Hybrid Humans by Harry Parker review – man and machine in harmony
An ex-soldier who lost both legs in Afghanistan examines the implications of advances in medical technology with intelligence and humanity
Dangerous Medicine: The Story Behind Human Experiments with Hepatitis – review
Sydney Halpern’s account of postwar US research that deliberately infected hundreds with the disease is shocking – and important for the Covid era
Dr Julie Smith: ‘Mental health is no different to physical health. No one is immune’
The clinical psychologist has 3 million TikTok followers and now her book is a bestseller. She talks about the simple tools that really help
Guy Leschziner: ‘Reality is entirely a construct of our nervous system’
The consultant neurologist and BBC radio presenter has a new book exploring the relationship between sensory perception and the reality it creates
Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics by Adam Rutherford review – unnatural selection
The geneticist offers a short, sharp, illuminating overview of the science, politics, uses and abuses of human gene editing
Malorie Blackman on seeing her sci-fi novel about a pig heart transplant come true
When the children’s author wrote Pig Heart Boy in the late 1990s about a boy who has revolutionary surgery she knew that it might be possible one day
Can a sick note make you better? Dr Gavin Francis on the power of convalescence
After serious illness, busy lives mean a proper convalescence is now a rarity. But a full and proper recovery takes time. GP and writer Gavin Francis reveals why a sick note can be a ‘powerful prescription’
‘Virtual reality is genuine reality’ so embrace it, says philosopher
In his book Reality+ David Chalmers says the material world may lose its allure as VR technology advances
Hindu gods, Aztec rites, Blondie hits … why the heart is our eternal symbol
The pig heart transplant is a medical marvel but centuries of art and history give us pause to reflect on what truly makes us human
Top 10 books about amnesia
Writers from Julian Barnes to Oliver Sacks and Petina Gappah find some profound truths in what gets lost to memory
Five Great Reads: on seeds, spontaneity and the love story behind Wordle
Guardian Australia’s summer wrap of brilliant writing and juicy journalism selected by our lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman
The Oracle of Night by Sidarta Ribeiro review – the secrets of sleep
A neuroscientist attempts to reconcile psychoanalysis with modern science in a fantastical romp through the history of dreaming
We often fail to keep resolutions – but writing in a notebook brings great rewards
Scribbling down our thoughts is a great way to make sense of things, says Cathy Rentzenbrink
Britain got it wrong on Covid: long lockdown did more harm than good, says scientist
A new book outlines the mistakes and missteps that made UK pandemic worse
From stand-in stars to tech titans: The Observer’s faces to watch in 2022
We look at who will be making headlines this year, in both a positive and negative light