This is the single best way to reduce your cholesterol without statins, according to a leading doctor

You don't need medication to improve cholesterol levels. A few simple dietary tweaks can make a serious difference
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Bald man looking in a mirror at head baldness and hair loss

'It's where you're balding that counts': What your hairline can reveal about your health

A growing body of research suggests the view from the top of your head might provide a glimpse into future concerns
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Illustration of aliens.

'We're not prepared!': How a Harvard professor thinks humanity's chaotic first contact would actually unfold

From interstellar visitors to alien radio signals, scientists are asking a question once confined to science fiction: what happens when we finally make contact?
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Issue 436 of BBC Science Focus is on sale from 20 August 2026

New issue: Brain-melting heat

As I write this, it’s stupid hot. I mean that literally: it’s so hot that it’s difficult to think. My thoughts feel as though they’ve been wrapped in cotton wool and then set on fire. As it turns out, though, the way I feel isn’t that far removed from what’s happening inside my brain. Nothing is actually burning between my ears, but heat can interfere with the millions of tiny electrochemical interactions that my – and your – neurons rely on to function. Brain cells have a temperature range in which they work at their best, but push the temperature too high and some of the molecular machinery involved in sending signals becomes less reliable. It’s a little like an orchestra losing its conductor: the instruments are still there, but the timing starts to fall apart. Taken to extremes, this is why heatstroke can cause confusion, dizziness and other changes in brain function. And the heat doesn’t only affect the brain directly. As my body heats up, my circulatory system sends more blood towards my skin to help me lose heat, making my heart work harder. Sweating also means losing water and salts, and as dehydration sets in, maintaining a normal blood supply becomes more difficult – adding another challenge for a brain that’s already under thermal stress. Sweat and aggravation are, of course, far from the worst consequences of extreme heat. But this year, the soaring temperatures have felt relentless. Wave after wave of heat has battered Europe and the US, with barely enough respite before the next one arrives. We’re going to have to adapt. We can change our buildings, routines and behaviour to make extreme heat easier to bear. But what happens to the organ that controls all those decisions when the temperature keeps rising? In this issue, we're exploring what heat does to the brain – from our ability to think clearly and make decisions, to our mood, sleep and mental wellbeing. And because knowing it’s too hot doesn’t make it any cooler, we've also found some scientifically proven advice on the fastest way to cool down.
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The (completely adorable) ways dogs know exactly how you’re feeling

Ever get the feeling your dog knows what you’re thinking? It might be because they’re picking up on cues you didn’t realise you were transmitting.
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Close-up Portrait of Tribe Leader Wearing Animal Skin Eating in a Dark Scary Cave at Night

No, our ancestors weren't carnivores. Here's what they really ate and why it matters

Our hunter-gatherer forebears weren’t the carnivorous cavemen we once thought
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Two realistic models of ears with brightly coloured earbuds in and next to them

Why do I get earwax?

Step away from the cotton bud...
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Photo of a person in bath robes sniffing their armpit

How can I find out if I smell?

Nose blindness/olfactory fatigue can make you unaware of your own stink but there might be a way to find if you do smell bad
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Lucile Randon, the world's previous oldest living person.

This is the oldest person in the world alive today

Find out who the oldest person alive is and see who else has worn the crown.
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