Iran ceasefire has brought a sudden fall in oil prices – but this pause underscores the volatility in the market
Who is Danny/Shutterstock Before the temporary ceasefire in the Gulf, the world had been experiencing the biggest oil price shock ever, surpassing even the crises of the 1970s. The scale and speed of movements were comparable to some of the most disruptive episodes in modern energy markets. At the centre of the disruption was the […]
How Artemis II’s Earthset photo compares with the iconic Earthrise image from 1968
Earthset, as captured aboard the Orion spacecraf during the Artemis II mission. Nasa As Nasa’s Artemis II mission completed its lunar flyby, the astronauts sent back a stunning image of the colourful Earth setting behind the Moon. This breathtaking photo, called Earthset, draws inevitable comparisons with the original Earthrise photo from the Apollo 8 flight […]
Why organisations pick the wrong leaders
Pressmaster/Shutterstock Plenty of people have worked under a manager who appears confident, articulate and highly visible – yet they struggle to lead their team effectively. Team members can become disengaged, decision-making slows and performance declines. But despite this, the same people always seem to progress through the hierarchy. Unfortunately, this is not unusual. In many […]
Why AI shouldn’t be used even to decide ‘simple’ court cases
Phonlamai Photo/Shutterstock In just a few years, generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has brought about significant changes in many industries from healthcare to education, entertainment to finance, and even law. The use of gen AI in court verdicts poses significant risks to justice. Erroneous outcomes generated from “hallucinated” information, discriminatory decisions and lack of transparency […]
Expecting charity shops to recycle your unwanted clothes is creating a rubbish pile – here’s how to help to avoid that
Charity shops receive tonnes of unwanted clothes. Iryna Mylinska/Shutterstock Charity shops are generally seen as a responsible way to get rid of unwanted belongings. In theory, donating items allows them to be reused and raises money for important causes. However, many charity shops struggle to make use of the donations they receive. The UK has […]
Zajal – this form of Arabic poetic duelling has broken onto TikTok
“I am a king of angels, from beginning to end. Arrani you’ll soon be crying out, weeping endless tears,” sings Akram Qawar in Arabic while gesticulating at his opponent. Muhammad al-Arrani sings back: “What are you mumbling about? No one understands your verse, did you just come here to make a fool of yourself in […]
The dark side of music as ‘therapy’
Simon Kadula/ Shutterstock A violinist plays in a cancer ward. A playlist loops in the waiting room. A surgeon hums along to the radio mid-operation. We assume, almost without thinking, that music helps. But what if it doesn’t – or worse, what if it harms? Music has been used since the beginning of time, in […]
The unseen challenges of life on the Moon
For the first time since the Apollo era, humans are preparing not just to visit the Moon, but to live and work there for weeks, months – and eventually years. But what would it really be like to spend an extended period on the lunar surface? The answer is exhilarating – and brutally unforgiving. An […]
Traveller’s tummy: why going on holiday can affect your bowel habits – and what you can do to prevent it
Changes to our normal routine can throw our bowels out of whack. S Prodution/ Shutterstock Travelling abroad is something many of us look forward to. It’s a chance to break free from the norm, discover new sights, try new foods and do things we might not normally have a chance to do. But sometimes, our […]
Four reasons why the new DC cinematic universe may fail (again)
Marvel and DC have been captivating the world with their superheroes and supervillains for almost a century. Characters like Spider-Man (Marvel) and Superman (DC) are global household names whose recognition rivals that of world leaders. For most of their history, Marvel and DC have gone toe-to-toe in comics, cartoons, TV and films. In 2008, Marvel […]