When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing review – timely guide
Daniel H Pink’s engaging book reveals the best times of day to make optimum decisions
The theatre company putting Victorian sci-fi centre stage
As an adaptation of HG Wells’s The Crystal Egg prepares to open in London, its creators explain how they turned a short story from 1897 into a play for our alien-obsessed times
Eight big ideas for 2018 by Ed Miliband, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Jay Rayner, Sophie Walker and more
From politics to culture, space science to food, our experts assess the major developments that will mark the year ahead
New Year honours: Bussell, a Bee Gee and a Beatle among gong gang
Ringo Starr given knighthood while others from the arts, business, sport and the community are also recognised
Why Christmas is for everyone
An atheist’s Christmas celebrates hospitality and generosity – just like a Christian’s, says Julian Baggini
Favourite reads of 2017 – as chosen by scientists
Guardian’s science bloggers choose the books from inside and outside science that delighted them most this year
Creation history: brilliant ideas build on the past
Creativity doesn’t come out of the blue, it starts by remodelling the past, say David Eagleman and Anthony Brandt
Robin McKie’s best science books of 2017
Why good health requires good sleep, the role our senses play in what we choose to consume, and some mind-boggling maths about the air that we breathe
How architecture shapes our cities – and our lives
Communities which design their own buildings are more likely to be happy and healthy, says Lily Bernheimer
Ancient Mysteries: Eden Revealed review – all round Adam and Eve’s for a gazelle feast?
Excavations in Turkey reveal tantalising details about humankind’s great leap forward to hunter-gathering, and the role religion played in that shift
Dawn of the New Everything by Jaron Lanier review – memoirs of a tech visionary
Jaron Lanier is both cheerleader and doomsayer in a highly personal story of virtual reality
The spray’s the thing: how actors use perfumes to get into character
Playing Thatcher? Dab on Bluebell. Got a part in Hairspray? Reach for the Madame Rochas. We lift the lid on how actors use smells – from the finest fragrances to cheap tinned mackerel – to nail a role
Eminem reveals his writing process – podcasts of the week
The hip-hop rule breaker reminisces about his first rhyme on Rick Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell’s new podcast Broken Record. Elsewhere, our picks of the best podcasts include a focus on Brexit and Bill Bryson’s guide to the London Science Museum
Tim Peake webchat: your questions answered on travel adaptors, running a marathon and hiccuping – in space
The British astronaut answered your questions on whether you can get a cold in space, why you can’t see Brexit from the ISS, the time he saw strange flying objects and why he wants to go to Mars
Could science fiction save NHS data and improve our health?
The most persistent fear for healthcare in 2100 was about the exploitation of genetic data. But health data could be a huge force for good. We need an open debate now