INTRODUCTIONLife is full of contradictions, don’t you think? Calling our planet Earth despite the fact almost three quarters of it are under water is an obvious one. Blue planet, we would argue, is more like it. This vast body of water is not just a natural frontier that caps the expansion of our cities or crops, however. Humans may not live underwater, but our lives and livelihoods depend on healthy oceans.Although the water in our planet is split across hundreds of creeks, rivers, glaciers, lakes, aquifers and seas, just a minute fraction of it is fresh water. Most is sea water, and 97% of all the water on Earth is within the five oceans - Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic and Arctic.However, the importance of oceans isn’t just a matter of size. The uppermost layer of the oceans, situated between 0 to 200 m below the superficial level, is called the photic zone. There, as sunlight reaches phytoplankton, tiny organisms that are able to pump oxygen into our atmosphere through photosynthesis.

INTRODUCTION‘It’s just like the flu.’ You’ve probably heard this from many who dismiss the seriousness of Omicron, the COVID-19 variant. Well, it isn’t true. But even if it was, the flu too can be deadly.We are exposed to lots of viruses, the majority don’t make us sick, but some certainly do. The flu, like the common cold, is a viral respiratory illness and is contagious. However, while the cold can be caused by a range of viruses (including rhinoviruses and seasonal coronaviruses), the flu is specifically caused by the influenza virus.There are various types of influenza virus, helpfully called A, B, C and D. The two main types of human flu viruses are A and B - these are the ones that are responsible for seasonal human epidemics every year. Influenza viruses have three proteins sticking out of their surface: the matrix protein (M2), hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). The two latter can change. That’s how you get H1N1, for instance, a common subtype that circulates between people. However, with up to 18 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase subtypes, there are dozens of possible combinations the virus can choose from. Lots of mutations of influenza means vaccines have to be developed and updated each year.

INTRODUCTIONWomen make up more than half of the population (~50.5%) in countries like the USA or UK. While living longer than men, women have unique health issues that men do not, from reproduction to certain cancers. Women also experience marked biological changes in their lives, from their first period to living with menopause. And for those who get pregnant, many questions arise.Misinformation is everywhere on the internet with regards to women’s health. From jade eggs to labiaplasty, women get targeted by wellness brands and the cosmetic industry, so they need to be better informed so they can make evidence-based decisions around their health.Are psychological problems more common in women? Are menstrual cups safe? Does menopause have knock-on effects on your day-to-day life? Have there been improvements in breast cancer diagnosis? This month, we have asked our experts to share all the facts on women’s health, and here is what we have learned.

INTRODUCTIONClimate changes are long-term shifts in climate patterns indicative from things like temperature and rainfall. Historically, these changes have been naturally triggered by volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts or wobbles in Earths orbit. Yet after a stable climate for about five thousand years, the earth has warmed around 1ºC just in the last 150 years (from pre-industrial levels, 1850-1900). This is something entirely different. Why?First, while natural climate change occurs over tens of thousands to millions of years, today's change is taking place over just a century or two. That means the current speed of warming is the fastest in earths recorded history, being more than 10-20 times faster than natural past climate changes.The second main difference is the reason behind this unprecedented global shift. This time, no volcanoes or asteroids are involved. Instead, we humans are to blame. More specifically, human activities releasing “greenhouse gases” (mainly carbon dioxide [CO2], methane and nitrous oxide) are driving it. Such compounds absorb infrared radiation (as a greenhouse would), thereby trapping heat in the atmosphere and warming the Earth. Indeed, greenhouse gases sustain life on our planet, and their absence would cause a drop of 33ºC in the average temperature on the surface. However, the finely regulated balance of gas levels ended when we began burning fossil fuels. While CO2 was present at 280 parts per million (ppm), 367 ppm were recorded in 1999 and it’s up to 415 ppm as we write this review. If you are wondering, the last time CO2 levels were so high was a whole 3 million years ago.

INTRODUCTIONFor some, artificial intelligence (AI) may just exist in futuristic worlds like Matrix or in evil androids such as HAL 9000 or Terminator. But actually, AI is in your pocket. It filters your spam, helps you choose what to watch on Netflix and may answer if you say “Siri” or “Alexa” out loud.AI was first envisioned in 1950 by Alan Turing, who wrote a scientific article where he questioned whether machines are able to think. From that seminal work, researchers have managed to create computer systems capable of performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence. This is what we call artificial intelligence.But how does AI work? The broad rule of AI is to learn from examples, gathering information and finding patterns to make general rules. For example, Siri is an AI system that’s been given a huge number of different questions (with its answers), so it can recognize a specific question we ask and select the appropriate answer for us.

INTRODUCTIONHumans have eaten eggs for millions of years, initially from wild birds including pigeons and fowl, and later from domesticated birds like chickens. We have been raising chickens since 7000 BC, and their eggs are a major component of diets around the world.Eggs are one of the most versatile cooking ingredients we have - they can be scrambled, poached or fried on their own, or combined with other ingredients to make cakes, pies and mayonnaise (just to name a few).Many of us eat eggs daily, but what effect is that having on our health? Can eggs help with weight loss? Are they good or bad for heart health? Do eggs need to be stored in the fridge? This month we asked scientists to share the facts on eggs, here is what we found.