Society What politicians so often get wrong about science Governments love asking what scientific research will bring society, but the most important discoveries come from wondering without direction Comment
Environment Aged human urine is a pungent pesticide as well as a fertiliser Urine that has sat in the sun for a while seems to fertilise crops while warding off pests, without affecting the produce's taste News
Health Do Ozempic and Wegovy really cause hair loss? As semaglutide-based weight loss treatments such as Ozempic and Wegovy become more popular, new side effects are emerging – and one is hair loss News
Mathematics Artist brings data to life in striking screen prints With a background in maths and design, Rebecca Kaye uses data to make sense of the natural world Regulars
Life What the surprising lives of solitary animals reveal about us A new understanding of why some animals evolved to be loners, and the benefits that brings, shows that a social lifestyle isn’t necessarily superior Features
Humans Gripping story reveals race to crack world's oldest script, cuneiform Cuneiform, the oldest identified writing system, defied deciphering – until 1857. What happened then makes a terrific read, in Joshua Hammer's The Mesopotamian Riddle Culture
Space How to spot Haumea, one of the solar system's strangest objects Pluto isn’t the only dwarf planet in our solar system's outer reaches. Now is an ideal time to look for the egg-shaped Haumea, says Abigail Beall Regulars
Comment The blue whale: the world's most versatile measuring stick? Feedback is delighted to hear from a reader who proposes an ingenious new unit of data – but we have some quibbles with the maths Regulars