Unearthing Namibia’s forgotten genocide through forensic archaeology

The Namibian genocide was one of the first genocides of the 20th century. Between 1904 and 1908, tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people were killed under German colonial rule. Despite the scale of these events, the material and human legacy of this genocide remains less understood than later atrocities. Historical accounts exist, but […]

Britain’s textile history told through 22 museums and archives

The Dales Countryside Museum. Hazel Plater/Shutterstock/Composite made with Canva. Textiles shape British life in ways we often overlook – the clothes we wear, the items we inherit, and the patterns that quietly signal where we come from. Yet behind these familiar objects lies a rich history of labour, skill and innovation. From the knitting frames […]

Marilyn Monroe’s final home – and the life she imagined within it

Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death at just 36 has long been woven into her mystique, fuelling both fascination among fans and a proliferation of theories about its cause. Monroe lived in the property for just six months. But as the home she died in, it has become a site of near-ritualised fan pilgrimage, much like her […]

Murals, myths and belonging: how art is reshaping South Greenland

The morning sun lights up the ice-covered mountains around Narsaq, a small village in South Greenland. Turquoise icebergs float by the shores of the fjords, and seagulls gather on the cliffy rocks. An old man walks slowly along the colourful houses on the hill. The picturesque scene feels almost surreal, but this is indeed where […]

Keep calm and carry on: lessons from wasps on how societies survive power struggles

What happens when a leader suddenly disappears? In politics, business and other human organisations, leadership transitions can trigger intense power struggles. Rivals compete for control, alliances shift and institutions can become unstable. Similar dynamics occur throughout the animal kingdom. Our new research on tropical paper wasps, published in the journal Animal Behaviour, shows just how […]

Influencers are promoting dangerous peptides on social media – and regulators are struggling to keep up

Influencers are helping drive sales of these unapproved substances. Alan Crosthwaite/ Shutterstock Once confined to niche bodybuilding forums and hardcore gyms, unproven injectable peptides are now being openly marketed online to the average gym-goer by social media influencers – and regulators struggling to keep up. Across Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, unapproved and harmful peptide products […]

Trump’s primary challenges to his Republican foes make GOP nervous in run up to midterms

Two days before registered Republicans voted in the party’s primary election in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District on May 20, Donald Trump called the incumbent representative, Thomas Massie, “the worst Republican congressman in history”. Massie subsequently lost the primary to a political newcomer with no prior office-holding experience. Ed Gallrein’s not-so-secret weapon was that he had […]

Sun safety this summer: from UV apps to sun protection tips that actually work

fokke baarssen/Shutterstock The UK has already seen unusually hot weather this year, with temperatures high enough to make sun safety a live issue well before many people have packed for their summer holidays. For many of us, the instinctive response to good weather is to get outside while it lasts. But sudden bursts of hot, […]