Ideas we like...

Our pick of the month's smartest tech

The five best camera gimbals

An essential bit of kit for smoother video and better selfies, says photographer James Abbott

In the right hands, wearables could revolutionise healthcare

We spoke to Prof Amitava Banerjee, a cardiologist and clinical data scientist, to better understand how smartwatches and fitness trackers could change medicine

GRIEF: WHY DO WE MOURN PUBLIC FIGURES?

Few people knew her personally, and yet many of us felt some sense of loss for the Queen

SEWAGE: WHY IS RAW WASTE PUMPED INTO OUR SEAS AND CAN WE FIX IT?

The UK's ageing infrastructure is struggling to cope with increased rainfall and a growing population, and this means sewage is being discharged into our seas and rivers. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water...

YOUR INNER CHILD: WHAT IS IT, WHAT'S UP WITH IT AND DOES IT NEED HEALING?

Recent online articles have listed the signs that reveal your inner child is wounded, or that your inner child needs healing. But is there any real psychology behind this?

GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE (DARK) MATTER

We've mapped it, but the exact nature of dark matter remains elusive. And for most astronomers that's okay

BABY, YOU CAN DRIVE MY SELF-DRIVING CAR

Human drivers should not be held responsible for accidents caused by autonomous vehicles

THINKING POSITIVELY CAN BE GOOD FOR YOUR BODY, NOT JUST YOUR BRAIN

Looking for an upside in any given situation can improve everything from the immune system to heart health

HOW NASA DEFLECTED AN ASTEROID BY CRASHING A SPACECRAFT INTO IT

NASA'S DART spacecraft made impact with its asteroid target on 27 September. Dr Tim Gregory tells us about this first-of-its-kind mission

DISCOVERIES

Perseverance has discovered the largest cache of organic material ever found on the Red Planet.

DE-EXTINCTION GENETICISTS AIM TO RESURRECT THE TASMANIAN TIGER

The marsupial, also known as a thylacine, could be brought back from extinction within the next decade

Are elves' long lives realistic?

What's the biology behind the elves' extended lifespans in The Lord Of The Rings?

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