Linda Geddes

Linda Geddes tests 28 camping mattresses and sleeping mats for comfort, durability, packability, inflation and insulation across scenarios including family camping, backpacking, winter expeditions, festivals and couples’ trips. The Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft is selected as the best overall model, while Decathlon’s Simond MT500 XL is the budget pick, Big Agnes’s Rapide SL the best double, Vango’s Shangri-La Lux 16 Grande the best self-inflating luxury mattress, and Alpkit’s Radiant the best expedition mat. The guide also explains R values, mattress types, maintenance, repair and responsible disposal or donation.

The Simond MT500 XL trekking mattress from Decathlon offers strong comfort, low weight and compact packability at a notably low price, performing well in tests for durability, insulation and ease of use. Its lengthways air chambers and silicone patches enhance comfort and stability, though it lacks an inflation sack and bends slightly when fully inflated. With an R value suited to warm-weather camping, it is ideal for festivals and summer trips, providing reliable performance that compares favorably with more expensive pads. Its longevity and practicality strengthen its overall value, making it a standout budget option despite alternatives offering greater luxury.

Linda Geddes tests 18 cool boxes and bags for ice retention, temperature consistency, portability and durability. The Coleman Pro is named the best overall, while the Campingaz Icetime Plus, Quechua Backpack Cooler 100, Yeti Roadie 48, Coleman Snap ‘N Go 45QT and Anker Solix EverFrost 2 are recommended for different budgets and uses. The testing finds that passive coolers can retain ice for several days, while electric models offer more consistent cooling but require power and are generally heavier and more expensive. The guide also explains how to pack and chill coolers safely, compares passive and electric designs, and outlines disposal and recycling options.

Elite athletes are competing successfully into their 40s more often, although ageing-related declines in speed, flexibility, oxygen consumption and recovery remain inevitable. Longer careers reflect the cumulative effects of sports science, improved training and recovery, better equipment and facilities, injury rehabilitation, nutrition, sleep, tactical experience and financial incentives, alongside exceptional genetics, resources and luck. Athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Serena Williams have adapted their styles and events to offset physical decline. For older recreational athletes, experts recommend prioritising sleep, nutrition, progressive training and adequate rest rather than pursuing marginal gains, while recognising that exercise can reverse some effects of inactivity even though it cannot stop ageing.

The University of the Arts London has opened the UK’s first Nerve Lab, combining wearable brain imaging, motion capture and AI analytics to study how people respond to media, art and learning. Its Animating Minds project is analysing about 1,000 animated television episodes and recruiting families with children aged three to six to examine how pacing, colour, sound, editing and narrative structure affect short-term attention. Researchers hope the findings will support more nuanced children’s media classifications and help creators, commissioners and regulators assess whether content produces its intended effects. A separate Mathstronauts project uses fNIRS brain scanning, behavioural data and adaptive maths games to distinguish conceptual misunderstanding from impulsive errors and provide personalised support. Experts broadly welcome the potential of large-scale, precise measurement but caution that brain imaging must demonstrate benefits beyond teachers’ observations and conventional assessments, and should support rather than replace educators.

Deaths are already outnumbering births in most EU countries, and the UK is projected to enter this pattern from 2026 as fertility declines and the postwar baby-boom generation ages. Although migration is expected to sustain UK population growth temporarily, ageing populations will increase pressure on pensions, healthcare, social care and labour markets while reducing demand for child-focused services such as schools and childcare. The trend is spreading to middle- and lower-income countries and cannot easily be reversed because of population momentum. Experts argue that governments should redesign work, retirement, housing, transport and care systems for longer lives, support people who want children through childcare and parental leave, and treat migration as a partial rather than permanent solution.

Researchers at the University of Bristol are using brain-activity headsets, heart-rate monitors and infrared cameras to measure when cinema audiences become most immersed in a film. Viewers watched alternative cuts of Rob Hifle’s science-fiction short Reno, with the data intended to identify effective story beats and inform the final edit. Supporters say the technology could give filmmakers precise, moment-by-moment feedback and encourage greater creative risk-taking, while Amanda Lotz cautions that audience preferences are fragmented and that data-driven optimisation could undermine original storytelling. The approach may eventually extend to live music, advertising and education.

