The big idea: are we really so polarised?

In many democracies the political chasm seems wider than ever. But emotion, not policies, may be what actually divides us

Yes, DeepMind crunches the numbers – but is it really a magic bullet?

The machine learning outfit’s foray into pharmaceuticals could be very useful, but its grand claims should be taken with a pinch of salt

Chakras, crystals and conspiracy theories: how the wellness industry turned its back on Covid science

Its gurus increasingly promote vaccine scepticism, conspiracy theories and the myth that ill people have themselves to blame. How did self-care turn so nasty?

AI skin cancer diagnoses risk being less accurate for dark skin – study

Research finds few image databases available to develop technology contain details on ethnicity or skin type

‘Our notion of privacy will be useless’: what happens if technology learns to read our minds?

The promise of neurotechnology to make lives better is growing. But do we need a new set of rights to protect the integrity of our minds?

Space Titans review – Bezos, Musk and Branson battle to blast their loads

This wildly hagiographic documentary about the billionaires fiddling with their massive rockets will have you cringing all the way into suborbital space

‘This is such an important moment’: how stem cell research is transforming medicine

A new documentary shines a light on the breakthroughs that are being made or are close to being made in finding cures to previously incurable diseases

Ending Disease review – a powerful case for the miracle cure

In focusing on the stories of recovery this documentary, following patients participating in stem cell research trials in the US, allows the optimism to outshine the controversy

The Guardian view on spooky science: AI needs regulating before it’s too late

Editorial: If by 2052 a computer could match the human brain then we need better ways to build it

‘Yeah, we’re spooked’: AI starting to have big real-world impact, says expert

Prof Stuart Russell says field of artificial intelligence needs to grow up quickly to ensure humans remain in control

Your cultural Cop26: films, TV shows and podcasts to help you save the planet

From Ted Danson on the oceans to Greta Thunberg on everything else – get armed with the facts and inspired to make a difference

Why people believe Covid conspiracy theories: could folklore hold the answer?

Researchers use AI – and witchcraft folklore – to map the coronavirus conspiracy theories that have sprung up

‘We’re all climate journalists now’: how the weather took over everything

From the business section to the food magazine, Guardian editors are becoming focused on one dominant story

Whistleblowing requires courage, but don’t expect Facebook to change its ways

Frances Haugen’s ‘testimony tour’ of revelations about the tech company makes good copy, but will its executives listen?

Is a ‘negative microwave’ – a device that quickly cools food and drink – possible?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts