Autumn wreaths and ‘doorscaping’: why we need more life in our front gardens
Tverdokhlib/Shutterstock There was a time when decorative wreaths appeared on front doors in December, stayed on front doors for a few weeks, and then disappeared. Now red and gold autumn wreaths and Halloween wreaths are popping up everywhere. These seasonal displays are part of a wider social media fashion for “doorscaping”. It is easy to […]
From elite spies to ‘gig-economy’ operatives: the changing face of Russian sabotage
Russia has traded highly trained operatives for cheap technology and expendable recruits. DC Studio / Shutterstock Russian hostile activity costs the UK at least £2 billion annually, according to a recent report by Scottish MP Graeme Downie, who has called on the government to measure what these actions cost Britain. But this figure is just […]
How long until wearable brain-computer interfaces become mainstream?
frantic00/Shutterstock Devices that link human minds to computers are progressing rapidly. Already, these brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are allowing patients with severe paralysis to communicate, use digital devices or control smart homes with their brains. Trials are also exploring whether they could help restore patients’ speech or control robotic machinery. One British patient with a spinal […]
Celebrity Traitors: neuroscientist on whether you can really make someone yawn by faking it
In the BBC reality show The Celebrity Traitors, the Traitors – James Acaster, Maya Jama and King Kenny – were set an unusual challenge: murder a Faithful by making them yawn. Their plan was to bore their target into yawning, then deliver the line “Am I boring you?” to seal the murder. The task plays […]
The new battleground: the UK’s disinformation centre faces threats on multiple fronts
Kafka Ibram/Shutterstock Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently announced the creation of a National Centre for Information Defence that will disrupt disinformation campaigns by states hostile to the UK. The centre will bring together security services, police, tech firms and government departments. But this new centre will have its work cut out. State-backed adversaries are supported […]
How Argentina’s Javier Milei hopes to exploit a dispute over Falklands oil in next year’s election
Argentina is trying to stop a planned oil project near the Falkland Islands. On October 13, the government asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (Itlos), a court in Hamburg that deals with disputes over the sea, to halt the project. Argentina says the UK approved the drilling without its agreement and […]
More young people are being recruited as ‘money mules’ by organised crime groups, new analysis reveals
Woodan/Shutterstock More than 8,900 people aged under 30 were arrested for money laundering offences in England and Wales between 2020 and 2025. That’s more than six in ten of all money laundering arrests recorded during the period. And our analysis of police data points to a growing problem that is not simply about young people […]
Why the most dangerous AI may be the one we trust too much
Machines don’t have to become superintelligent to cause catastrophic harm. As artificial intelligence spreads through military decision-making, they just have to be wrong – and trusted by the humans in charge. In 1991, Terminator 2: Judgement Day gave us one of popular culture’s most enduring images of AI gone wrong. Humanity builds Skynet, an artificial […]
The UK autumn budget: why the chancellor’s options are limited
The autumn budget looks set to be a cautious affair. It is not expected to spark the kind of Labour party enthusiasm that Andy Burnham has enjoyed in his first three months as prime minister. In that short time, Burnham has promised not to shy away from tackling the big issues facing the UK, such […]
COVID inquiry: four ways to improve support for people with intellectual disabilities
London, England, UK – August 8, 2023: The National Covid Memorial, located off the bank of the Thames River and St. Thomas Hospital, is a place to commemorate those who died of COVID. thelittlecactus/Shutterstock Anxiety. I always feel like I’m on edge. COVID, cost of living crisis, finances, current living arrangement. The majority don’t seem […]