CATEGORIES
LOOT BOXES: THE NEXT BIG BATTLEFRONT
Periodically, there have been moral panics about video games, with headlines claiming that “violent” and “addictive” titles are affecting impressionable players. At present, it is loot boxes’ turn to be put under the microscope. But should we be worried about video games, and are loot boxes a cause for concern?
THE AWESOME POWER OF SLEEP
Matthew is a professor of neuroscience and psychology and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also the author of the international bestseller, Why WeSleep: The New Science Of SleepAnd Dreams, published by (£10.99, Penguin Random House).
POO: SHOULD WE BE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO IT?
The trend for stool-gazing has health-conscious people staring into their toilet bowls. Before you don the rubber gloves, let’s flush out the truth from the pseudoscience
TIME TO SHINE
A FEW YEARS AGO, SCIENTISTS BELIEVED ONLY A TINY BAND OF CREATURES COULD EMIT LIGHT. BUT A STRING OF NEW DISCOVERIES HAS ILLUMINATED A WIDER WORLD OF GLOW-IN-THE-DARK LIFE FORMS
Bird Photographer 2021 finalists announced
Now in its sixth year, the Bird Photographer of the Year competition saw more than 22,000 entries from 73 different countries all competing for the £5,000 grand prize.
How To Look After Your Teeth
Brush. Floss. Repeat. Brush. Floss. Repeat. This month, we ask dentist hannah woolnough how best to manage your dental health
How To Build A Martian Mega City
With more missions reaching the red planet, a human landing glints on the horizon. But what could the first permanent mars metropolis look like? Welcome to nüwa city
Eating Spinach Could Protect Astronauts From Space Radiation
“We need to understand the impact of space-induced disease and how to protect our bodies from it,”
THE WOMEN IN HISTORY WE DON'T TALK ABOUT
Beyond the exceptional talents of Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin and Ada Lovelace, it’d be easy to think that women didn’t used to participate in science. But as science historians Leila McNeill and Anna Reser reveal to Sara Rigby, women have contributed to our understanding of the world, stretching all the way back to antiquity
OBESITY: COULD A NEW APPETITE-CONTROLLING DRUG BE THE TREATMENT WE'VE BEEN CRAVING?
In a large trial, people injected with semaglutide lost significant amounts of weight. Could this drug help tackle the obesity epidemic?
RATS: ARE WE REALLY SEEING PLAGUES OF RODENTS IN OUR CITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC?
As if COVID-19 wasn’t stressful enough, some outlets have claimed that rodents are now taking over our empty offices and cities. But is this really the case?
KNOW YOUR HEART RATE
With a few simple calculations, you can easily figure out how healthy your heart is
ENDANGERED FERRET CLONED FROM SPECIMEN FROZEN FOR 30 YEARS
The healthy young kit may help to save the species from extinction
EMBRACE A SNOW DAY
This last year has been tough on everyone. We should make the most of an opportunity to frolic in the snow (or veg out on the sofa)
A Scientist's Guide To Life How To Concentrate
This month, we tackle… oh, hang on, wait a minute, I just need to let the dog out, now what was it again? Psychologist Dr Nick Perham from Cardiff Metropolitan University explains how to concentrate
Coronavirus Vaccine: Is It Safe?
Alongside wild conspiracy theories, many people have raised doubts over approved COVID-19 vaccines. Is their dose of scepticism well-founded?
ONLINE JUNK FOOD ADS: COULD A BAN CUT OBESITY?
The UK government has proposed a ban on internet ads for junk food. Could it improve the nation’s health?
THE SEASONS OF YOU
THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWS THE PATTERN OF SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER. BUT PERHAPS IT SHOULDN’T…
DON'T BLOW YOUR TOP
It’s vital to keep your blood pressure healthy. This is how I keep an eye on mine
LET'S REWRITE THE FUTURE
By repeating the mistakes of the past, we’re dooming the future. It’s time to come up with some new ideas
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
In the last decade, we’ve taken photos of a black holes, peered into the heart of atoms and looked back at the birth of the Universe. And yet, there are yawning gaps in our understanding of the Universe and the laws that govern it. These are the mysteries that will be troubling physicists and astronomers over the next decade and beyond
BEAT THE BURNOUT
HOW SCIENCE CAN HELP YOU GET THE BETTER OF PANDEMIC FATIGUE
The Cracks In Cosmology
In terms of our understanding of the Universe, some things just don’t add up. Which means either our measurements are wrong, or our theories are…
SWARM INTELLIGENCE
Small, simple, cheap satellites are being developed to explore and study space in new ways. If we deploy them in vast swarms, these ‘CubeSats’ could change the way we see and protect our planet
REWILDING
CAN IT SAVE OUR WILDLIFE AND TEMPER CLIMATE CHANGE?
RISE CLONES
ANIMALS – FROM PETS AND LIVESTOCK TO WORKING DOGS AND EXTINCT SPECIES – ARE BEING CLONED FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES. BUT COPYING ANIMALS FROM THEIR GENETIC MATERIAL IS CREATING PROBLEMS AS QUICKLY AS IT’S SOLVING THEM
MIND GAMES
Virtual reality is being used to treat a wide range of mental health problems. Meet some of the scientists who are pioneering VR therapy and the people who are benefitting from it
How To Survive Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… but let’s be honest, it can also be quite stressful. This month, clinical psychologist linda blair gives us her top tips on how to survive christmas
Covid-19: How Should We Count Deaths?
How can we calculate the true toll of the pandemic?
THE EXPLAINER
WHAT WAS THE BIG BANG?