The body and physical health

Photo of doughnuts with white icing and colourful sprinkles on a pink background.

‘Sonic branding’ and other ways food marketing keeps you hooked

Video by the Institute of Art and Ideas

A young girl in a pink hoodie lit by a phone screen, lying on a bed in a dimly lit room at night.

The kids forgotten by calls to ban phones

Campaigns calling for smartphone-free childhoods might be well meaning, but the choice is not so simple for all families

by Alice Gregory

Photo of a person’s toned torso in shadowy light hands on hips wearing a dark top and trousers showcasing abdominal muscles.

Stronger

When grief and distraction spun my mind out of control, only the strain of my muscles could keep it intact

by Nancy Uddin

Photo of a serene woman outdoors with closed eyes in a black top, blurred landscape in the background.

The interplay between breath and emotion – and how to access it

Video by Dr Tracey Marks

A colourful plush owl toy with polka-dot wings hanging indoors against a polka-dotted wall background.

Again, again, again

I’m not infertile, but I experience recurrent miscarriages. I worry about how many more I can take

by Jami Nakamura Lin

Abstract painting with bold orange, yellow, blue and black curves and shapes overlapping dynamically.

A kaleidoscope? A milestone? Beyond description? Women put orgasms into words

Directed by Bronwen Parker-Rhodes

Photo of a person walking on an empty city street at sunrise, casting a long shadow amidst tall buildings.

Jaywalking man

Even before I got hit, I’d come to find unexpected bliss in waiting at street corners

by Lawrence Everett Forbes

Illustration of a room with a plant on a table, soft coloured walls and a window with curtains.
POETRY

‘You are me; I am you’ – a trans poet’s evocative message to her former self

Video by On Being

A group of people outdoors looking serious, with one woman wiping her eyes in the centre. Trees and buildings in background.

The hidden calculations that determine whether you will cry

We think of tears as an overflow of emotion, but an evolutionary lens shows they’re a rational form of social signalling

by Daniel Sznycer & Debra Lieberman

Illustration of a simple cartoon figure with a bob haircut wearing a green crop top and red skirt on a light background.

Growing pains, bras, size, sex – a group of women get candid about all things boobs

A film by Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta

Close-up photo of an elderly man with a beard wearing a black cap, lying in a hospital bed, looking content.

After four decades in prison, Big D contemplates the brave new world that awaits him

Directed by Laura Tejero Núñez

Paper collage of a man and a woman lying on the floor petting a grey rabbit and a white cat with a small table in the background.

After a life-altering diagnosis, Case crafts a loving message to his future self

A film by Case Jernigan

Coloured electron microscope image of bacteria and fungi; round green/yellow cells and rod-shaped pink structures on a textured surface.

How to maintain a healthy gut

With a few lifestyle and dietary changes, you can protect your gut microbiome, boost your immunity and improve your mood

by Vincent Ho

Photo of a pregnant woman in a pink vest and white skirt, holding a red bag, walking in an urban area.

Moving through the world pregnant, my body became everyone’s

And I knew that, once I became a mother, I would be only more visible, more public, more available for scrutiny

by Katie da Cunha Lewin

Woman seated at a cafeteria table reading a book, with her shoes kicked off.

In defence of slouching: the bad science behind good posture

The idea that we should all stand straight is widely accepted. But this modern obsession has dubious origins

by Beth Linker

Photo of a woman in a pink top sitting indoors with eyes closed. Sunlight and shadows on the wall, plant on the right.

It’s not foolish to foster hope in the face of illness and death

As a great loss loomed, I feared straying too far from the hard truth. But I learned to distinguish denial from hope

by Christiana Boules