Earthly Paradise at the William Morris Museum asks how we can ‘live radically’ inside our homes
Long before Silicon Valley promised frictionless, universal solutions to how we live, people in the UK were re-imagining domestic life and the conditions of living from the ground up. These forms of radical living, whether individual choices or wider movements, were born of dissent, necessity and the desire to live in ways society otherwise sought […]
How Iran carries out violence abroad – from diplomats and assassins to criminal networks
Britain’s prime minister, Andy Burnham, has said the recent suspected terror plot targeting RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire was “almost certainly” directed by Iran. The allegation has centred attention on how Iran projects power beyond its borders. The case comes at a time of rising concern about Iranian-linked activities in the UK. In early October, two […]
Ireland proposes language testing for citizenship: more demands on already stretched English teaching
SeventyFour/Shutterstock Anti-immigrant sentiment in Ireland has increased alongside concerns about the cost of living, public services and migrant integration. Against this backdrop, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is considering changes to the requirements for naturalisation. People applying for citizenship may be required to demonstrate language proficiency as part of the naturalisation process. […]
Scientists are growing human brain tissue in living mice – could this make their welfare harder to assess?
Piquez/Shutterstock What happens when scientists start changing the brain – the very system through which an animal’s mental states are expressed in behaviour? In a recent study published in Nature, researchers implanted human brain organoids – small, simplified structures grown from human stem cells – into the brains of living mice. Over time, these organoids […]
Childhood adversity linked to billions in health and economic costs – new research
Mariana Serdynska/Shutterstock Childhood trauma can leave scars that last long after the experiences themselves have ended. Its effects can reach into adult life, increasing the risk of mental illness, physical health problems and other difficulties. Our latest research estimates that the health effects associated with adverse childhood experiences cost the equivalent of £7.8 billion in […]
Could the UK actually split? Experts explain the legal route for pro-independence leaders
As the Scottish National Party gathered in Aberdeen for the its annual conference, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham had also travelled north of the border. SNP conferences are of course a platform for the party to coalesce around its core aim of Scottish independence. But at Labour’s conference in September, Burnham told colleagues the union […]
Can AI screen for heart disease using photos of your tongue and face?
Lee Charlie/Shutterstock.com An AI system trained on photographs of the face and tongue correctly identified every patient with coronary heart disease (CHD) in a small test, according to a new study from China. The researchers recruited 518 people: 200 with diagnosed CHD and 318 healthy volunteers. Each had their face and tongue photographed with a […]
Rabbits were a medieval royal luxury in England – until the Black Death made them commonplace
The European rabbit is a common sight in the British countryside today. Yet it was not always so. They are not native to the British Isles and are one of the most devastating invasive species. The early history of rabbits in the British Isles tells the captivating story of social change in medieval England. From […]
Vaccines have been so successful that some people have forgotten why we need them
Measles causes a distinctive rash that usually begins on the face before spreading across the body. Falling vaccination rates have contributed to its resurgence. phichet chaiyabin/Shutterstock Three measles-related deaths have been reported in England in 2026. One child died from an acute infection, another from the long-term effects of measles, and an adult with an […]
Can India’s cockroach movement reverse its democratic decline?
More than 25,000 police officers were deployed across New Delhi recently to prevent demonstrations led by India’s new youth-led political movement, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Government authorities had denied the CJP permission to protest on public-order grounds. The ensuing security operation saw the authorities shut one in six metro stations in the capital, barricade […]