‘At 98, I wouldn’t be so sharp without puzzles’: do crosswords and quizzes really boost your brain power?

We’re told that they give us a mental workout, but the evidence suggests it’s a bit more complicated …

More ‘discreet’ Viagra-type drug could soon be available in Britain

US company Viatris has applied for a UK trademark for wafer-like film that dissolves in the mouth

Uncertainty is part of being human, so how can we learn to live with it?

A professor of statistics explains that living is about taking risks and not knowing the outcome, and why it’s important to accept and embrace that

Exercising for 30 minutes improves memory, study suggests

Research shows walk or cycle improves cognitive performance for day ahead – and day after

The best ideas books of 2024

Richard Dawkins’s greatest hits, the diaries of a sociopath and a history of the gut

The brain microbiome: could understanding it help prevent dementia?

Long thought to be sterile, our brains are now believed to harbour all sorts of micro-organisms, from bacteria to fungi. How big a part do they play in Alzheimer’s and similar diseases?

‘I felt like a bystander in my own internal recovery’: one woman’s battle for health after a life-changing diagnosis

Facing an enormous decision about her health filled Kat Lister with wonder at her body’s ability to fight for her

What is ADHD, how do you get a diagnosis and can you only treat it with drugs? All your questions, answered by experts

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects about 2.6 million people in the UK, yet misinformation about the condition is rife. Here we separate scientific fact from TikTok-fuelled fiction

Irregular sleep pattern raises risk of stroke and heart attack, study finds

Variations in time a person goes to sleep and wakes up ‘strongly associated’ with higher risk of negative impacts

Is it true that … an apple a day keeps the doctor away?

It’s a tale as old as time. But does the fruit really live up to its healthy hype? We ask an expert