Science unscripted

Nations are buying H5N1 bird flu vaccines amid the spread of the virus among livestock in the US. At least two children in North America have contracted the disease from unknown sources. How serious is the situation?

Some people seem very good at guessing what you're thinking. And some of us might find that we think very deeply about what people are thinking or feeling. The reason appears linked to special connections between some the youngest parts of the brain, evolved 300 million years ago. We explored this with lead researcher Rodrigo Braga, a clinical neurologist, from Northwestern University.

Being discriminated against — due to your ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, age or anything else — is harmful and wrong. A new study shows it also... changes the bacteria in your stool?

Women drink less... if you ask them to visualize alcohol? Also, the yucky trick gossipers use to make you think they're kind — and why iron in red meat may be causing cancer (in your bottom).