How the Sphinx is helping answer a riddle about extinct crocodiles
My colleagues and I discovered a new species of extinct crocodile from a fossil found in the same rocks used to carve the Great Sphinx of Giza. Today, there are only two species of the long-snouted gavial crocodile, both of which are endangered: Gavialis gangeticus and Tomistoma schlegelii. They are found only in freshwater environments […]
The ancient principle from English law that Donald Trump uses as a shield against defamation suits
During the campaign for the midterm elections, we’ve heard some seriously incendiary rhetoric from Republican leaders, including Donald Trump, against the Democratic candidate for the senate seat of Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. The US president has called El-Sayed a “jihadist” and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a designated foreign terrorist organisation under US law. There […]
How different election results affect bank stability – global study
Recent elections in Brazil and Israel have yielded different political outcomes. In Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s narrow and ultimately surprise victory in a presidential runoff vote has kept him in office. In Israel, meanwhile, an inconclusive election result has left uncertainty over the formation of the next government. These outcomes are likely to […]
Can creatine help your mental health? Here’s what the latest evidence says
Chay_Tee/ Shutterstock Once a supplement favoured mainly by fitness fanatics, creatine has quickly become one of the most widely used dietary add-ons in the world. While its advantages for strength and athletic performance are supported by evidence, it’s increasingly being recommended for its mental health effects. In fact, a recent review has even suggested the […]
Beyond Hokusai’s Great Wave – what to see and read this week
Katsushika Hokusai’s Great Wave is possibly one of the most celebrated works in art history, But did you know it’s part of a much larger series? Look closely and you will see framed by the great frothing crested wave is Japan’s Mount Fuji. The Great Wave, which is actually titled Under the Wave off Kanagawa, […]
Wicker and the rise of the ‘monster romance’: why audiences are falling for the non-human
Wicker is an unorthodox love story from husband-and-wife filmmaking team Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. Based on Ursula Wills-Jones’s short story, The Wicker Husband, it blends satirical folk fable with elements of the modern rom-com. The film, set vaguely in the middle ages, follows a lonely fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who commissions a husband made […]
Election special: deadlock in Israel, regime change in Serbia, US midterms
Tens of thousands of Israeli expats flew home to vote in Tuesday’s election – most of them, according to media reports, hoping for a result which would end Benjamin Netanyahu’s prime ministership. It looks as if they will be disappointed. We’ll know more when all votes are counted and seats allocated. But an apparent deadlock […]
The Black designers redefining British fashion by drawing on their own heritage, culture and history
British fashion has always been shaped by creative exchange: forged inside melting pots, authored by radical style communities – and often fuelled by class and migration. Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed the distinct emergence of a new genre centred on the Black British experience. It has seen its designers drawing on their unique histories, […]
What if we paid for electricity through taxes, not bills?
SuxxesPhoto / shutterstock The UK government has announced that standing charges will be removed from gas bills and that it intends to also remove them from electricity bills. Standing charges are a fixed fee paid by every household, regardless of how much they use. Under the proposed change, the costs they cover would instead be […]
How porn became so extreme – and how it’s shaping the sex lives of young people
Stenko Vlad/Shutterstock A few years ago, the singer Billie Eilish opened up on the Howard Stern Show about how she began watching porn around age 11. “I’m so angry that porn is so loved, and I’m so angry at myself for thinking that it was ok,” she said. Eilish became addicted to porn, and it […]