Scientists and sleep and chronobiology organizations have urged the US Federal Communications Commission to conduct a full environmental review of plans by Reflect Orbital to beam reflected sunlight onto Earth and by SpaceX to deploy up to one million satellites for orbital AI computing. They warn that increased artificial night-sky brightness could disrupt human and animal circadian rhythms, migration, plant cycles and marine food webs, while reflective beams could create glare and public-safety hazards. Modelling indicates satellite-related sky brightness is already measurable and may rise substantially by 2035, prompting calls for limits on satellite reflectivity and cumulative night-sky brightness.

Britain’s sauna sector is expanding rapidly, with hundreds of new community and commercial saunas appearing nationwide. Research indicates that regular sauna use may improve cardiovascular health, blood pressure and overall wellbeing, while newer findings suggest that shared rituals and a sense of belonging may be central to its mental-health benefits. Evidence for post-sauna cold plunges is weaker, and combining heat and cold can increase the risk of dehydration, dizziness and fainting. Experts recommend moderation, hydration, careful movement and medical advice for people with cardiovascular conditions.

A psychiatric unit in Trondheim, Norway, is testing evening lighting that removes blue wavelengths to support patients’ circadian rhythms. In a study of 476 people receiving short-term intensive psychiatric care for conditions including psychosis, mania, severe depression and suicidal thoughts, the blue-depleted ward produced similar lengths of stay but greater clinical improvement and less aggressive behaviour than standard hospital lighting. Researchers and outside experts say the approach is promising because it is built into the environment rather than requiring patients to use light boxes or glasses, though larger clinical studies are needed. Further trials are examining whether circadian lighting could improve sleep and reduce behavioural disturbances among people with dementia, while wearable devices may eventually help personalise treatment timing.

The podcast examines why increasing numbers of women are turning to testosterone after online influencers attribute common midlife symptoms to low testosterone. Madeleine Finlay explores testosterone supplementation for women, including Linda Geddes’s use of it for low libido, and interviews endocrinologist Susan Davis about what research shows regarding its potential benefits and risks. Doctors also warn that women can obtain testosterone too easily.

Vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking because it avoids the toxic combustion products in cigarette smoke, but it is not harmless and can create strong physical and behavioural dependence. Evidence on quitting vaping remains limited, with early support for text-message programmes and varenicline, while acceptance and commitment therapy is being tested. Experts recommend identifying triggers, setting limits, reducing nicotine gradually, using professional support and avoiding any quit attempt that could lead back to smoking. Young people require a different approach because vaping is often their first nicotine exposure, their brains and lungs are still developing, and some may progress to smoking.

A longitudinal study of 293 UK parents found that rising burnout during the Christmas period makes parents more likely to suppress their genuine emotions or pretend to feel happy. Researchers warn that masking exhaustion may increase parents’ stress and limit children’s opportunities to learn that difficult emotions are normal and manageable. Experts attribute festive burnout to increased planning, financial pressure, social expectations and unrealistic ideals of a perfect Christmas, with mothers carrying more of the cognitive load despite no significant gender difference in overall burnout. Recommended responses include doing fewer traditions, acknowledging stress calmly, taking recovery breaks, sharing the emotional and mental load, and lowering self-imposed standards.

Scientists and companies are exploring fungi as sustainable alternatives for materials, chemicals and electronic systems. Mycelium can be grown from agricultural waste into packaging, insulation and foams, while fungal enzymes may break down some plastics and contaminated materials. Hiro is testing a fungus-assisted diaper designed to decompose in landfill within a year, although researchers caution that common polyethylene and polypropylene remain difficult to degrade at industrial scale. Michroma and Mycolever are using fungal fermentation to produce natural food colourings and personal-care emulsifiers, while Metanovation is developing biodegradable firefighting foam to replace PFAS-containing synthetic products. Researchers are also investigating mycelium-based sensors, soft robotics and unconventional computing, but the article stresses that fungi are promising tools rather than universal replacements for conventional technologies.

