How ‘eco-dystopian’ novels from Asia and Africa are pushing boundaries
Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock Speculative and futuristic visions of environmental calamity are being imagined globally through environmental fiction. Eco-dystopian novels can help people process their fears or mourn the loss of a more stable climate. My forthcoming book, Nature’s Return, shows that while anti-environmentalism is gaining traction in the west, the diversity and urgency of environmental visions […]
Humans’ closest invertebrate ancestors date back much further than thought – how we discovered the fossils that show this
Artist’s impression of Earth’s earliest complex animals during the late Ediacaran period – before the ‘Cambrian explosion’. Xiaodong Wang, CC BY-SA Animal life is extraordinarily diverse and complex, having colonised almost all environments on Earth – from hostile hydrothermal vents in the deep sea to the skies across our continents. But the planet was not […]
Will row over Iran conflict spell the end of Nato?
This is the text from The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email. Sign up here to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox. Anybody who tuned in to Donald Trump’s prime-time speech to the American people last night hoping to hear that he plans an end to the […]
Voters in Wales face Senedd election amid confusion over who holds power over what
yusuf aktas/Shutterstock Ahead of May’s Senedd (Welsh parliament) election, many people in Wales remain unclear about who is responsible for important political decisions. Our new report suggests confusion is widespread. Our analysis included a survey of people in Wales and found that 69% did not know that policing is controlled by the UK government. At […]
The five best Lake District museums – recommended by a historian
Most people come to the Lake District seeking the great outdoors. Boating, camping and hiking are a big part of the national park’s appeal. But indoor attractions matter here, too. This is one of the wettest parts of Britain, after all, and when the rain stops play, the region’s museums offer plenty to explore. Museums […]
Your brain for sale? The new frontier of neural data
DC Studio/Shutterstock Your browsing history, your location, your political preferences. For years, tech companies have found ways to turn personal data into profit. Now, a new and far more intimate frontier is opening: the electrical signals produced by your brain. This is not science fiction. Nor is it about brain implants for paralysed patients or […]
Ireland’s Easter Rising: archives reveal hardship faced by the families of those killed in 1916
The General Post Office building on Sackville Street in Dublin served as the HQ for the leaders of the Easter Rising. Wikimedia/National Library of Ireland, CC BY On November 26, 1923, a woman named Anne McCormack applied for a military dependent’s pension on the grounds of her husband, James McCormack’s death. He had been a […]
Why the war in Iran will make your UK mortgage more expensive
The war in Iran is affecting the cost of living around the world. In the UK, it is leading to higher energy prices, weaker economic growth and a more expensive future. It may seem odd that fighting in the Middle East could have such a profound affect on household finances in the East Midlands (and […]
A women’s ‘push-up hack’ is trending on social media – an anatomist explains why it works
Those who have tried the viral ‘hack’ say it does make push-ups easier to do. Microgen/ Shutterstock Push-ups can be a challenge for the best of us. But many women struggle to do them, even after months of training in the gym. So when a so-called “women’s push-up hack” started trending on social media, it’s […]
Earthrise to Earthset: how the planet’s climate has changed since the photo that inspired the environmental movement
Earthrise. The view of the rising Earth as photographed by the Apollo 8 astronauts on December 24 1968 as they came from behind the Moon after the fourth nearside orbit. Nasa/William Anders A new Earthset image has been captured by the crew of Artemis II, 58 years since the iconic Earthrise photograph taken by the […]