The village that fell asleep: mystery illness perplexes Kazakh scientists

For the last two years the residents of Kalachi have been falling into unexplained bouts of sleep - sometimes for weeks at a time. With no cause yet identified, Joanna Lillis meets the victims resisting relocation by the authorities

The longer babies breastfeed, the more they achieve in life – major study

Brazilian study of 6,000 babies from all backgrounds since 1982 finds those who breastfed were more intelligent, spent longer in education and earned more

Will the US ever pass a new chemical safety law?

Senators have introduced dueling bills to revamp a 39-year-old law regulating chemicals in the US, pitting environmentalists against businesses

What a masculinity conference taught me about the state of men

The International Conference on Masculinities examines the modern man, via talks on My Little Pony fetishists, fantasy role-playing games and how men can be more emotional in their friendships

There is no scientific case for homeopathy: the debate is over

Pharmacists who sell homeopathic remedies as anything other than placebos are putting their customers’ health at risk

Extreme cod feasting – as only the Norwegians know how

The Barents Sea is home to the ‘wanderer cod’. Our writer helps to catch and sample a fish that’s hard to beat for freshness, taste and health-boosting vitamin D

Is therapy worth the cost? Guardian readers weigh in

In response to our series on the personal financial expenses of mental health, readers shared their own stories and thoughts

Obamacare supporters remain hopeful that supreme court will uphold the law

Which way will the scales of justice tip? Observers recap oral arguments that could determine the fate of healthcare coverage for up to 9 million Americans

My ambition is to empower all women to have orgasms

Indonesia needs to scrap demeaning virginity tests, says campaigner Firliana Purwanti. Sexual liberation is the path to equality

What do doctors say to ‘alternative therapists’ when a patient dies? Nothing. We never talk

Jessica Ainscough’s tragic death is all too familiar for oncologists. We’ve all lost patients to the ‘secret powers’ of alternative therapy

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health