Britain’s quarter century: Netflix, memes and the supposed Christian revival
In this sixth and final part in our series on how the UK has changed in the past 25 years, we focus on tech, culture, religion and entertainment. Media Adrian Bingham, professor of modern British history, University of Sheffield In December 2001 the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology published a report entitled E is […]
New MRI method could help track Huntington’s disease and its treatments
About 8,000 people in the UK are living with Huntington’s disease, a devastating inherited condition that gradually affects movement, thinking and mood. Now, an advanced type of MRI scan could give researchers a way to estimate the cellular damage it causes in living people, which could eventually help show whether treatments are working. New research […]
Whether you’re an introvert or extravert may decide how you should use AI
More than a century ago, the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung made introversion and extraversion central to his theory of psychological types. Today, we tend to use “introvert” and “extrovert” as shorthand for how sociable someone is. Jung’s preferred spelling was “extravert”, and his distinction went considerably further than whether someone enjoys a party or likes […]
Childhood sleep apnoea: when snoring is more than a noisy night
New Africa/Shutterstock A child who snores loudly every night might seem like a funny sight. But if that snoring accompanies repeated narrowing or blockage of the airway, the effects can reach far beyond a noisy night. Obstructive sleep apnoea is often associated with adults who snore and struggle to stay awake during the day. Children […]
More trees are needed to cool down European cities in heatwaves – but they must be planted nearer to homes
Madrid could benefit from more trees to create shade in the summer. Mistervlad/Shutterstock Heatwaves claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people in Europe’s capital cities this summer, as they experienced record temperatures. In London, emergency wards filled with elderly patients injured after fainting in the heat. Meanwhile, the dry weather created subsidence and […]
Can producers keep up with our hunger for pistachios?
nelea33/Shutterstock Pistachio production has more than trebled in the last 20 years. In 2024, more than 1.4 million tonnes were produced globally. Their popularity has only increased in the last two years, with a growing status as a trendy, luxury food item. However, this rise in popularity has come with concerns around the pistachio’s environmental […]
Bayeux tapestry: Matilda of Flanders – the woman who was instrumental to William the Conqueror’s success
The Mora, far right, was gifted by Matilda of Flanders to her husband William the Conqueror. Ulrich Harsh / WIkipedia , CC BY Just three women appear in the main body of the Bayeux tapestry: Edith of Wessex, shown grieving at the deathbed of her husband Edward the Confessor; the mysterious and much-debated shrouded figure […]
War has shifted how power works in Iran
When Washington unveiled its economic “D-Day” on August 19, the latest tightening of the financial siege and the blockade around Iran’s ports, it believed it was applying decisive leverage. But in Tehran the move was read as something else entirely – as confirmation that the US still prefers pressure to any settlement it might one […]
Autonomous weapons can select targets without human help – now is the time for binding rules
One-way military drones already have the capability to select their targets. Anelo/Shutterstock Government experts are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, to work towards a possible negotiating mandate on autonomous weapons systems (AWS). These are military systems that can select and engage targets without human intervention. This major international gathering follows a recent call by the UN […]
How medieval infertility was experienced and understood
Two lovers, from a 14th-century manuscript of the Le Roman de la Rose. Bibliothèque nationale de France Infertility was a source of stress and sadness for some medieval couples, as it is for modern ones. It was a personal matter, but also a public one. Both families and the church assumed that the purpose of […]