Art, sex, nature: why is everything sold to us as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself?

How a reductive worldview is stripping meaning from our most valued activities

Back on ya bike! How to keep your bicycle running smoothly and save amid the fuel crisis

Basic maintenance is one of the most satisfying ways of getting to know your bike – with most parts costing less than a tank of fuel

A chaperone, a balance beam and an assault course: my cabin bag bootcamp

Our tester hauled, hurdled and army-crawled his way to crowning the best carry-on luggage. Plus, Michelle Ogundehin’s shopping secrets and meal kits, tested

Is it true that … having a diverse microbiome stops you from getting sick?

Having diverse microbes in the gut has been promoted as a way to boost immunity, but studies suggest it’s more complicated than that

Socialising, work, exercise: what makes a good day and is there a ‘formula’ for making it better?

Researchers have figured out which activities, and in what volume, are linked to people reporting having a good day. We challenge three writers to follow the blueprint for improving their daily grind

After her remission from cancer, Christine felt her friends abandoned her when she needed them most

While her friends expected a seamless return to pre-illness life, Christine feared a relapse, feeling a sense of limbo between her old and new self

Should we all be wearing barefoot shoes? I put 15 pairs to the test – here are my favourites

They’re the divisive footwear that many swear by, but which barefoot shoes are comfy enough for running and hiking? Our writer spent three months finding out

‘They’re all junk, and should be banned’: the trouble with at-home food intolerance tests

A multimillion-pound industry has sprung up promising it can detect sensitivities to certain ingredients with a simple remote finger prick test. But the results can be misleading – and even dangerous

Black women in Georgia turn to midwives for safer births – so why does the state criminalize many of them?

A new lawsuit seeks to decriminalize the work of midwives banned from providing care amid a worsening maternal health crisis

The best water flossers in the UK, tested for that dentist-clean feeling

Floss without the faff with our expert-tested water flossers, from travel-size models to countertop jets

Why does alcohol make us both happy and miserable – and what else does it do to our minds and bodies?

It sends us to sleep and wakes us in the night, excites us and depresses us, gives us confidence one moment, anxiety the next. How does this messy drug wield so much power?

The unlikely appeal of barefoot hiking: ‘It makes you feel quite primal’

From clay trails in Seoul to remote Australian coastlines, a small but growing number of hikers are hitting the trail unshod. But what happens when you feel the ground beneath your feet?

‘Traceability is vital’: labs test thousands of unregulated substances amid peptide craze

Experts warn consumers of unknown risks as one lab says about a third of samples fail basic quality checks

Trying to conceive? Welcome to the worry-filled world of ‘trimester zero’

An army of ‘pregnancy prep’ influencers is offering would-be parents everything from sensible advice to quackery and questionable supplements. What’s really needed?

How to use procrastination to your advantage

As medieval sages understood, putting things off – done well – can open the doors to creativity and purpose