On this week's pod, I discuss a study that shows a specific type of braintraining game could cut the risk of dementia by 25! And such a pleasure to meet and be inspired by THE Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVrd...

I really enjoyed reading and reviewing Off the Scales, a powerful book that shines a light on an issue I have been banging on about for years: obesity is a medical condition and needs to be treated as such www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

ALSO: We finally get an explanation for the junk DNA (aka dark DNA) in our genomes, from @mjflepage.bsky.social and @alexthompo.bsky.social on the rebound effect of coming off GLP-1 weight loss drugs With @pennysarchet.bsky.social

Happy new year! I'm looking for experienced freelance reporters to cover health, neuroscience and psychology-related stories for New Scientist. Please message me for details and email over pitches [email protected] - thank you! #sciencejournalism #scicomm

For our first podcast of 2026 we pick out some of the big science stories coming this year 👇 with @pennysarchet.bsky.social, @jjaron.bsky.social, @mjflepage.bsky.social and @alexthompo.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/2Ybb...

Is dark chocolate actually good for you? Possibly...maybe...(don't shoot the messenger) www.youtube.com/shorts/MdatU... Or read my deceased column (goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend) www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

The oral microbiome (a relatively stable ecosystem) undergoes drastic upheavals during pregnancy, which could explain why dental issues are common during this time www.youtube.com/shorts/wj6d3...

We're learning more about how exercise helps fight cancer - and it seems to partly be due to a battle between different types of cells! Another fun pod episode to be part of 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fubg...

If you're too lazy/cheap to read the 1400 insight article (two posts down), here I am condensing it into a 3 min video www.youtube.com/shorts/Jibmw...

#cyclesynching - is it a load of tosh (look at me not swearing like an adult)? Or does it have some scientific backing? And perhaps most importantly, what baby hue background will the audience team choose next? www.youtube.com/shorts/xcw2n...

The data is in, and it's consistent: sexual activity has plummeted among teens and young adults. The question is - why?! Some may say it doesn't matter - but at a time when birth rates in the West and Japan are at a record low, should we be worried? www.newscientist.com/article/2504...

So long cavities? Scientists may have sussed out a way for us to regenerate our tooth enamel www.youtube.com/shorts/iNwHv...

Should be prepping for my stage, got distracted by a stick insect #NewScientistLive

PMS can be debilitating; it needs more research and less stigma. But The Period Brain book doesn't contribute much www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

The volume of references from Swift's archive is truly enchanting www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... I'm not Ready For It, but I Can See You @michael-marshall.bsky.social

A bit late to post this but I loved delving into the research on the potential neuroscientific origins of that feeling we call intuition, and only partly because the study involved mice driving a Lego steering wheel www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZta...

If you live in London, run - don't walk - to the sensational Every Brilliant Thing at sohoplace www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

I like to imagine travelling back in time to tell Medieval folk that we can now manipulate the brain's electrical activity by implanting permanent electrodes. I'd probably be burned at the stake. Luckily, today I can discuss it on the NS podcast www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEpI...

Climate journalist and New Scientist contributor Alec Luhn has gone missing on a Norwegian glacier. His family is asking that anyone hiking in the region share any information with local authorities. www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

We now have good-quality evidence that Ozempic (semaglutide) really does slow - or reverse! - biological ageing. *puts in a macro dose order as I approach 21 (ahem) www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmEj...

Octopuses fall for the rubber arm illusion just like us! They really are amazing creatures, but obviously I have to insert a little sprinkling of health nuggets everywhere I go www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8B...

Mitochondria are...(think back to your GCSEs)...the energy powerhouses of cells! But what if they play a cruical role in sleep...? My latest on the pod: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4yd... I could just post the pod link, but it seems a shame to deny the world the wrinkling of my forehead when I talk

Scientists have created cyborg tadpoles with implants that monitor their neural activity from the earliest embryonic stage 🤯 The critters could be a new window into neuroscience. Watch the below video to see me and my forehead spot explain more.

In my latest column, I explore whether dark chocolate deserves its health halo. Spoiler: it's tantalisingly inconclusive, despite what the supermodels say www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

Slowly easing myself off X cause you know....Musk....to get started here's a recent piece I'm particularly proud of www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... all about how Parkinson's may have two subtypes with different symptoms, manifestations and - hopefully one day - treatments