My youngest brother is a famous rockstar. I used to worry for him, but now I just feel so proud

We both loved music growing up but when he sent me his demo CD I was afraid he would be mocked. Now Interpol is my favourite band – and we’re the best of friends

Want to stop feeling hurt when someone says no? Take the rejection therapy challenge

It’s easy to inure yourself to fear of rejection, all you have to do is be rejected every single day. By Andrew Lloyd

I wanted to know how to increase my life expectancy. Do I really have to avoid everything?

The advice was to limit alcohol, avoid high-sugar foods and decrease saturated fats – but warnings like this are just going to encourage me, writes Annie Macmanus

‘I’m lovingly angry’: Marianne Levy on why mothers are expected to suffer in silence

A new memoir brings humour to the everyday pain of pregnancy and motherhood. By Emma Beddington

Am I Normal? by Sarah Chaney review – it’s OK to be strange

An examination of the 200-year-old history of the notion of ‘normal’ and its power to alienate and oppress

Can taking a pill really stop you getting a hangover? There’s one way to find out …

Even at £30 a packet, the Myrkl ‘pre-drinking’ pill sold out before its UK launch. I spent four days finding out if it does indeed reduce the effects of alcohol

Efforts to curb UK monkeypox outbreak inadequate, warn experts

Whistleblower claims serious flaws in support given by official helpline, as virus continues to spread

When it comes to banter, men are in their element. But that is no foundation for lasting friendship

How lack of intimacy – and effort – can undermine male friendships

A stitch in time: the benefits of teaching prisoners to sew

Learning a craft can change lives – and a scheme showing inmates how to use a needle and thread has had some remarkable results

Sir Colin Blakemore obituary

Neuroscientist, persuasive science communicator and advocate for rationality and openness