By now, you’re probably aware that the gut microbiome is really important when it comes to health. It’s been linked to everything from immune function and good digestion to inflammatory diseases, certain types of cancer and even our mental health. Increasingly, research also suggests it plays a really important role in the health of our heart.

But how can a community of microbes living in our gut influence the health of one of our most important organs? Fiona Newberry, who researches the association between the microbiome and cardiovascular disease at the University of Leicester, breaks it all down for us in her latest article – and explains how the “gut-heart axis” may be key to understanding why diet and heart disease are so closely intertwined.

For the first time ever, Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur’s harrowing 1989 novella Women Without Men is available in translation in the UK. We explore the novella’s enduring legacy, and trace the important role it has played in feminist movements worldwide.

And finally, we look at what city design can tell us about why women’s toilet queues are always so long.