, the bat is the undisputed poster child of echolocation. This furry, flying critter shouts into the void, and then listens to the echoes that bounce back from objects in the darkness.

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE SHOWS US THE UNIVERSE IN A NEW LIGHT

These images will kick-start a new era in space exploration

DYSLEXIA ISN'T A DISORDER, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO HOW OUR SPECIES ADAPTS, SAY RESEARCHERS

People with dyslexia have brains that are geared towards exploring the unknown, a trait that's been crucial to the survival and success of humans

WHY WE LOVE SOME ROBOTS AND HATE OTHERS

Not all artificial intelligence is equal: just ask Clippy, Microsoft's much reviled virtual assistant

SUNCREAM: HOW DO I CHOOSE THE BEST ONE?

A report from Which? found that several 'mineral' suncreams don't provide adequate protection

MARS: COULD MARTIAN ROL SAMPLES CONTAMINATE OUR PLANET WITH MICROBES?

NASA and ESA plan to bring back samples from the Red Planet within the next two decades

CRIME: NEW ALGORITHM PREDICTS WHEN AND WHERE A CRIME WILL HAPPEN BEFORE IT TAKES PLACE

The Al model was tested across eight cities in the US and predicts future crimes with 80 to 90 per cent accuracy, without falling foul of bias

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO ROCK

Think of a rock. It’s angular, grey and on the ground, right? Wrong. Rocks come in a staggering variety of shapes and colours, which help us decipher the stories of their geological lives. Here are just a few of the fantastic rock formations found on this planet…

THE EYES HAVE IT

TWO FRONT-FACING EYES WORKS WELL FOR US BUT NOT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. THESE ANIMALS HAVE SOME BIZARRE AND BEAUTIFUL EYES THAT LET THEM SEE THE WORLD IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS

PATHOLOGICAL LIARS WHAT DRIVES THEM TO LIE AND WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

From high-profile court cases to recent political scandals, lying is all over the news. A psychologist explains how to spot and deal with a habitual liar

MONKEYPOX OUTBREAK: HOW WORRYING IS IT?

This rare disease, mainly found in Africa, is unlikely to become a new pandemic in UK, but cases are going to rise over the coming weeks

Q&A: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

DOES MY DOG ACTUALLY ENJOY THEIR FOOD WHEN THEY EAT IT SO FAST? ... HOW FAR DOES MY COMPUTER MOUSE MOVE? ... IS THERE SUCH A THING AS LEFT BRAIN VS RIGHT BRAIN? ... HOW DO YOU THICKEN A SAUCE? ... WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN OCTOPUS AND A SQUID? ... WHY DO ANIMALS MIGRATE? ... DO WE GET MORE BITTER AND CYNICAL AS WE GET OLDER? ... IS IT TRUE THAT YOU CAN BITE THROUGH A HUMAN FINGER AS EASILY AS A CARROT? ... WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A BLACK HOLE? ... WHY DIDN'T DINOSAURS EVOLVE SENTIENCE?

FUTURE CITIES

GREEN, FRIENDLY AND CLEAN: HOW WE COULD REIMAGINE URBAN LIFE AFTER THE PANDEMIC

DISCOVERIES

A WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN' GOING ON | BUGS IN OLD GUTS | SALAMADERS IN FREEFALL | A CURE FOR CANCER? | LUNAR ALLOTMENT | RATS TO THE RESCUE

CLIMATE: COULD 50°C BECOME THE NEW NORMAL?

A recent heatwave in Jacobabad, Pakistan saw temperatures hit a record 51°C - dangerously close to the limit of human survivability

AT THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING

Puzzling over the answers to a centuries-old cosmic paradox can teach us profound things about the Universe