Another selection of links to recent items you may have missed. This edition is an unusual mix of history and science.

Ben Goldacre, writer of the “Bad Science” column in the Guardian, has a new book out this week. Titled Bad Pharma it looks at the ways in which drug companies and their allies distort the evidence about the effectiveness of drugs and mislead regulators, doctors and patients. Here’s an extract.

Can I go back to bed now? We all suffer from insomnia at least occasionally. This Guardian item looks at the problem of persistent insomnia and current ideas on what to do about it.

It seems taking too many painkillers can give you a headache. Duh, my head hurts!

Humans eat humans. Well who knew? But now there is good evidence for prehistoric cannibalism which wasn’t just ritual.

I think we already knew that wild parrots name their babies, but here’s another look at the original study.

This interesting short item from the New York Times looks at the finding of a scrap of papyrus which appears to refer to Jesus’s wife.

Following up on a recent theme the Guardian (well they do have a good science stream) has a piece on the completion of the archaeological dig which may have found the remains of Richard III.

And finally after something like 60 years the experts have decided that three “fake” JMW Turner paintings are actually the genuine article. New technology has provided new evidence that has altered opinions. And finally it’s vindication for the collectors who bequeathed then the the National Museum of Wales.