The Ceuta border incident shows how EU migration can be ‘weaponised’ – but overall levels are declining
It took one night in Ceuta to end a relatively quiet summer on Europe’s southern border. Over 70,000 people entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco between July 30 and 31, most of them swimming around the heavily guarded border fences. For comparison, at the peak of the 2015-16 migration crisis, Italy received over 180,000 irregular […]
Are cats getting tamer – or is it people who are changing?
DimaBerlin/Shutterstock Around 15 years ago, I created a Facebook page for my cat, Sandi. Friends thought it was weird. Today, social media accounts for cats attract millions of followers, cats travel in backpacks and prams, and surveys consistently show that the overwhelming majority of owners regard their pets as family. I’ve previously written about how […]
The neuroscience behind a ‘runner’s high’
Many describe a runner’s high as a feeling of ‘euphoria.’ Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock While most runners are chasing after a new goal or a personal best, some are chasing after something slightly more elusive: a runner’s high. Some describe it as euphoria. Others as calm, clarity or even a sense of being completely absorbed in the […]
Adding an AI tool to Google Earth shook our trust in maps that has been centuries in the making
An 1818 map of western Africa shows the continent bisected by the mythical ‘Mountains of Kong’, based on the explorations of Mungo Park. Image: John Pinkerton’s A Modern Atlas via Wikimedia Commons Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Europe’s cartographers traded on their reputation for accuracy and detail at a time of huge societal change. […]
How Queen Caroline turned King Arthur into an 18th-century royal PR strategy
Merlin Presenting the Future King Arthur by Emil Lauffer (1909). Sotheby’s Amid family feuds, damaging headlines and questions about its future role, Britain’s royal family has spent much of the past decade managing its public image. But the importance of good royal PR dates back centuries. Long before communications teams and media advisers became fixtures […]
Lessons from Canada on assisted dying
Igogosha/Shutterstock Prime Minister Andy Burnham has argued that parliament should wait before returning to assisted dying until palliative and social care are properly funded. His intervention comes before MPs are due to debate a new assisted-dying bill for England and Wales on September 11. Public debate often centres on people with terminal illnesses who are […]
Will companies ever be run by an AI CEO?
Could OpenAi CEO Sam Altman one day find himself replaced by a machine? PhotoField/Shutterstock OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has speculated about how long it will take for artificial intelligence to replace senior leadership teams in organisations. “Shame on me,” Altman told the Conversations with Tyler podcast in November 2025, “if OpenAI is not the first […]
Why are deaf audiences still treated as an afterthought in theatre and cinema?
In this article, deaf is used as an umbrella term to include Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, hearing-impaired, deafened and people with hearing loss. Theatre and cinemas are increasingly lauding their commitment to access and diversity; yet deaf people are still excluded from most performances and films. Many theatre performances are not captioned or British […]
Once-weekly HIV pill as effective as daily dose, research shows
Towfiqu ahamed barbhuiya/ Shutterstock Around 78% of people who are living with HIV take a daily pill to manage their infection. These drugs work by preventing the HIV virus from multiplying. Although these drugs are very effective, some people struggle to stick with the daily regimen. There are many reasons for this – including pill […]
Indigenous communities aren’t rejecting tourism – they just want to shape it themselves
Imagine the scene: tourists riding in a jeep through Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela. With their cameras at the ready, they listen to stories of gang violence and gawp at people’s homes, believing they are learning about the “real” Rio beyond the glamorous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Far away from the South American […]