How a cosmic coincidence gives Earth its ‘perfect’ solar eclipses
A solar eclipse is a rare, visually striking phenomenon. The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, temporarily hiding our star – a geometrical alignment spanning millions of miles. A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon doesn’t fully block the Sun, resulting in a gentle dimming of the sky. A total solar eclipse, however, […]
Having a baby throws time management into chaos – here are five important lessons for new parents
Anna Grant/Shutterstock Parents are told to treasure every moment: “It goes by in the blink of an eye!” Yet for many, the early months of parenthood do not feel fast so much as relentless: a blur of feedings, worries and appointments in which time seems to belong to everyone but the parents themselves. How do […]
Morning-after pill now free at your local pharmacy – what you need to know
KL-Pharma/Shutterstock.com Almost 305,000 doses of the morning-after pill were provided free of charge in England’s high street pharmacies in the first five months of the new contraception service, according to new NHS data (October 2025 to March 2026). This figure marks one of the biggest changes in access to emergency contraception in decades, putting a […]
What Andy Burnham means for the arts
Beyond the rapid turnover of prime ministers in recent years (seven in the last 15 years), there’s been an even higher churn in other roles, notably that of culture secretary – 12 in the same period, and 18 since the post was first introduced in 1997. Of these, Andy Burnham is the first to achieve […]
Canals cool down cities during heatwaves – new research
A canal boat moored on the Regent’s Canal in London. BBA Photography/Shutterstock Canals in Great Britain and Ireland cool city neighbourhoods up to 50 metres from their banks, particularly during heatwaves. That’s the key finding of our new research which modelled the impact of canals on urban temperatures – quantifying their importance for the millions […]
How heatstroke kills – it can still be deadly after your body cools down
Pheelings media/Shutterstock Europe is in the grip of yet another deadly heatwave. Over 10,000 excess deaths were recorded during late-June 2026 alone – and the toll keeps climbing. With the acceleration of the climate crisis, heatstroke is predicted to become more prevalent. Understanding why it is so often fatal is now an urgent question. Heatstroke […]
Can DNA from cave paintings tell us who the artists were?
Ancient painting of a bison from Altamira cave in Spain. luisrphoto Perhaps the most evocative windows into the minds of our ancient ancestors are the images they painted on the walls of caves – renderings known simply as rock art or cave paintings. Rock art, which is found across the world, offers snapshots of human […]
How Jordan’s clothing industry exploits migrant workers: ‘we have nowhere to go with our complaints’
Migrant workers sewing clothes in a factory in Aqaba, south-western Jordan. Katharina Grüneisl (2024), CC BY-NC-ND US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently issued its first-ever “withhold release” orders on garments made in Jordan. These orders, issued on June 23 with immediate effect, bar shipments from two factories run by Jordan-based clothes manufacturer Needle Craft […]
Who really wrote Elizabeth I’s angriest letter? New research reveals a hidden hand
The Ermine Portrait of Elizabeth I of England (1585) and a signed letter from Queen Elizabeth I to her future successor James I. Wiki Commons On February 10 1586, Elizabeth I wrote one of her most famous letters: a furious rebuke to her favourite, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. She sharply reprimanded him for […]
Eleven must-see comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe
It’s febrile Fringe season again: a time of frantic lists and spreadsheets, and that panicked sense you might not be able to catch all the essential shows. To make life easier, I have compiled a list of the 11 shows that I – an academic specialising in humour and comedy – am most excited about […]