The Uprising: the real medieval revolt that inspired Andrew Garfield’s new film
The Uprising, a medieval drama directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Andrew Garfield, is set to hit cinemas this autumn. The film draws its inspiration from the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 in England. The studio’s synopsis presents the uprising as a “rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II”, with Garfield leading “an army of […]
AI is creating jobs as well as erasing them – but how rewarding are they?
rudall30/Shutterstock Don’t believe the hype about AI taking over all forms of work. Most of the evidence to date suggests large-scale job losses are limited. But what is changing is the way work is organised. One area of increased employment is in people “cleaning up” after large language models (LLMs), or quality controlling them. The […]
Once rejected as ‘too outlandish’, Zandra Rhodes’ archive is helping to shape fashion’s future
As a student in the 1960s, Zandra Rhodes would often visit the costume court of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to study the Elizabethan doublets. She went on to incorporate elements of Tudor costume into many of her couture collections. Now things have come full circle. As an icon of British fashion – […]
How scapegoating happens – and what we can do to stop it
The tragic death of Jason Arday has provoked strong feelings across academia and beyond. The former University of Cambridge professor was found dead nine days after resigning from his post amid allegations of plagiarism and doubts over his life story. At the time of his resignation, he issued a statement saying: “I no longer wish […]
What is trauma-informed care – and how do schools do it?
DGLimages/Shutterstock Trauma-informed approaches have become increasingly prominent within education policy and guidance, although the term is not always explicitly used. Trauma-informed practice is the recognition and understanding that trauma – an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by a person as harmful or life-threatening – can impact a person’s wellbeing. […]
Ancient virus hunters: how we discovered sheeppox DNA hidden in medieval gospels
Humans and domesticated animals have lived together for millennia, and this relationship has shaped their destinies in countless ways. Animals offered people food, companionship, traction (pulling ploughs), clothing and transport. They also provided something less obvious but extraordinarily important: parchment to write on. This robust, plentiful and portable material enabled many people to record and […]
Feeling the burn? It’s not lactic acid
PeopleImages/ Shutterstock If you’ve ever pushed yourself through a hard workout, you’ve probably “felt the burn.” It’s that familiar sensation of pain and exhaustion in the muscles, where they almost feel like they’re on fire. This feeling has long been said to be caused by a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. In fact, […]
Why Indiana Jones is the best and worst thing to happen to archaeology
When Egyptian archaeologists announced the discovery of a “lost golden city” near Luxor, Egypt, in 2021, headlines erupted around the world: Treasure. Revelation. A once-in-a-century find. For archaeologists, however, the most notable feature was not the gold that had yet to materialise, but how quickly the story became framed as adventure. Years of survey, stratigraphic […]
There’s something you can do now to cool your home next summer – and it’s far cheaper than air conditioning
Autumn is the best time to get ahead with next season’s planting. Mrs.Rungnapa akthaisong/Shutterstock Climate change is bringing extreme summer heat to many more countries, but using the right plants in your garden could help keep your home that bit cooler next summer. As the autumn planting season begins, this is a great time to […]
Nigella Lawson and the fantasy of Bake Off – what to watch and read this week
The Great British Bake Off is back and there’s a new judge in the tent: the one and only Nigella Lawson. Her debut is already being hailed by critics as a success, but is it any surprise when so much of her brand thrives on many of the same things that make people love Bake […]