Why plans to achieve zero suicides might actually be counterproductive

17 October 2018

Health bodies and politicians are aiming for zero suicides, but doctors are warning this ambitious goal is simply unrealistic

Sleepover

17 October 2018

My husband is a lark and I am an owl when it comes to our attitudes to bedtime. This leads to discussions about the ideal time to go to bed. He is convinced that the best sleep happens before midnight, while I believe that no matter when you fall asleep,...

Bright spark?

17 October 2018

Some restaurants celebrate customers' special occasions by planting burning sparklers onto food, showering it with sparks. Sparklers typically contain an oxidising agent such as potassium nitrate, which yields nitrite as a combustion product. The European...

Waxing miracle

17 October 2018

Recipes often call for zest of unwaxed lemons. Why are so many lemons waxed, what kind of wax is used and what is the best way to remove the wax without harming the zest?

Feedback: Mountain goats with a taste for human urine evacuated

17 October 2018

They will have to indulge their salt cravings elsewhere. Plus: grape thief's bitter harvest, a $100,000 interstellar doorstop, butt-dialling gecko, and more

Old Scientist: 1968 was the surprising year of space race gloom

17 October 2018

Fifty years ago this week, the US had just completed a successful Apollo mission. So why was everyone depressed?

For the record – 20 October 2018

17 October 2018

The alien life hiding in plain sight

17 October 2018

Pouring cold water on green energy efforts

17 October 2018

Those who count and those who are counted

17 October 2018