The Best of The Guardian

Climate coalition cites Twitter’s lack of clear policies against misinformation and additional confusion from Musk takeover

All of us will experience pain and stress, but the brain has some smart ways to protect us. Here is how to get prepared for periods of adversity

«Taking several long, deep breaths has also been shown to reduce stress and lower the heart rate, allowing us to reach that neutral point of calm»

Last year, research cast doubt on the dominant ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression. Now two persuasive books by scientists Philip Gold and Camilla Nord offer very different causes of the illness…

«psilocybin docks into the same receptors as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that promotes the growth and rewiring of neurons»

The long read: Nobody normally gives a second thought to dust, but it is inescapable. And if we pay close attention, we can see the biggest things – time, death and life itself – within these tiny…

Ageing doesn’t have to mean slowing down. In fact, you’re more likely to win an ultramarathon in midlife, not to mention get happier, wiser and more body confident

Collaboration is key to creating culturally and ethically positive systems, says professor of digital media, computing and artificial intelligence D Fox Harrell

Trust your gut, boost your memory, de-bias your decision making… can we train our brains to perform better?

«A decade ago, the fashion was to be pessimistic about the prospects of improving our thinking, and even about the value of thinking at all.»

It feels great to give at Christmas. But does that pleasure detract from the good deed?

The long read: Hoarding can be distressing and dangerous. But it’s not just a matter of ‘too much stuff’ – it’s a complex condition that requires careful, targeted help

Earth is already becoming unlivable. Will governments act to stop this disaster from getting worse?

«At 1.5C, about 14% of the world’s population will be hit by severe heatwaves once every five years. with this number jumping to more than a third of the global population at 2C.»

New data shows how fossil fuel companies have driven climate crisis despite industry knowing dangers

Unpalatable as it may be for those wedded to producing and eating meat, the environmental and health evidence for a plant-based diet is clear

Dazzling debut novels, searing polemics, the history of humanity and trailblazing memoirs ... Read our pick of the best books since 2000

A fifth part of The Tale of Genji, which was completed around 1010 by a woman later named Murasaki Shikibu, has been found in a house in Tokyo

What to eat, when, how to do it properly – and what to avoid. Experts lay out the food habits that will make a real difference to your health

Is red wine good for you? Is it healthier to drink a little than not at all? Is there such a thing as hangxiety? It’s time to sort fact from fiction

From now, house style guide recommends terms such as ‘climate crisis’ and ‘global heating’

Film by Swedish activist and Guardian journalist George Monbiot says nature must be used to repair broken climate

Chinese-owned social media app bans such content even in countries where homosexuality has never been illegal

The book features gay marriage, hits out at slavery and imperialism and predicts the climate crisis – 200 years after the birth of its author, Herman Melville, it has never been more important

Expert tips on how to be kinder to the planet – from cooking and cleaning to fashion and finance

The breakthrough, spurred by the discovery of plastic-eating bugs at a Japanese dump, could help solve the global plastic pollution crisis

A hi-tech medical exam draws its subject back to a more archaic, essential experience

Hailed as one of the most significant archival discoveries of modern times, text seems to show the Paradise Lost poet making careful annotations on his edition of Shakespeare’s plays

Intensively farmed meat and dairy are a blight, but so are fields of soya and maize. There is another way, says the farmer Isabella Tree

A few weeks into Veganuary, you may be wondering how to keep a plant-based lifestyle going. Whether you’re worried about supplements, expense or food aversions, here’s everything you need to know

Whether it’s taking fruit to work (and to the bedroom!), being polite to rude strangers or taking up skinny-dipping, here’s a century of ways to make life better, with little effort involved …

«Reuse all plastic bags – even bread bags. Much of the packaging you can’t reuse can be taken to larger branches of supermarkets for recycling.»

124,000 documents expose inner workings behind US tech firm’s rise as a global empire responsible for 19m journeys a day

«As Uber launched across India, Kalanick’s top executive in Asia urged managers to focus on driving growth, even when “fires start to burn”. “Know this is a normal part of Uber’s business,” he said. “Embrace the chaos. It means you’re doing something meaningful.”»

‘I can’t remember anything’ is a common complaint these days. But is it because we rely so heavily on our smartphones? And do the endless alerts and distractions stop us forming new memories?

«When we’re not attending to an experience, we are less likely to recall it properly, and fewer recalled experiences could even limit our capacity to have new ideas and being creative.»

Social media and many other facets of modern life are destroying our ability to concentrate. We need to reclaim our minds while we still can

«“an attentional pathogenic culture” – an environment in which sustained and deep focus is harder for all of us»

The long read: Every year, thousands of bikes are tossed into rivers, ponds, lakes and canals. What’s behind this mass drowning?