After more than a century, Labour has lost Wales
After all the predictions, projections and polling permutations, Welsh Labour’s defeat has been confirmed. In 1985, Welsh historian Gwyn Alf Williams described Labour majorities standing “like Aneurin Bevan’s memorial stones”. Forty years on, the stones have finally been eroded. On the worst day for the party in its history in Wales, even its leader, Eluned […]
Antarctic sea ice defied global warming for decades – now, hidden ocean heat is breaking through
For decades, Antarctica seemed to defy global warming. Since satellites began monitoring the poles in the late 1970s, the seasonal growth and retreat of Antarctic sea ice – frozen seawater that expands around the continent each winter – appeared remarkably resilient. It was often described as the “heartbeat of the planet”. Unlike the Arctic, where […]
How Venezuela has – and hasn’t – changed since Maduro’s capture
Four months have passed since US forces captured Venezuela’s sitting president, Nicolás Maduro, and ousted him from power. Maduro’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, quickly moved into the top job and has, under US tutelage, begun a process of reversing her country’s experiment with socialism. Venezuela’s pivot towards socialism began under the leadership of Hugo Chávez. After […]
How the evolution of blockchain is changing our ideas about trust
Sutthiphong Chandaeng/Shutterstock In the shadow of the 2008 global financial crisis, trust in the financial system was at a historic low. Banks had failed, markets had collapsed, and confidence in central institutions had been deeply shaken. It was in this moment of uncertainty that an anonymous figure, Satoshi Nakamoto, published the Bitcoin white paper – […]
Pet loss is difficult for people – what about for other pets?
PBXStudio/Shutterstock I recently lost one of my cocker spaniels, Bobbi. She was fit, healthy and active, but had a catastrophic diagnosis of oral melanoma two months before I had to make the decision that anyone with deeply loved pets dreads. It is easy to presume that only humans have a true concept of death and […]
When your workplace doesn’t match your ethical outlook – the problem of ‘moral injury’
KieferPix/Shutterstock When earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023, more than 50,000 people were killed and thousands more were injured. One month after the disaster, a bank employee named Efe Demir died by suicide in İstanbul. Before his death, he had sent an email to colleagues questioning the actions and motivations of his employer, […]
A bird flu vaccine for humans is being trialled – here’s how it works
SvetikovaV/ Shutterstock The first ever avian influenza vaccine recently started trials in the UK. This marks a milestone in the prevention of bird flu infections in humans. The vaccine targets the H5N1 flu strain, which causes severe infections in bird populations worldwide. However, this strain of bird flu virus is also able to spread to […]
Why do heights make your feet feel strange?
Anton Gvozdikov/Shutterstock.com I wouldn’t say that I’m afraid of heights. I can stand on a cliff path or look out from a tall building without the rush of panic people often associate with vertigo. What I really dislike is something much harder to explain: the peculiar feeling in my feet. It’s a sensation that’s difficult […]
Meet the mosquito terminator – a spider that likes us and eats our enemies
Mosquito terminators are a type of jumping spider. Fiona Cross, CC BY-NC-ND As a child, the mere glimpse of a spider used to send me screaming and running for cover. I was convinced that spiders were my enemies. I thought they were out to get me. These days, I run towards spiders, not away from […]
How super-skinny red carpet trend at Met Gala clashes with own its body-positive Costume Art show
Organised by Vogue, the Met Gala this year was based around the theme of “costume art”. An accompanying exhibition of the same name opens at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 10, with a focus on the dressed body. Responses to the Met Gala – the US fashion event of the year – […]