NHS to offer at-home cervical cancer screening – an expert explains what you need to know: Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock Nearly one in three women and other people with a cervix in the UK don’t attend their cervical screening when invited. Yet this quick, routine test helps prevent up to 70% of cervical cancer deaths by detecting …
Hantavirus: here’s what you need to know about the infection that killed Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa: Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead, along with their pet dog, at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico in February 2025, sparking intense …
St John’s wort: six drug interactions you should know about: St John's wort is also know as _hypericum perforatum_. ArtCookStudio/ Shutterstock St John’s wort is an herbal supplement that has been used for centuries to boost mood. Even today, many people use it as a natural treatment for mild to moderate depression. St John’s wort …
Open-source imagery is transforming investigations of international crimes – but how do judges know if it’s real?: Skorzewiak/Shutterstock Open-source online imagery can play a vital role in investigating and prosecuting alleged crimes – but only if courts can reliably assess its authenticity. Unfortunately, what we see online can’t always be trusted. Misinformation and disinformation are …
Riots in the UK: online propagandists know how to work their audiences – this is what we are missing: The frightening scenes of far-right extremists clashing with police and even rioting in British towns and cities in recent days have many wondering how to stop the spread of the propaganda that encourages racism, violence and …
Southport attacks: what we know about knife crime in the UK and how to solve it: The knife attack on a dance class of children in Southport has left the country horrified. We do not yet know much about what happened, but a male aged 17 has been charged with the murder of three girls …
Ghana’s schools don’t teach enough about geoscience: why kids need to know how the planet works: Over the last few decades Ghana has seen a rise in environmental degradation such as pollution, deforestation and land degradation. These have been driven by urbanisation, industrialisation, carbon emissions and waste burning. Environmental problems have an impact on public …
We finally know why some people got COVID while others didn’t: Throughout the pandemic, one of the key questions on everyone’s mind was why some people avoided getting COVID, while others caught the virus multiple times. Through a collaboration between University College London, the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Imperial College London in the UK, we …
Love Island contestant Patsy Field has Erb’s Palsy –here’s what you should know about the condition: ITV Fetch the popcorn – Love Island is back on our screens again and that can only mean one thing: a summer of fake tans, “Turkey teeth” and underboob-baring bikinis. Love Island may be one of the most popular …
Crypto: what you need to know about the water parasite making people ill in Devon: For the past two weeks, people in the south Devon town of Brixham have started contracting the disease known as crypto. There are now about 16,000 homes and businesses at risk of crypto infection due to contaminated drinking water. But …
Want to be an influencer? Our research shows what you need to know first: Maridav/Shutterstock You’re hard at work, lying in a hammock, composing the perfect selfie on the beach. The turquoise sea sets off the idyllic sunset, and just visible though the fronds of a palm tree is the logo of the hotel which …
Silent cancers: here’s what you need to know when there are no obvious symptoms: Frederic Legrand, Comeo/Shutterstock The recent revelations about the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis highlight a crucial aspect of cancer detection – the disease’s sometimes silent nature. Silent cancers are those without noticeable symptoms. They pose a unique challenge in early detection …
Satellites are burning up in the upper atmosphere – and we still don’t know what impact this will have on the Earth’s climate: Paul Fleet / shutterstock Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced it will dispose of 100 Starlink satellites over the next six months, after it discovered a design flaw that may cause them to …
Six surprising things about placebos everyone should know: esoxx/Shutterstock Placebos have been studied more than any treatment in the history of medicine, yet they remain mysterious. I’ve been studying placebos for 20 years and I’ve done some of the key studies that have advanced the scientific knowledge in this area. Here are six facts about …
Selling on Vinted, Etsy or eBay? Here’s what you need to know about paying tax: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock If you’ve sold clothes on Vinted or Depop, or something you’ve made on Etsy, you might have been alarmed or confused by information recently published by HMRC on paying taxes when selling items online. It includes the information that …
Plant roots mysteriously pulsate and we don’t know why – but finding out could change the way we grow things: Nikita M production/Shutterstock You probably don’t think about plant roots all that much – they’re hidden underground after all. Yet they’re continually changing the shape of the world. This process happens in your garden, where …
Many survivors aren’t sure what to do after a sexual assault – here’s what you need to know: Bricolage/Shutterstock Millions of people have experienced sexual violence and abuse in England and Wales, but many do not know where to go, or who to turn to afterwards. Shame felt by victims and survivors of sexual violence …
Four historical figures who you may not know had a disability: When we look back over years past, whose achievements make it into the history books? There are important stories and contributions that have long been overlooked because the people responsible were part of a marginalised group. But even well-known figures’ stories are sometimes incomplete …