The numbers we need to describe the world around us are getting bigger. Maths author Rob Eastaway explains the names for successive sizes of computer storage space and makes the case for a new giant unit of measurement: the Brontobyte. We review recent developments in social media, such as the rise of 4Chan, and look ahead to the changes we can expect to see online in 2018. And why are we creatures of habit? Doing everyday tasks without thinking frees our brains for more complicated decision making, but what happens when we form habits beyond our control, and how do we form good habits rather than bad ones? Shiulie Ghosh investigates. (Photo: Journalist working on his computer, August 1980, at the Agence France-Presse. Credit: Getty Images)