Here are the latest Lifestyle stories from the BBC.
What does a scientist think of “right brain/left brain” tests?
How solid is the science behind those quizzes which can supposedly tell you if your brain is more emotional or logical?
Is the Pacific too warm for Galapagos sea lions?
Could warmer waters mean the death of baby sea lions?
China’s high-speed sexual revolution
China’s high-speed sexual revolution
Weekend Edition: The week’s best reads
Features to enjoy, including your comments.
Kids curate national museum exhibition
Children as young as six are the curators of a new exhibition at Warsaw’s National Museum.
Why does the internet give a damn about Daniel?
“Damn Daniel” started as an inside joke between two Californian teenagers but now it’s taken the web by storm.
Go Figure: The week in numbers
The week’s big numbers visualised.
10 things we didn’t know last week
Bird will revive an unconscious companion, plus other news nuggets.
R.I.P. Friends Reunited
School reunion website Friends Reunited has been shut down. Or should that be permanently excluded?
Panic buttons for Istanbul buses
Pressing the button sends live on-board footage to a control centre.
Quiz of the week’s news
The Magazine’s weekly quiz of the news, 7 days 7 questions.
The Christians who flee Pakistan and get locked up in Thailand
A BBC investigation has found that Thailand routinely arrests and detains asylum seekers – and that the UN fails to protect them.
Adele: The full story
Adele has gone from being a teenage girl singing to her mates, to the biggest-selling recording artist of the 21st Century.
Punchy politics on social media as Iranians go to polls
Queen Elizabeth gets a nationalist fist in the face and a former president poses in shades – the social media battle over Iran’s elections.
Does a shocking video mark a turning point on animal abuse in Iran?
After a video was released showing horrific abuse of an dog, a public outcry points to a potential change on animal rights in Iran
Singapore pupils to clean schools daily
All schools in Singapore will set aside time for pupils to clean up common areas.
China urges ‘space-saving’ burials
New government guidelines encourage Chinese to choose environmentally friendly funerals.
Afghan boy bags real Messi shirt – finally
The Afghan boy who became an online hit after wearing a homemade Lionel Messi shirt receives the real thing – from the Argentine footballer himself.
Inside the topless sisterhood
Bee Rowlatt recalls her days as a sequin-and-feather-clad showgirl – and wonders whether she might just have been wrong to condemn topless dancing.
The man who taught Prince Philip to think
The Duke of Edinburgh is celebrating the 30th anniversary of an institute based on the ideas of his educational mentor.
Undercover with the Asian marriage investigators
A growing number of British Asian families are hiring detectives to check on potential spouses. But does “honeytrapping” cross the line?
China shares its loneliness
Thousands of people in China have responded to a call to post their loneliest photo online.
How an eight-year-old boy invented a new word
A student’s inventive language looks likely to make it into the Italian dictionary thanks to a teacher’s Facebook post.
Why are Iranians lip synching to political speeches?
As Iranians prepare to vote in key elections, supporters of reformist candidates have found a novel way to get their message across.
Sales curbs over teen hand gel drinking
Swedish police ask pharmacies to restrict access to hand sanitisers because teenagers have been using them to get drunk.
Russian troops ‘lose’ field gun in city
The large artillery piece came loose while being towed from holiday celebrations.
Australian ‘blackface’ makeup tutorial goes viral
A satirical video showing “whitefellas” how to “do blackface properly” goes viral following a series of blackface incidents in Australia.
How do the police deal with animals loose on roads?
Police have deliberately run over a dog running loose on a road, saying they had “no alternative”.
Does Paisley deserve to be City of Culture?
Paisley hopes to kick-start regeneration through culture. Would it work?
What books were taken to the Antarctic 100 years ago?
The titles of dozens of books taken by polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton on his ship Endurance have been identified – thanks to photo digitisation.
The ‘Vimto Caliphate’ – Islamic State group mocked over fake blood claims
IS extremists in Yemen are mocked online over a claim they used a soft drink as fake blood in propaganda videos of made up military victories.
S Korea faces school uniform shortage
Shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex leaves South Korea short of uniforms for the new school year.
Fighting Zika using reggae dancehall
Will one of Jamaica’s most popular music forms help to keep Zika at bay?
Calls for first names on Iceland kits
Scholars in Iceland want first names to be printed on footballers’ kits.
Why does China have women-only mosques?
The Islamic world is wide and various, and the women-only mosques common parts of China provide a good illustration of this, says Michael Wood.
