The 90s: Art and Fashion at Tate Britain struggles to challenge the enduring myths of Cool Britannia
Walking through Tate Britain’s exhibition The 90s: Art and Fashion, you recognise the images, the clothes and the curated disregard for respectability of those years. But like me, you might struggle to find the spirit of what made the decade matter. Curated by former Vogue editor Edward Enninful, the show brings together many of the […]
The Crucible: Arthur Miller’s morality tale was as much a reaction to his own marital failings as it was to the ‘red scare’
Written at the height of the cold war “red scare”, Arthur Miller’s 1952 play The Crucible was a retelling of the 17th-century Salem witch trials (1692-93) which soon became the classic parable of mass hysteria. Miller’s play has long been described as “a cornerstone of American theatre” and “an allegory of our times”. Adapted into […]
Unlocking the secrets of the ‘Dragon Man’ skull – and what it reveals about human evolution
Mita Stock Images In September 2018, China Daily ran a story that found its way to my desk. It featured the photograph of a beautifully preserved fossil skull with huge brow-ridges, with a caption speculating – wrongly, as it would turn out – that it belonged to a species of human known as Homo heidelbergensis. […]
From aristocracy to ‘assetocracy’ – how wealth has transformed the House of Lords
The State Opening of Parliament 2026. House of Lords / Roger Harris, CC BY-NC-ND On April 29, 2026, the remaining hereditary peers left the House of Lords. These 92 individuals were the last vestiges of an era in which the landed aristocracy dominated the UK’s second chamber. In the recent past, as many as 800 […]
Four ways to help your body adjust to the autumn time change
All for you friend/ Shutterstock An extra hour in bed sounds like a good deal. But while our phones may update to the autumn time change automatically, our body clock isn’t quite so quick. You may even find yourself waking up earlier than normal and ready for bed before your evening has properly begun. The […]
For Andy Burnham, getting closer to the EU could prove as tricky as exiting it – an expert explains
Andy Burnham has reopened a debate that successive UK prime ministers tried to settle. But the history of Brexit suggests that getting closer to the European Union may prove just as difficult as leaving it. For years, prime ministers have attempted to put Brexit behind them. Burnham has just done the opposite. By suggesting that […]
How autumn changes animal sexual behaviour – including that of humans
Red squirrels embrace homosexual behaviour come the autumn. Piotr Krzeslak/Shutterstock In the northern hemisphere, days are getting shorter and temperatures are dropping – autumn has arrived. A common sign that winter is coming is trees losing their leaves. But, did you know that autumn also sparks changes in animals’ sexual behaviour – including ours? For […]
Jackdaw decision could haunt the UK at future climate summits
Though the announcement that the UK government will move ahead with the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea was anticipated, it has generated a wave of criticism from around the world. This will have significant implications for the UK’s international standing on climate change. The UK’s debate over new drilling has focused on job […]
Youth protests across Europe: the overlapping crises facing Gen Z
Students protest in Place de la Bastille, Paris, in October 2026. davidezambon/Shutterstock Young people are facing a future that feels increasingly uncertain. Although every generation experiences turbulence while navigating adolescence, the pressures experienced by Gen Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – are different and seem more pervasive. From climate change and mental […]
Democrats are raising far more money than Republicans in the US midterms campaign – here’s why that matters
For anyone even remotely interested in US politics, the midterm elections are the only game in town at the moment. In fact, there has already been plenty of ink spilled about what a “blue wave” landslide for the Democrats might mean for Trump and Trumpism – and how likely that outcome even is. If polling […]