In medicine, as in life, there is much to be gained from questioning the obvious with some imaginative lateral thinking. Thus, it is scarcely surprising that those with the misfortune to be afflicted with the muscular pains and swollen joints of rheumatoid arthritis should not infrequently become depressed, the severity of their symptoms compounded by gloomy thoughts, fatigue, insomnia and so on.
Physiologically speaking, the hair that exists on the exterior of your scalp is dead. It contains no nerves, muscles or blood and - thank god - it doesn't hurt when it's cut. Which begs the question: why should we bother to look after it at all?
Taking the afternoon off for a round of golf or enjoying a beach holiday in a five-star resort were once signs of having "made it".
The contraceptive pill protects women against some cancers for more than 35 years after they stop taking it, the longest study ever carried out into the health risks has found.
When scientists at Merck announced last week that they were putting an end to late-stage trials of their latest Alzheimer's drug, it wasn't just patients and families that were devastated. With verubecestat, a once-promising therapy, declared as having no positive effect, its failure set alarm bells ringing across the entire drug research community.
It has been the question on everyone in Hollywood's lips - a source of rumour, intrigue, plots and characters straight out of a spy novel.
Alfred Kinsey, the famous sex researcher, had a rule for those who conducted his intimate questionnaires. Don't ask: "Have you ever had sex with a goat?" he instructed. Always say instead: "When was the last time you had sex with a goat?" Or: "How often do you have sex with goats?" These formulations eliminated the element of shame, he explained, and allowed the interviewee to assume, at the outset, that anything might be considered normal.
And so, it's official: bird-watching is the new must-have string to the millennial's bow. Once regarded as the preserve of middle-aged men wearing complementary shades of olive and beige, a nationwide survey of Britain's hobbies and interests has discovered that 32 per cent of men aged between 16 to 25 have been birding.
Long walks on the beach, holding hands in front of the fire, the smell of freshly-cut grass - we all know the hackneyed things people say they love when they're looking for a romantic partner - but that may all be about to change. Last week, a new dating app called Hater launched, to match people on account of their pet peeves as opposed to their passions.
Steven Hoffman believes that Chinese startups will play a vital role in shaping the future of the planet.
New York University Shanghai's first batch of 280 graduates from 27 countries, who have rich experience in global travel for field study and exchange programs, will bid farewell to the school in May.
Writer Liu Zhenyun returned on Tuesday from a 20-day trip to seven European countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany. There he observed obvious changes in Western readers' perspectives about Chinese literature.