The football season began again last week, and I went to watch my team, QPR. I was struck by the novelty of the bright green pitch: it may have been the first blades of green grass I’ve seen in London since June. England and Wales have been bone dry for months, turning lawns and fields yellow or brown.

Why does grass react this way to drought, and will it bounce back when the rain finally arrives? Stuart Thompson, a plant scientist at the University of Westminster, explains what’s happening beneath the surface – and what drier summers may mean for the traditional lawn.

Oh, and QPR? We missed all four (!) of our penalties in a shootout, and were dumped out of the league cup in the first round.

If those four footballers are looking for a good excuse, maybe they could claim that extreme heat was making their brains work less effectively. It’s a real thing, says Bristol neuroscientist Dan Baumgardt, who writes about how to fend off “summer brain fog”.

Keeping kids hydrated in a heatwave can be difficult, especially when they don’t want to stop and drink. Medical education professor Rachel Woods says water-rich foods are a useful trick, and suggests five foods to try.

Finally, Andy Burnham wants to restore “hope” in the UK. Matthew Barnfield of QMUL looks at three meanings of hope in politics, and why Burnham should be aiming to rekindle each one.