Dr Chelsea Polis: ‘The scientific world recognises when you stick your neck out and do the right thing’

The US reproductive health expert on being sued for $1m, and winning a top prize for her fight for free speech in the public interest

I didn’t fit in Wales, but found my sense of place by understanding its history, and my own

I stood out as different in Llandudno but by learning about its past and mine, it became the home I love

‘They thought I had cancer’: painkiller banned in UK linked to Britons’ deaths in Spain

Patients’ group says reactions to metamizole can cause sepsis and organ failure – and British and Irish people are at higher risk

Deep space astronauts may be prone to erectile dysfunction, study finds

Galactic cosmic rays can impair function of erectile tissues, research in rats shows

My brother the political prisoner, by Sanaa Seif

I was just his little sister, now I’m trying to free him from an Egyptian prison. By Sanaa Seif

The Omagh hum: what is the source of the town’s mystery moan?

Low-frequency noise annoyance has been reported worldwide over several decades – so much so, there is now a global hum map and database

The openness of talking to strangers – and the intimate stories they share

The stories people tell me about their lives can be funny, surprising, tragic or shocking – and some stay with me for years

My grandmother’s support – and Creole cooking – helped me to love myself when I didn’t know how

When I felt lonely growing up, my grandmother’s company and cuisine were a soothing balm

Scientists name eight measures that can slow ageing by up to six years

Measures including healthy sleep and regular exercise may slow pace of body’s biological ageing

‘You go to a job and it’s absolutely alive with rats or bedbugs’: on the road with a pest controller

It’s boom time in the world of extermination. With rodents rampaging through hospitals and bedbug infestations up 65%, one seasoned pro has never been busier. Our writer tags along to find out why