Helping or harming? Is AI making us cognitively lazy? Researchers from MIT undertook a study where people were asked to write an essay without using online tools. The results have caused debate; have a read and see what you think.

We live in an environment where stress is never ending. To the brain, an urgent email from the boss can cause the same stress response as a bear threatening your life! Anytime we experience stress, our body reacts and goes into fight or flight mode. When this happens, our blood sugar levels rise.

For decades, women’s health has been largely understood through the lens of hormones alone. But a growing body of research is quietly reshaping that narrative - revealing a far more complex, interconnected system at work. At the centre of it all? The female microbiome.

Once thought to play a supporting role, the trillions of microbes living in and on the body are now emerging as powerful regulators of reproductive health. Scientists are uncovering how these microbial communities interact with hormones, influence immune responses, and even shape outcomes across every life stage—from fertility and conception to pregnancy and menopause.

In this feature from Nore Hoogstad FNTP, we explore the emerging science behind the female microbiome—and why it may be one of the most important, and underestimated, drivers of women’s health today.