‘They just wanted to silence her’: the dark side of gay stan culture

For gay men, ‘stanning’ – being a super fan of – female pop stars can be a valuable part of your identity. But too often this fandom lapses into misogyny and body shaming

Shattered: legacy of a reality TV experiment in extreme sleep deprivation

The prize was £100,000. Purported risks included depression and hallucinations. Channel 4’s show probably couldn’t be made today – but almost 15 years later do the contestants regret taking part?

Wellness: just expensive hype, or worth the cost?

From superfoods to yoga, this £500bn-plus global industry often comes at a high price

Help Me! by Marianne Power review – can self-help books really change your life?

Power’s expanded blog on living each month according to a different manual floats over Bridget Jones and Fleabag territory

I was scared of losing my sight… then writing brought me clarity

After being told disease would destroy her vision, Paola Peretti wrote a children’s novel – and found a template for life

In these dark times, embracing laughter is an ethical choice

Laughter has optimism embedded in it. It allows us to see that, while we are all human and we fail, we can change

‘The devil’s aspirin’: why do so many celebrities blame Ambien?

Elon Musk, Roseanne Barr, Tiger Woods and others have all claimed the sedative was at fault for their strange behavior

Adele shares story of friend’s postpartum psychosis to help new mothers

‘Talk about how you’re feeling,’ singer urges, as experts say taboos can leave people isolated

Best ‘brainy’ books of this decade

Writers and experts select their favourite book on physics, feminism, medicine, health, economics, psychology and more

Know thyself… by writing your first novel

Dig deep inside, battle self-doubt and become the person you know you can be. Richard Skinner on the healing powers of writing a novel