The 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?

Beat The Burnout

How science can help you get the better of pandemic fatigue

How To Sit

Stiff as a board, or slouched like a sloth? Pull up a chair and take the weight off your feet, as back pain researcher Dr Kieran O’Sullivan explains

The Psychology Of Resilience And How To Cultivate It

No matter what life throws at some people, they seem to roll with the punches and come through the other side stronger than ever. With 2020 being a time, for many, of bereavement, illness, job loss and insecurity, what can we learn from these resilient individuals, and how can we be more like them in 2021?

Stem Online Learning Resources

Online learning has taken off in recent years, with courses popping up on every subject imaginable. If you want a taster of what you might learn at university, here’s our guide to what’s available…

Turning The Red Planet Green

If humans are to stand a chance of successfully setting up a colony on Mars, we’re going to need to figure out a way of producing food on the planet

In Praise Of Caffeine

There’s more to a cup of coffee than just an early morning pick-me-up

Face Masks: Are They Changing How We Behave?

Wearing face masks could affect how we communicate

THE SEE-THROUGH ZOO

Welcome to a menagerie of transparency

NEW WORLD ORDER

In 1993, the internet was brought to the masses, changing the online world forever. Now, COVID-19 will transform our virtual lives again

MIT RESEARCHERS CREATE WEARABLE DEVICE THAT CAN INFLUENCE THE CONTENT OF DREAMS

The technology, created by biomedical engineers Adam Haar Horowitz and Tomás Vega, could be used for further experiments into how dreams impact emotion, creativity, and memory

HINDSIGHT IS 2020

It was an annus horribilis for almost everybody last year, but there were some bright spots. Here are 10 events it’d be lovely to leave behind for good, and 10 that might give us hope for the future…

Know Your Mind

Our brain uses shortcuts to think quickly but, sometimes, these mental timesavers let us down. Dr Pragya Agarwal discusses the science of cognitive biases, and why it’s more important than ever to understand how they hold sway over our views

An Ocean Of Mysteries

Earth’s biggest habitat is also the one that we know the least about. Now, a new wave of innovators are engineering the technology that will help us find out more. Here’s what they are discovering…

To The Ends Of The Earth

Scientists are going to extreme lengths to find out how climate change is affecting our planet

Of Pandemics, Paradoxes And Cognitive Dissonance: Covid-19

Living through this difficult time raises demanding questions about what – or who – the real problems are

Covid-19 Could Cause Delirium, Brain Inflammation And Stroke

A study carried out on a small number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients at England’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery has linked the coronavirus to a number of neurological conditions

EYES ON THE SKY

Earth-bound telescopes are transforming our understanding of the universe. But we think they look pretty out-of-this-world too…

Could Antibodies Found In Llamas Help US To Defeat Covid-19?

Researchers at the McLellan Lab in Austin, Texas, are using llama antibodies to attack ‘spike proteins’ found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Be Mindful Of What's Good For You

Try out some tools for a more relaxed headspace

How To Get A Good Night's Sleep

Do you often find yourself lying awake in bed, unable to drop off? Help is at hand from sleep scientist Dr Alice Gregory

A learning curve

There’s nothing like a nationwide school closure to help you recognise the valuable work that teachers do, every single day

Flight Of The Navigator

In a space exploration first, NASA is preparing to deploy a chopper on the Red Planet. Flying in a fraction of Earth’s gravity, it should be a sight to behold…

Formula 1 Teams Race To Build Ventilators

Engineers from aerospace, consumer tech and motorsport are contributing to healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic

What Does Isolation Do To Our Brains?

The countrywide lockdown is vital for slowing the spread of COVID-19. But why is it so tough for us to stay at home and what are the consequences?

How To Bake Bread Brilliantly

With life still in lockdown, more people than ever are turning to baking. Here’s how to bake the perfect loaf, with nutrition scientist Haleh Moravej

A New Wave Of Bacteria Is Coming Soon…

We get inside the labs that are growing beneficial bacteria to gobble up pollution, harvest waste, generate energy and help keep us healthy

Is Nature ‘Sending Us A Message'?

Experts and celebrities alike have suggested that this new coronavirus outbreak is a form of punishment from the planet, inspiring the ‘humans are the virus’ meme online. But can the idea that natural means better and everything else is harmful have troubling consequences?

How Dogs Can Help Us Live Longer Healthier Lives

Our best friends’ biology could unlock the secret to ageing well

WITS HEROES CONFRONT COVID-19

Among the best in their fields, Wits experts are at the frontlines and behind-the-scenes against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus