How the body works

All of us have one, but the corpus humanum is much more than just a fleshy vessel for our brains. The human body as we know it today is the result of millions of years of evolution and is composed of trillions of cells each working to keep our biological systems ticking along. Whether they're regulating our body temperature or maintaining the correct oxygen levels in our bloodstreams, the organs that make up our bodies are undoubtedly essential in helping them work.

Human heart with heartbeat line

How many organs could I survive without?

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

Wheel of Camembert with a slice cut out

A daily dose of cheese could reduce your dementia risk, study finds

Cheese could be gouda for your brain? You better brie-leve it

How stable is my personality?

Various studies have looked at how personality changes over our lives

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Illustration of a the silhouette of a person's face, made of flower and its stalk that stretches out to create the image of the face (within a face)

How to build the mindset now proven to slow ageing

How much could a change of attitude change your life?

An illustration of a boy ageing over time into an old man

5 pills that could reverse ageing (including some you may already take)

Treatments to slow, stop, or reverse ageing is no longer the stuff of science fiction, and could be less than a decade away.

Photo of a person sniffing a sprig of rosemary

Should I start sniffing rosemary?

A centuries-old idea is getting modern scientific backing

Digital generated image of abstract sliced multicoloured head with swirl spline connections inside. Technology and AI concept.

This ‘digital brain’ could soon simulate ethically forbidden experiments

This very complicated computer model was designed to help teach us about our own brains

3d rendering of pills, Healthcare and medicine concept.

The real reason men still don’t have a contraceptive pill

Ever wondered why the contraceptive landscape is so female-centric?

Upside down legs with different colours.

Can chemicals in clothing mess with my hormones?

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in clothing and in rugs can disrupt your hormone levels. Here's what you can do about it

Illustration of a person holding an art frame over themselves. In the frame, they are happy and it is sunny. Outside the frame, in reality, it is dark and wet

Looking at certain kinds of art may boost your heart health, doctors say

How a little creative escape can influence your physiology

Ian Taylor looks ahead while sat on a train, he has a white Parasym Nurosym clipped into his left ear.

I zapped my vagus nerve every day for a month to fight anxiety. Here's what happened

Can a wearable neuromodulation device that delivers small electric shocks banish anxiety?

Illustration of a watch with a matchstick slowly burning down.

5 surprising, science-backed ways to finally feel less time-starved

Feeling time poor isn’t an inescapable part of today’s world. It’s possible to reclaim lost hours and finally feel in control of your day.

A woman wakes up scared in the middle of the night after a nightmare, and holds her duvet up to her face

I keep having nightmares. Should I be worried?

Some recent research has made headlines by linking frequent nightmares to an increased risk of dementia. Should we be worried?

Side view of girl balancing on red rope with arms outstretched against white background

How does the timing of puberty affect a person's long-term health?

New research suggests that the timing of your puberty may affect your long-term health, including heart disease, diabetes and asthma

Brown eyes of an adult woman with pathology of cholesterol plaques and drooping eyelid

Most people with high-cholesterol gene don't know they have it, warns study

Researchers issue new warning over overlooked high cholesterol condition

Could a virus change my DNA?

Viruses make up around eight per cent of your DNA

Illustration of a person walking while looking at their phone. Various graphs fill the background of the image, depicting health trackers and '60bpm' is written in front of the person

These two simple numbers can predict your heart disease risk

Could a new calculation based on two commonly tracked metrics offer a cheat code for your long-term health?

Illustration of a person's silhouette (face-on), in front of the person is scientific iconography, including DNA. In the background is a line of silhouette people, all facing sideways

We may have found the first true human pheromone

Could invisible chemical signals sway our behaviour, or who we’re attracted to – all without us knowing?

Close up photo of someone removing a tattoo with a laser-based treatment

Where does the ink go when you get a tattoo removed?

If you have had a tattoo removed by a laser-based treatment, you may be wondering where the ink particles go

A person sat at the edge of their bed stretching their arms up in the air (photo taken from above)

This is the optimal morning routine, according to science

Wakey wakey. Science is here and it wants to give you the best possible start to your day

Photo of a person clutching their knee with both hands, you can see the x-ray of the bones and joint through the skin

We're on the brink of curing arthritis. Here's how

We might finally be able to spot osteoarthritis early… and bring it to a halt

Image depicting blood sugar

We've been thinking about blood sugar all wrong. Here's why

These are the five biggest blood sugar myths, debunked by nutrition experts

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel in flowers.

This sleepy squirrel could unlock a new way to treat heart disease

Inspired by hibernating squirrels, scientists have developed a promising new drug that could transform how we treat heart failure

Abstract illustration of a person walking up a flight of stairs made of books into their own shadow, never ending purpose

How to find your life’s purpose: The biggest lessons from the world’s top experts

Science has shown that having a raison d’être is good for us