Health

The one change that worked: I tried all the hobbies I thought I’d hate

I was in a work-commute-collapse cycle and didn’t know what to do. Then I began sampling activities I’d previously dismissed – book clubs, line dancing, chess – and it became oddly addictive

The pub that changed me: ‘I bonded with a new group of friends there

Ye Olde Swiss Cottage in London was gaudy, draughty and built on a traffic island. But it was just the escape I needed

The pet I’ll never forget: Bosko the great flying cat inspired my art

He had youth, energy, a tiny purr and could jump 7ft in the air. I always knew when he was about to do it, because he would stare at me intensely before launching himself towards the ceiling

Scientists warn of ‘regime shift’ as seaweed blooms expand worldwide

Study links rapid growth of ocean macroalgae to global heating and nutrient pollution

‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave

Experts call for tighter regulation as GPS tracking reveals how people’s behaviour affects the lives of some of the world’s largest birds

Woman found dead on popular Australian tourist island K’gari

Queensland police appeal for witnesses after 19-year-old, a Canadian citizen, found on beach north of the Maheno shipwreck

Is it true that … you lose most body heat from your head?

This 1970s notion is a bit of a myth – but it’s still a good idea to wear a hat if it’s cold out

Seafood cawl and ale rarebit: Luke Selby’s recipes for Welsh winter warmers

A hearty seafood stew of haddock, leeks and barley, and an almost indecently rich and comforting cheesy rarebit

Chilean president declares state of catastrophe as wildfires kill at least 15

Fires blaze through 8,500 hectares, forcing 50,000 people to evacuate as firefighters struggle to extinguish flames

The Guardian view on microplastics research: questioning results is good for science, but has political consequences

Errors in measuring microplastic pollution can be corrected. Public trust in science also needs to be shored up

‘It’s unforgiving’: California park officials grapple with recent deaths on Mount Baldy

Calls are renewed for permitting to hike the Los Angeles-area mountain that looks deceptively accessible

‘It felt amazing to be on the start line again’: the rugby pro who became paralysed

Aged 20, Taylor Gough had a car accident. Five years later, he’s hoping to compete in the 2028 Paralympics. How did he do it?