When the International Space Station finally reaches the end of its life, it will leave quite a vacuum. Will Garbett

What grows in Earth’s harshest environments? Emily Broadwell spent two months in Antarctica to sample the algal blooms that paint the glaciers.

Romantic love is one of humankind’s most powerful feelings. What does it do to us? And where does it come from? Adam Bode

In the quest for new chemical elements, scientists have pushed physics to its breaking point. Their efforts may take us beyond the bounds of the periodic table. Vanessa Seifert

Soulless business centre or aspirational architecture? Sam L. Barker argues that this divisive development holds the key to Europe’s future.

Once as valuable as solid gold, bird poo defined the fortunes of empires – and ecosystems. What came after the guano rush? Dabeoc Stanley

What lurks in the wilds of Scotland? Some say that exotic felines are alive and well - one writer went to find out. Alex Rome Griffin

The infant internet was the playground for new ideas of free speech and free information. It wasn’t to last. Amy Louise Smith

In the desert, orphaned buildings linger beneath big skies. What happened to these towns? And what can they tell us about Texas today? Meredith Guthrie

Now a mainstay of digital communication, emojis are everywhere. What can these little symbols tell us about our evolving language, and our psychology? Florence Hazrat

Emily Brontë’s lost second novel is one of literature’s greatest mysteries. What do we do with missing texts, and how can we read the unwritten? Brontë Crawford