It appears infant galaxies were much bigger babies than astronomers bargained for

We all know the basics of avoiding winter bugs, but science is uncovering lesser-known tricks that make a real difference

There’s only one place to go if we want to catch sight of the cosmic dawn

If you struggle to identify your feelings on a regular basis, you might just have alexithymia – here's how you can know if you do

Imagine having access to a time machine. You could experience historical events first-hand – and finally get to the bottom of all manner of mysteries. Although we can’t travel back in time physically, with a good telescope – like the James Webb Space Telescope – we can essentially see back in time. That’s almost as good, right? Take, for example, the very first stars, which formed around 100-200 million years after the Big Bang. Their sudden appearance set the stage for the Universe we see today, triggering a chain reaction that’s still occurring. And by uncovering the oldest objects in the cosmos and examining their unique makeup, we can retrace the chemistry and physics of creation. Those first stars should be easy to spot thanks to their special compositions, and stellar archaeologists (a cool job title, if I’ve ever heard one) have been seeking them for a long time. But as Dr Emma Chapman explains in this issue, the reason we haven’t found them yet could be because we've not been looking for the right things. What we have found, is that so-called 'ancient stars' aren’t behaving quite as we expected. So far, our search into the deep past has raised more questions than answers.

New (very rational) fear unlocked – thanks nature

The human body is a remarkably resilient thing, as many case studies of people surviving without organs tell us

Brain ageing is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease

Your house may contain dozens of spiders. Or far more...