The 2026 World Cup is the greatest architectural experiment in the tournament’s history
When football commentators analyse a World Cup match, they tend to focus on tactics, technical ability, physical conditioning and psychology. If a team wins away from home, we hear about mentality. If a player scores a spectacular goal, we praise their vision or instinct. Yet there is another factor that receives remarkably little attention: the […]
Inclusion bases in mainstream schools – the evidence for this government policy is lacking
Halfpoint/Shutterstock Government plans for schools in England have set out a vision for inclusive mainstream education. This would see children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) learning in the same place as their peers without these needs. A central feature of these plans are “inclusion bases”. Many schools already have spaces […]
Monroe at 100: Marilyn and the cult of the blonde
Before beloved modern classics such as Legally Blonde and Barbie, there was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire – two 1953 films that helped shape the blonde cinematic archetype, cementing Marilyn Monroe’s status as the most iconic blonde in Hollywood history. In British Blonde, art historian Lynda Nead traces blondeness from religious […]
Ukrainian families have been torn apart by the war – reunifying them is no easy task
Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused the largest forced population displacement crisis in Europe since the second world war. As of 2026, roughly 4.4 million refugees from Ukraine hold temporary protection status in the EU. Around 4.6 million more are internally displaced. Hundreds of thousands of families in the country have been separated and many […]
Do whales fart?
Kertu/Shutterstock A few years ago, 10-year-old Guy was driving along the Australian coast when he saw whales, spouting water up into the air. He was amazed. “Then my brother farted, and then I wondered if whales fart,” says Guy. Guy joined our host Eloise to put his question to Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist at […]
Colombia’s new president ‘El Tigre’ promises an iron fist – but that may not solve the violence he has inherited
Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo De La Espriella, widely known as “El Tigre”, will inherit a country deeply affected by insecurity. The Paz Total (total peace) strategy of outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, leaves a difficult legacy. Dialogue with armed groups has produced limited results. Meanwhile Colombia has watched armed and criminal organisations consolidate territorial power, expand their […]
Medical museums often display infant remains – how they were acquired was frequently harrowing and involved eugenic thinking
Trigger warning: this article includes references to infant death and institutional abuse If you’ve been to a museum about the history of medicine or surgery you’ve probably seen loads of preserved human remains that have been used as teaching aids or in scientific research. At London’s Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons you […]
Supporting women in early labour is important for safe maternity care
Listening to women and providing supportive care at the start of labour sets a woman up for a positive birth experience. Prostock-studio/Shutterstock The Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust report has identified serious failings in care at one of England’s largest maternity services, with lessons for maternity units nationally. Among its findings was a repeated problem […]
Does traffic drive street crime? Our study investigated
Tartezy/Shutterstock Picture a busy road running through a residential neighbourhood. The noise, the fumes, the danger to cyclists and pedestrians – all familiar concerns. But here is one you might not have considered: that traffic may also be making your street more prone to vandalism, burglary and violence. That is what our new research, using […]
New obesity figures highlight the income divide
Ms Deborah Waters/Shutterstock.com The number of obese adults in England rose from 26% in 2019 to 30% in 2025, according to a new analysis of 55 million people. Nearly one in three adults are now obese. But averages hide a lot, and behind this one are two very different trends. The sharpest rises are among […]