Helen Phillips

Mind-altering media

The electronic age is changing our brains, but are we getting smarter, or dumb and dangerous? Helen Phillips investigates

Outer limits of the brain

The human brain is perhaps the most complex thing in the universe but some brains are truly extraordinary. What are we capable of and what sets these brains apart?

Just can't get enough

Can gambling, shopping, sex and gaming really be as addictive as the hardest drugs? Helen Phillips investigates

Investigating the alternatives

Fewer than half of doctoral graduates head for a career in academic research. But the range of valuable skills learned is increasingly being put to good use elsewhere, with a growth in opportunities in industry and business.

Your brain on migraine

Migraines cause profound changes to the way people experience the world every day. Helen Phillips reports

Beetle-cam for night vision

Drivers will be able see in colour in the dark thanks to a camera inspired by a dung beetle

Weighing up the options

Racy images reveal happens inside our brains when we have to make choices between very different alternatives

Use your head, follow your heart

Nancy Rothwell, head of research at the UKs biggest university, reckons there are a few misconceptions about what it takes to get to the top in science. Helen Phillips meets her