From gait analysis to fingerprint theft, how worried should we be about the latest advances in biometric technology?
GoldenDayz/Shutterstock You unlock your phone with your face, your fingerprint sends your laptop whirring into action, you pass airport security by glancing at a camera. Biometric technology has become so woven into the daily routine that for many people, it barely registers any more. That invisibility is part of the point. These systems are usually […]
Even top athletes skip stretching – what amateurs can learn from the elites who struggle with recovery routines
If you watch elite sport, it may be easy to imagine that top athletes have perfected every detail: training, nutrition, sleep, recovery. Yet even elite athletes with expert support can struggle to maintain good recovery habits, like stretching or foam rolling. Our study explored that gap between knowing and doing. We spoke to national and […]
Black detainees twice as likely as white detainees to be strip-searched in police custody – new study
AngelaAllen/Shutterstock The government has promised a new era of youth justice reform focused on protecting vulnerable children and reducing harm. At the same time, new evidence exposes uncomfortable truths about strip-searching in police custody. This is one of the most intrusive powers available to police behind closed doors, and is particularly harmful for children and […]
Beyond Anglo-Saxons, Celts and Vikings: DNA uncovers a dynamic history of migration to Britain
Each of us tells a story about who we are, often tracing our identity back through an imagined line of ancestors. Though identity is fundamentally cultural, we tend to anchor it in biology – in the idea of a stable genetic inheritance passed down through generations. Population genomics has exposed a history far more complex, […]
Can you own a voice? Taylor Swift’s latest legal move raises big questions for AI and copyright
Taylor Swift has filed a trademark application covering her voice and stage image. It includes a photo of her performing in her distinctive bejewelled Eras Tour bodysuit and two voice recordings: “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift.” It’s the latest example of the singer using her status and power to challenge industry norms […]
Why humans care so much about body odour, and what it really tells us
Microgen/Shutterstock Humans spend a great deal of time trying to smell good. We wash, deodorise and perfume our bodies daily, suggesting body odour must matter. Yet scientifically, the picture is far less straightforward. In the animal world, smell is a powerful communication tool. Many species use scent to signal readiness to mate, mark territory or […]
Heatwaves are destroying the sex lives of bees – new research
A red mason bee seeking pollen. Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock There is not yet much research on the effects of heatwaves on bees. What little there is focuses on super extremes of weather that would kill an adult bee. However, my new research with colleagues shows that UK populations of solitary bees may be much more […]
They ‘showed me a lot of love’: why young men seeking belonging join gangs
DubstepWar/Shutterstock The government has published plans for “once-in-a-generation” reform of youth justice in England and Wales. The reforms are billed as a blueprint for earlier intervention, more targeted support and addressing the root causes of youth crime. It’s welcome that the proposals recognise how many children in the youth justice system have grown up with […]
‘AI needs to be disarmed’: Pope Leo sees threat to humanity in technological arms race
In the first landmark publication of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has addressed recent advances in artificial intelligence by focusing on the threat it poses to workers, social justice and “the dignity of persons”. Presenting his first papal encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity”), at the Vatican on May 25, Leo declared: “Artificial intelligence needs to […]
Ageing with purpose: the surprising science of frailty reversal
siro46/Shutterstock Some of the most powerful interventions to slow or improve frailty are also the most ordinary: regular movement, adequate nutrition and meaningful social connection. It almost sounds too simple for a condition now recognised as one of the strongest predictors of hospitalisation, disability, poor recovery from illness or surgery, nursing home admission and death […]