Nicotine pouch sales in the UK are rising rapidly, while colourful packaging, sweet flavours and discreet use are raising concerns about appeal to teenagers and never-smokers. Research reports nicotine rushes, sickness and fainting among some adolescents, and products can contain far more nicotine than gum, including high proportions of fast-absorbing freebase nicotine. Experts also warn about addiction, gum and stomach problems, cardiovascular effects and uncertain impacts on developing brains, while laboratory studies suggest flavourings may contribute to toxic and inflammatory effects. Pouches are generally considered substantially less harmful than cigarettes because they contain fewer toxic chemicals and involve no combustion, but robust evidence that they help smokers quit is lacking. The UK government plans to ban sales to under-18s, cap nicotine levels and restrict flavours, with researchers advocating regulation that preserves potential benefits for adult smokers without making the products attractive to a new generation.

Seasonal affective disorder is increasingly understood as a physiological response to changes in daylight, rather than simply a psychological reaction to winter. Research using large cohorts such as the UK Biobank has linked seasonal changes to circadian rhythms, sleep, gene expression and mood, with people who have bipolar disorder potentially being especially sensitive to seasonal cues. Bright light therapy remains the leading treatment, while morning sunlight, regular sleep habits, outdoor activity and seasonal affective disorder-focused cognitive behavioural therapy may also help. Persistent or disruptive symptoms should be discussed with a GP or mental health professional.

Walking football has grown from a gentle exercise initiative launched in Chesterfield in 2011 into a major international sport, with more than 100,000 regular players across the UK. England’s men’s teams, including the newly added over-70s squad, are competing in the World Nations Cup in Spain alongside women’s over-40s, over-50s and over-60s divisions. Research involving 672 players found generally low injury rates, with most injuries minor, while participants reported better fitness, sleep, confidence and social connection and much lower loneliness than the national average. The sport is also being adapted for people with dementia, Parkinson’s and other health conditions, while related walking sports such as netball, rugby and tennis are expanding.

Gel manicures are not risk-free: Hema and other acrylates can cause painful allergic reactions that may cross-react with chemicals used in dental, medical and cosmetic products, while TPO, a photoinitiator, has raised reproductive-toxicity concerns and is being banned by the EU, with the UK expected to follow. Salon workers may face higher cumulative exposure, and inaccurate ingredient labeling—especially in imported and DIY products—complicates enforcement. Regular treatments can also weaken nails, trap moisture and contribute to fungal or bacterial infections, while UV lamps pose a potential skin-cancer risk. Safer practices include choosing trained, well-ventilated salons, ensuring proper curing, using soak-off gels and LED lamps, protecting hands from UV, avoiding cuticle cutting and taking breaks between treatments; redness, itching, swelling or pain should prompt removal and medical advice.

Microplastics have been detected in blood, lungs, placentas, brains, arterial plaques and other tissues, while emerging studies suggest they may alter gut microbes and affect brain function. Research involving mice and human tissue has raised concerns about links to neurological disease, cardiovascular events and other health problems, but experts stress that the evidence remains preliminary, methods are inconsistent and no safe exposure threshold is known. A consumer Plastictox blood test illustrates both the scale of possible exposure and the uncertainty surrounding such measurements. Researchers recommend reducing exposure by avoiding heat and food contact with plastic, choosing glass, stainless steel or wood, limiting synthetic fibres and traffic-related pollution, and checking cosmetics and menstrual products for hidden plastics.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that ant yoghurt fermentation involves cooperation between ants and microbes: formic acid lowers the milk’s pH, allowing acid-tolerant microbes to grow, while enzymes break down milk proteins. Inspired by Bulgarian and Turkish traditions, Linda Geddes makes a small batch using crushed red wood ants and finds it gelatinous, creamy and mildly bitter. The practice carries risks, including parasites and the decline of red wood ant populations, but ant-derived microbes could help develop plant-based yoghurts and novel flavours. Traditional plant starters such as nettles, pinecones and flowers may offer safer alternatives.