Ailsa Land obituary
Researcher into mathematical approaches to real-world problems who seized on the increased possibilities offered by computers
David Eagleman: ‘The working of the brain resembles drug dealers in Albuquerque’
The neuroscientist, broadcaster and author on the evolution of the brain, the mystery of consciousnesss, and why the next generation will be much smarter than us
The supersense secret: Steve Biddulph on how to become healthier, happier and more fully human
The psychologist Steve Biddulph believes we are tapping into only a small corner of our potential. In his latest book, he explains how to harness all our senses and gut instincts
John Latham obituary
Climate physicist and expert on thunderstorm electrification who was also a published poet
Theoretical physicist Chiara Marletto: ‘The universal constructor could revolutionise civilisation’
The scientist on why studying elementary particles is only one way of explaining phenomena, how the 3D printer could change the world, and her optimism about women in science
Top 10 books about depression
From Robert Burton’s 17th-century Anatomy of Melancholy to new insights from Ed Bullmore, these are welcome guides to one of the loneliest experiences
Daniel Kahneman: ‘Clearly AI is going to win. How people are going to adjust is a fascinating problem’
The psychologist on applying his ideas to organisations, why we’re not equipped to grasp the spread of a virus, and the massive disruption that’s just round the corner
The secret of how Amundsen beat Scott in race to south pole? A diet of raw penguin
Starving and trapped by ice, the Norwegian’s crew had discovered how to beat scurvy on an earlier voyage. The benefits proved crucial
Aids and Act Up: Sarah Schulman puts women and people of color back at the heart of the story
The activist’s new book, Let the Record Show, is a rejoinder to works on the HIV epidemic by and about white men
A drop of hope: new poetry exhibition celebrates power of Covid vaccine
Works inspired by messages from staff, volunteers and jab recipients will go on display at the Francis Crick Institute in London
Secrets of a tree whisperer: ‘They get along, they listen – they’re attuned’
The woman who discovered the woodwide web shares the wisdom of a life spent listening to the forest in her new book
Richard Dawkins loses ‘humanist of the year’ title over trans comments
American Humanist Association criticises academic for comments about identity using ‘the guise of scientific discourse’, and withdraws its 1996 honour
Wilhelm Reich: the strange, prescient sexologist who sought to set us free
He believed orgasms could be a healing force and coined the term ‘sexual revolution’. Reich’s understanding of the body is vital in our age of protests and patriarchy, writes Olivia Laing
In brief: The Book of Difficult Fruit; Early Morning Riser; Sex Robots & Vegan Meat – reviews
A foray into the world of tricky fruit, unquiet life in small-town Michigan, and a savvy guide to the science of life
‘Epoch-making’ paper on importance of handwashing goes to auction
A scientific journal covering a Hungarian doctor’s discovery is up for sale, alongside a letter from Edward Jenner, apologising for a delay in vaccine supply