What is – and what isn’t – ‘brain fog’?

The COVID pandemic has introduced many scientific and medical terms into our everyday language. Many of us are now fluent in conversations about viral strains, PCR...

Halloween’s celebration of mingling with the dead has roots in ancient Celtic celebrations of Samhain

As Halloween approaches, people get ready to celebrate the spooky, the scary and the haunted. Ghosts, zombies, skeletons and witches are prominently displayed in yards, windows,...

Should I post photos of my children online? Here’s what new parents need to know about sharenting

Over 40% of UK parents put photos or videos of their children online. Showing just how prevalent online sharing now is, in June 2022 the word...

What is the ‘carnivore diet’ and is it a bad idea?

  Kyle Mackie/Unsplash, CC BY-SA You may have heard of the carnivore diet, and the claims it is beneficial for our health. Many diet trends, such...

Exercise really can help you sleep better at night – here’s why that may be

Many people struggle to get enough good quality sleep. Not only does this leave us feeling tired the next day, but over the long term poor...

Binge eating is more common than anorexia or bulimia – but it remains a hidden and hard-to-treat disorder

For many people, the term “eating disorder” will bring to mind its two most familiar forms – anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. What they may not...

Three reasons why strong perfumes give you a headache

Humans can smell over 1 trillion odours. But no two people will react in quite the same way to the same smell. While there are some...

Why is 13 considered unlucky? Explaining the power of its bad reputation

Would you think it weird if I refused to travel on Sundays that fall on the 22nd day of the month? How about if I lobbied...

Why are so many people delighted by disgusting things?

Halloween is a time to embrace all that is disgusting, from bloody slasher films to haunted houses full of fake guts and gore. But the attraction...

A tale of demonic possession and exorcism in 17th-century New France: Can we know what really happened?