Comment Let’s embrace the joy of moonmoons and more playful scientific terms Some say the astronomical term moonmoon makes light of a serious field of study, but it seems a shame to abandon it for po-faced alternatives News
Health Swallowing a vibrating capsule could help relieve constipation Toilet trouble Blocked up? Capsules that vibrate in the gut can help encourage bowel motions, a clinical trial has found. Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, affecting up to 15 per cent of the population. The usual advice to eat fibre, exercise and take laxatives sometimes doesn’t work, leading to chronic pain … News
Health We need to get better at supporting people who lose a pregnancy This week is Baby Loss Awareness Week, but more must be done to help those who, like me, have suffered a loss, says Petra Boynton News
Environment Still waters: The world's most extraordinary freshwater environments THE cenotes of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula are undeniably magical places. These large sinkholes, formed by the dissolution and collapse of limestone bedrock, expose groundwater beneath. In this arid land with almost no rivers or surface lakes, they became a vital source of drinking water. The discovery of precious artefacts and human skeletons in some cenotes … Regulars
Health Fasting power: Can going without food really make you healthier? Fasting diets are getting ever more popular, amid promises of weight loss and better health, but does the science stand up? We put the latest one to the test Features
Space Red Moon review: History lessons power great new lunar future novel According to the new book by science-fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson, China's long past makes its domination of the moon inevitable Culture
Space Old Scientist: 1968 was the surprising year of space race gloom WHEN the 24 October 1968 edition of New Scientist was published, the space race was in full swing. The US had just completed a successful Apollo 7 mission, sending three astronauts into orbit for 11 days. We reported no details of the mission, however, concentrating instead on the 19th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation … Regulars
Feedback: Mountain goats with a taste for human urine evacuated Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more Regulars