Ever thought about the ethics and philosophy behind our technological progress? Our author Silvia Lazzaris tackles the daunting topic of transhumanism.

Neil Stoker contemplates the connection between the earth and humanity at Emily Young’s ongoing exhibition

Anne Petzold finds that robots might help long space flights just by being good company

Reza Rezaei Javan investigates syncytins – viral genes that are essential for our survival

Joanna Blackburn shines light on important but often forgotten organs of the human body

From speed and endurance to cognitive limits, Anne Petzold takes a look at just how far humans can go…

Many academics believe that only humans can ‘mentally time travel’ to relive their experiences and imagine future ones. But Iona Twaddell reveals new research which indicates humans may not be so unique as scrub jays may share some of the same memory abilities.

Angelina Chrysanthou explores the sub-conscious factors which influence our decision making

From hammerstones to biotechnology: Lizzie Norris looks at the engineering that has helped us to increase our lifespan and improve our quality of life.

From the origin of life through to the development of language and culture, Charlotte Mykura explores the rise of human beings

Nam Cheah looks at the evolution of the hominoid diet

Nicole Samuel discusses genetic trade-offs and where modern diseases come from

In the first online-only feature from I, Science Issue 30, Jess Norris finds out how our genes and environment – and our smell – affect who we fall in love with

Life inside the uterus is not as closed off as you might think. Syed Qadri explores how a mother’s behaviour alters her baby during pregnancy..

“In the darkness of the womb our brains are soaked in a cocktail of sex hormones.” Bentley Crudgington reviews a book on the complexities and science of gender.

Editors-in-Chief, Iona Twaddell and Jennifer Toes, answer your quick-fire science questions in 150 words or less.

At our limits – investigating how far human bodies be pushed …

Professor Chris Stringer, an anthropologist from the natural history museum, talks to Graihagh Jackson about his life’s research on human evolution. Chris revolutionised his field with his out-of-Africa theory …

The phrase ‘out of Africa’ has become synonymous with the concept of early primate – and by extension, human – evolution. However, recent research challenges this view, instead indicating that primates left Asia some tens of millions of years ago and colonised Africa, where they continued their evolution. The new findings, produced by an international […]

Evolution can be merciless. It selects for success and banishes failure. It is therefore natural to assume that it favours genes that help themselves and not others. Yet for some reason, cooperative behaviour has managed to evolve, with no solid explanation as to why. But thanks to computer technology, we may now be closer to […]

Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace 04 May 2012 to 07 October 2012 I’ve already waxed lyrical about how, despite his admittedly substantial contribution to art history, I think Leonardo da Vinci was primarily a scientist. After my visit this weekend to new exhibition ‘Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist’, I’d like to add […]

Hunterian Museum The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London Friday 18 May, 6-9pm If you’ve not been to the Hunterian museum before (or just haven’t been in a while), this is a chance to see the spookiest setting around in an even spookier light at the Hunterian Museum Lates tomorrow […]

Are we on the brink of a future society, or already living in one? Michael Cook looks at the relationship between human and machine. Back in 1998 Kevin Warwick, now Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, underwent an operation to have an RFID chip inserted into his own body, a small piece of […]

Hunterian Museum The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London Permanent exhibition Is the collection at the Hunterian Museum a Twenty-First Century freak show? Visitors meander around a darkened room filled with illuminated glass jars from floor to ceiling. Pointed fingers and gasps of surprise and shock punctuate the silence. Inside […]

Variation is the driving force behind evolution and the reason why any species persists on this planet. Yet the science of human diversity is curtailed by controversial politics and outcries against racism. Some resistance comes from indigenous groups who feel they would be lab rats, but most comes from cautious government groups like the European […]

There is no question about it, we have big heads. Relative to our body size we have the largest brains on earth, and even non-relative to body size, our brains are still some of the largest. If we consider that we are the well-honed product of mother nature’s machinations then it follows logically that large […]

Sound, as you probably know, is the result of pressure waves travelling through the air. As the pressure wave enters your ear, it causes the tympanic membrane to vibrate. This, simultaneously, causes your inner ear bones to dance around like a teenager at a rock concert. In turn, this moshing vibrates tiny hairs in your […]

We all do a bit of running, whether to a bus, to the shops, or away from an awkward encounter. But, have you ever thought about just how complicated the motion is? Well a game that has become all the rage on the internet will show you just how difficult it is. QWOP (named after the keys […]

Ai is 35 years old and lives with her son, Ayumu. They both work together in a computer lab in Kyoto, Japan. Ai and Ayumu caused a riot in 2008 when they proved they could win at any standard (albeit math based) computer game. Using their faster-than-average ability to remember numbers in sequence they would […]

Gossip doesn’t just affect how you’re judged, a study shows, it controls whether people see you at all. According to evolutionists, a good prattle is vital in forging relationships.  It’s the human equivalent of chimps picking flees from each other. It’s also key to our huge social groups.  We quickly evaluate people we’ve never met, learning […]