What can you do to stave off cognitive decline? Neuroscientist Christian Jarrett explains the six habits that can keep your grey matter fit.

Almost 40 years since the explosion, the ecosystem around Chernobyl is unlike anywhere else

Statins save lives – so why are so many people wary of taking them?

After another explosive start to tornado season, twisters are cropping up in unexpected places – and the big picture isn’t looking any clearer

Our best research – studies that looked at the health records of millions of children – has, to date, found no causal link between taking acetaminophen (otherwise known as paracetamol and sold under the brand name Tylenol in the US) during pregnancy and the onset of autism. In fact, as rates of autism diagnoses have gone up, acetaminophen use during pregnancy has actually gone down. So why do some high-profile US politicians suggest otherwise? Well, there was a study, published a decade ago, that looked at data collected on almost 2,650 children, which did find an effect. But it’s possible that this research was actually observing the effect of whatever symptom the drug was meant to treat – not the drug itself. The backdrop to this row is the undeniable observation that autism diagnoses are on the rise. One in 59 children were thought to have the condition in the US in 2015; that figure is now one in 31, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most experts attribute this rise to improvements in identifying autism. Indeed, we’ve gotten better at understanding what autism looks like in all its forms. And therein lies some clarity. Just as we’re beginning to understand that there are different types of autism, there are likely to be several factors that can shift the dance between genetics and the environment as your brain develops during pregnancy. Timing is everything in the womb, which is why one scientist is growing tiny human brains (or at least parts of them) in a lab – to find out when and where the first signs of autism appear.

Analysis of shark DNA has thrown a wrench into our understanding of these sharp-toothed predators

A small but growing body of research is finding that female psychopaths might be more common than we thought

Astronauts in cryosleep is one of science fiction's most enduring fantasies – but a new study suggests the gap between fiction and reality just got a little smaller

Calorie counting isn’t just difficult, it’s riddled with problems that make it practically useless for anyone trying to lose weight. But there are alternatives