How it helps, in France, to have a bit of ‘piston’
There’s a French word “pistonner”, which basically means to give someone a leg-up. Hugh Schofield enjoys the moment when someone put a word in for him.
Spanish star stops show to come to fan’s aid
Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz halts Mexican concert to stop a man who was allegedly assaulting a woman in the audience.
How target once meant shield
The jargon word for an objective or an adversary that once meant “shield”.
How will 27 marathons affect Eddie Izzard?
Comedian Eddie Izzard is running 27 marathons on 27 consecutive days to raise money for Sport Relief.
The people who want the UK’s gun laws relaxed
There are more than 700,000 firearm owners live in England and Wales. Who are they, and why do some want laws relaxed?
Entitled Millennial or starving ex-employee?
A young woman who was fired after publishing a scathing letter to the CEO of her company has become the subject of both praise and blistering criticism.
Saudi weight loss contest offers prizes
Prizes offered to dieters in one of the world’s fattest nations.
‘Garlands of shame’ for public peeing
Indian police swoop with flower garlands to embarrass people caught relieving themselves in public.
The truth about the torso
After a torso was found in 1887, an African American woman named Hannah Mary Tabbs became the prime suspect. A new book examines her extraordinary life of crime.
The Scottish boat that helps feed Malawi
The MV Ilala, built on the Clyde in 1949, provides a vital lifeline for hundreds of lakeside towns in the poorest country in the world.
Five issues that will shape the Northern Powerhouse
Decisions are being made about transport to create what Chancellor George Osborne calls the Northern Powerhouse. But what will it mean in reality?
The man who made ‘the worst video game in history’
The video game of ET has been blamed for destroying the tech company, Atari. Here the programmer, Howard Scott Warshaw, gives his personal account of the fiasco.
The castle where a Central European bloc was born
Now that the Visegrad group is finally pulling its weight, might it also pull Europe apart, asks Nick Thorpe.
How IS has been making enemies in Afghanistan
BBC Afghan Service reporter Sayed Abdullah Nizami explains how so-called Islamic State started well in Afghanistan – but then made lots of mistakes.
What does vanilla yogurt have to do with the secret of happiness?
Adam Gopnik on why scientists believe the key to happiness may hinge on what flavour yogurt you like.
Why is Facebook shutting down legal marijuana pages in the US?
A number of legal marijuana businesses have reportedly had their Facebook pages shut down.
Germany Syrians now waiting for their families
Many Syrians who made it to Germany hoped that their families would be able to follow afterwards – but they are having to wait months or years before a reunion can take place.
One 24-year-old’s search for love on a phone
In the era of the dating app, it’s not just that there are plenty more fish in the sea – now you’re armed with an industrial-sized fishing net that fits in your handbag.
The story behind Hollywood’s first nude star
It’s 100 years since the first mainstream Hollywood film featuring nudity was released. It was just one event in the life of a pioneering actress.
North Korea unveils new slogans
Workers’ Party calls for more greenhouse vegetables and the renovation of dead leaders’ tombs.
10 things we didn’t know last week
Dozens of Shakespeare jokes don’t work any more because of pronunciation changes, and more nuggets from the news.
Weekend Edition: The week’s best reads
Features to enjoy, including your comments.
Bus fan takes exit buttons on tour
Exhibition allows people to push bus bells to their hearts’ content.
Iceland asks tourists to swot up online
New campaign offers pre-arrival courses for “responsible tourists”.
Search for hospital child’s parking fine angel
A mum has begun a search on Facebook to find the Good Samaritan who paid her parking fine when she was visiting her sick son in hospital
Quiz of the week’s news
The Magazine’s weekly quiz of the news, 7 days 7 questions.
The girl who said ‘no’ to marriage
Balkissa Chaibou dreamed of becoming a doctor, but when she was 12 she was shocked to learn she had been promised as a bride to her cousin.
Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
The German city of Hamburg has banned coffee pods from state-run buildings as part of an environmental drive to reduce waste. Should others follow suit?
Debunking the viral video of ‘sedition’ that has captivated India
Viral footage of Kanhaiya Kumar shouting ‘freedom’ appears to have been doctored and widely misinterpreted.
‘Unauthorised trousers’ kill zoo otter
Canadian zoo staff disciplined after animal drowns inside pair of trousers.
The women saying no, ‘afropuff’ hair is not unruly
What started off as a school row over ‘unkempt hair’ sparked a movement to #supportthepuff
Why shouldn’t a sledge go at 150mph?
