Joel Cox

Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological sciences at Harvard, tried every fad diet going to understand which are actually backed by science. He tells Ian Sample what he discovered, and which diet has remained part of his daily routine

Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss a study that offers a clue in the age old debate about whether sex differences are present from birth or a product of socialisation. Also on the agenda is the super El Niño, which is predicted to 450,000 deaths in the next six months, and an answer to why the UK’s meningitis outbreak earlier this year was so big

Journalist Rebecca Seal recently wrote for the Guardian about the potential health impacts of the many chemicals we now use in our homes. She tells Madeleine Finlay why this is so hard to study, and what the current evidence is that cleaning products may be causing harm

Madeleine Finlay hears from Steve Ramirez, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, whose book How to Change a Memory was shortlisted for this year’s Royal Society’s Trivedi science book prize.

Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample why the reality of living with condition is no laughing matter, and Julie Flygare explains why a new drug could be a gamechanger

Madeleine Finlay talks to science editor Ian Sample and correspondents Nicola Davis and Linda Geddes

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But according to Coltan Scrivner, an author and psychologist at Arizona State University and expert on morbid curiosity, people are still likely to watch in large numbers. He explains why we are drawn to dark and disturbing content, and Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample how consuming this kind of material can harm observers’ mental health

US technology editor Blake Montgomery tells Madeleine Finlay why the Theranos founder continues to fascinate us

Perimenopause has become a hot topic, with celebrities sharing their experiences and doctors offering tips and advice online. But despite the benefits of growing awareness, a rising number of women are now encountering misinformation about treatments such as HRT

Forensic anthropologist Dame Sue Black has been an expert witness in a myriad of high-profile criminal cases. She tells Ian Sample what it’s like to present scientific evidence to a jury, the challenges of being cross-examined and why she thinks AI might never make it into the courtroom