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1. The Moon: facts, fascination and the future

   We talk to Professor Andy Newsam, Director of the National Schools’ Observatory, about the Apollo 11 Moon landing and learn some interesting facts about the Moon along the way.

2. How chimp DNA techniques turned us into jungle detectives

   Wild chimpanzees are hard to find, but their DNA – left-behind genetic traces – is opening up a new way of studying them, write experts Alexander Piel and Fiona Stewart

3. World Hijab Day: Let’s celebrate!

   Saturday 1 February 2020 marks the 7th World Hijab celebration; a celebration which takes place in over 140 countries worldwide, bringing communities together sharing and experiencing the Hijab.

4. Decorated snail shell in a cave in Iraq could be evidence of Paleolithic bling

   A tiny artefact with complex incisions tells us about prehistoric ornamentation, writes Professor Chris Hunt

5. 5 reasons to love maggots

   Whether they are working away in the farmer’s field or being used as evidence in court, maggots are helping us in our day-to-day lives in surprising ways. Isn’t it time you gave these misunderstood creatures the credit they deserve?

6. How a career in maths can take you to some unexpected places

   Why maths is more than just numbers...

7. Chimpanzee ‘nests’ shed light on the origins of humanity

   Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, and observing them in the wild helps us reconstruct how our ancestors adapted to a changing environment millions of years ago, write Drs Alexander Piel and Fiona Stewart

8. Prehistoric people started to spread domesticated bananas across the world 6,000 years ago

   One of the most widely grown, traded and eaten of all the crops, bananas were once a prized exotic novelty, but are now a staple in many country’s supermarkets – Prof Chris Hunt and Dr Rathnasiri Premathilake investigate

9. Safari tourism may make elephants more aggressive – but it’s still the best tool for conservation

   Going on safari in Africa offers tourists the opportunity to see some of the most spectacular wildlife on Earth – including African elephants, but as it becomes more popular worldwide, it’s worth remembering that we often don’t know how tourism affects the animals we observe.

10. Nepal’s menstrual huts: what can be done about this practice of confining women to cow sheds?

    Despite being illegal, chhaupadi, the practice of exiling menstruating women and girls from their home – often to a cow shed – is still practised in some areas of Western Nepal. Chhaupadi is an extreme example of the stigmas and restrictions around menstruation that exist not only in Nepal, but also globally.