The world speed record for a gravity-powered snow sledge is currently 83mph (134km/h) but three Norwegian friends are hoping to smash it.
Living and loving on Ukraine’s front line
Fergal Keane revisits a Ukrainian couple who have no plans to leave their home, a few hundred metres from the line between government-held and rebel-held territory.
10 ways the UK’s eating habits have changed
Figures charting the UK’s changing food-buying patterns have been released. What do they tell us about the nation?
Warning over North Korean restaurants
Diners may be inadvertently funding Pyongyang’s weapons programmes.
Mayor who blamed victim’s ‘vulgar’ behaviour for her death resigns
Raymond Tim Kee’s comments about a murdered woman have triggered a backlash online.
Auschwitz app corrects ‘memory errors’
Computer program highlights references to “Polish death camps” and suggests corrections.
Museum offers reward to decode coins
Inscriptions on the gold coins are puzzling archaeologists in China.
The satirical website that ‘has a minority for every occasion’
A website making fun of the use of ‘token minorities’ in the tech and media worlds is proving a hit with social media users.
How accurate is bite mark evidence?
The Texas Forensic Science Commission has recommended that courts place a moratorium on the use of bite mark evidence in criminal cases, the most serious challenge the technique has ever faced.
Will there be more fish or plastic in the sea in 2050?
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation recently claimed the oceans would contain more plastic than fish by weight in 2050. Does this hold water?
VIDEO: How Filipino People Power toppled Marcos
In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines following the People Power Revolution.
VIDEO: Why Americans love their guns
BBC News meets three US gun enthusiasts and tries to get beneath the surface of America’s obsession with arms.
The rise of the ‘afternoon delight’ hotel booking
A French website that enables customers to book a hotel room for use during the day only is growing fast and spreading round the world.
The man who frees people chained for being ill
For almost 30 years, Gregoire Ahongbonon, a former mechanic from Benin, has been on a mission to prevent mentally ill people being kept in chains.
The disease that stopped the UK in its tracks
Fifteen years ago foot-and-mouth disease led to the culling of millions of animals. Could it happen again?
China shuts messy ‘wall of kindness’
Chinese clothes collection point closes after being inundated with unusable garments.
Starbucks sexism row in Saudi – what’s actually been brewing?
French activists react angrily after women are banned from a Starbucks store in Saudi Arabia.
Sky-high trapeze act’s world record bid
Anna Cochrane performed for five minutes while suspended from a hot air balloon.
The world’s best bakers – and they aren’t French
The winners of the world’s premier baking competition come from a country traditionally associated more with rice than bread.
Why Trump and Sanders aren’t as revolutionary as they appear
Support for the US firebrands reflects age-old concerns, not new anxieties, says Adam Gopnik.
North Korea’s ‘biggest’ export – giant statues
North Korea doesn’t have much the world wants to buy, but one very successful export has been its art.
What happens to the UK’s least-used phone boxes?
There are around 47,000 phone boxes on Britain’s streets, according to BT, who run almost all of them. Soon, there’ll be one less.
‘I was convinced my baby would die the next day’
Post-partum psychosis affects one in 500 mothers. Should more be done to help them?
When grotesque wasn’t an insult
Grotesque wasn’t always an insult
Indian study puts value on vultures
Conservationists want more spent on vulture breeding programmes.
Police tweet about ‘stealing’ a kiss sparks consent debate
A tweet by the Spanish National Police Corps on Valentine’s Day angers Spaniards.
A 13-year-old fights internet bullying the smart way
Luke Culhane and his father made a video to highlight cyber-bullying.
The graphs that show the search for love has changed
From meeting in church – to swiping on your screen – why the route to finding love has turned a corner.
Cycling doctor declares world better than expected
A doctor has spent six years cycling around the world – and found a much more hospitable planet than he had ever imagined.
Why are some Sikh women now wearing the turban?
The turban is worn by millions of Sikhs – traditionally, mostly male ones. Now many Sikh women are donning it, too. Why?
The first ‘friendly fire’ victim of World War One
Was Arthur Rawson – killed by friendly fire five days after WW1 broke out – the first British casualty of the war?
The secret letters of Pope John Paul II
Letters seen by the BBC to Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, a married woman, shed new light on Pope John Paul II’s emotional life.
Why is the UK still printing its laws on vellum?
After a U-turn, the UK government is to continue printing and storing its laws on vellum. Shouldn’t it go digital?
Weekend Edition: The week’s best reads
Features to enjoy, including your comments.
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