Dear Lifehacker, I am desperately in need of some relationship advice. I am infatuated with a young lady who works at a fast food outlet I frequent. I am forty-one and have never had any kind of a relationship or even been on a date. I had viral encephalitis at 14 which pretty much destroyed my self esteem, but I've decided to stop procrastinating and get on with my life. I really want to ask her out, but it's an extremely difficult situation because she is behind the counter or around other staff 99% of the time! What do you think I should do?

Dear Lifehacker, We know using cheap, third-party cables to charge a smartphone is bad, but what about the little bricks that plug into the wall or nubs that plug into a car lighter? Are these safe to use or will they turn my iPhone into a ticking time bomb?

Wholemeal, wholegrain, multigrain, sourdough, rye, white, high fibre white, low GI, low FODMAP, gluten free. With so many choices of bread available, how are we to know which is best for our health? Let's take a look at the science.

Dear Lifehacker, I've recently relocated to London for a year or two and am looking to start work. Most of my applications have been via recruiters who have responded with a range of roles. I'm interviewing for a couple of jobs this week but one is about 90 minutes away in another city and the other sounds like good work but the organisation might not be the right cultural fit for me.

Hi, My name is James and I live in Melbourne and I’m 10 years old. Why do our ears pop when we reach a certain altitude?

Dear Lifehacker, Lately it seems like my high speed connection is bogged down, and I'm getting a creepy feeling that someone's stealing my bandwidth on my Wi-Fi network.

How can I find out if other people are leeching my Wi-Fi, and how do I stop them if they are?

Dear Lifehacker, I've heard cow's milk is actually bad for you, or at least not beneficial when compared to the many alternative options. But if I shouldn't drink milk, what's the best alternative? Are any of them good? I've heard good and bad things about most, so how do I decide?

Dear Lifehacker, I've never been very flexible. I can't touch my toes and most yoga poses are a struggle. What are the least stretches needed, and most effective, to improve flexibility throughout my whole body?

Dear Lifehacker, In the past, I've assumed most doctors are charlatans, and only visited them in matter of dire emergency (needing a sick note for work, week-long flu, etc.). I am now reaching a point in my life where my body and mind are getting older and I am reconsidering past decisions.

Last month, The BMJ published a case report about a 34-year-old man admitted to an emergency room in Cooperstown, NY with thunderclap headaches, a particularly painful kind that can be a sign of cerebral haemorrhaging. His symptoms included dry heaving and intense head and neck pain. The man traced his anguish to a chilli eating contest a few days prior where he consumed a single Carolina Reaper, the Guinness World Record holder for the world's hottest chilli.

Dear Lifehacker, My friend keeps telling me to stop drinking fruit juice because "it's basically just sugar". She also claims it's just as bad as Coca-Cola. I've done some online research but can't find a definitive answer on this. Surely juice is healthier than sugary soft drinks? Or do I really need to quit? (I mainly drink bottled '100%' apple juice and OJ.)

Liz is a typical 50-something woman, fit, 70 kg, 30% body fat. She goes to the gym every day, and runs for 35 minutes on the treadmill at 10km/h. But, as she tells me rather often, she can’t lose weight. So what’s going on here: is it Liz, or is it the universe conspiring against her?

Dear Lifehacker, I was wondering how much I could get for an Atari 2600 in good condition? It comes with everything needed to get up and running (cables, joysticks, etc.), plus 23 games. I've had a look online, but no two prices are the same. I subsequently have no idea what to ask for!

Dear Lifehacker, I read somewhere that a creative workspace can lead to higher productivity and wanted to know if it's true? I work in a boring office job (it pays the bills) but I'm a creative type at heart. My question is, how can I add creativity to my corner of a boring workplace to inspire myself (preferably without getting in trouble)?

Hey Lifehacker! I've been munching on Twix bars since I was able to walk and I recently noticed a distinct change in the way they taste, like the chocolate didn't taste the same? I swear something changed. What happened? I haven't seen any information about this anywhere.

Dear Lifehacker, I recently took a short domestic flight across the country and when I landed at my destination I waited about 40 minutes for my bag to come through the claim area. When I finally got it, I took it home before I noticed a huge crack near the wheel that I hadn't seen before. What a joke. Will I be able to get reimbursed in some way?

Dear Lifehacker, I have a question that has been an issue for the last 3 years. So, I'll be honest, my boyfriend and I watch porn each separately on our phones. We each have gone through each others' phone activity through Google, and when he looks at mine, there are items in there that I never Googled, like live cams chat room stuff. I have never in my life entered this into my Google search but I have a suspicion that they are pop ups from the porn sites. I want to know how and why they come up as my searches. And there are other things that show up that I supposedly googled but I know for a fact I didn't. Can you help me, please?

Dear Lifehacker, I have a question about the rights of bottle shop assistants to check IDs. I was at a bottle store a few days ago with a friend buying two bottles of beer. The checkout assistant asked for my ID which was fine and even a bit flattering (I'm almost 30). But then she asked my friend for her ID too.

Dear Lifehacker, I recently read your article on home bar essentials and it got me in the mood to dust off my cocktail making kit. However, I'm looking to dabble beyond the usual mixers and garnishes. Specifically, I want to give egg whites a try. Where should a beginner start?