Derek Mitchell, University of Leeds - When people think of honey bees, they often think of classic wooden hives, in which beekeepers are having to breed more and more bees just to keep managed populations...

Skills grow when you practice deliberately in the kitchen, and you can develop a reliable foundation by approaching learning as a series of small, repeatable habits. Start with safety and cleanliness: wash hands, sanitize surfaces, and handle knives with care so you avoid injury while focusing on technique. You don't need every gadget to get started; invest in a sharp chef's knife, a cutting board, a heavy skillet, a saucepan, and a reliable oven thermometer. Stock a basic pantry with oil, salt, pepper, flour, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, vinegar, and a handful of dried herbs so you can make many different dishes without last-minute trips to the store. Begin with fundamental...

Christopher Damman, University of Washington - People have been using salt since the dawn of civilization to process, preserve and enhance foods. In ancient Rome, salt was so central to commerce that soldiers were paid their “salarium,” or salaries, in salt, for instance. Salt’s value was in part as a food preservative, keeping unwanted microbes at bay while allowing desired ones to grow. It was this remarkable ability to regulate bacterial growth that likely helped spark the development of fermented foods ranging from sauerkraut to salami, olives to bread, cheese to kimchi. Today, salt has become ubiquitous and highly concentrated in increasingly processed diets. The evidence has mounted that too much...

Derek Mitchell, University of Leeds - When people think of honey bees, they often think of classic wooden hives, in which beekeepers are having to breed more and more bees just to keep managed populations stable. These man-made boxes, designed to facilitate pollination and honey production in an era...

Jacobo García Queiruga, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela and Verónica Noya Padín, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela Nowadays you can buy a cheap pair of sunglasses just about anywhere – from supermarkets and petrol stations to corner shops and online fashion retailers, but such ubiquity may prompt doubts as to...