Free will: does refusing to believe in it make you a ‘bad’ person? Research is challenging this old idea
Did you click on this article out of your own free will? Or was it predetermined by the cosmic evolution of particles, unfolding in an unbroken chain reaction set in motion by the big bang? Perhaps you think random quantum processes or unconscious brain activity were responsible? Whether you are philosophically inclined or not, the […]
We recreated the legendary heatwave summer of 1976 in today’s climate – here’s what we found
The summer of 1976 was an extraordinary heatwave for its time. With 15 consecutive days of temperatures over 32°C, it was an unprecedented length for a UK heatwave, coming at the end of a year-long drought. This led to severe water shortages and frequent wildfires, followed by flash floods. But the climate has substantially changed […]
How high can a volcano throw lava up in the air?
Gal_Rotem/Shutterstock Erupting volcanoes spew molten lava, gas and rocks up into the air. But just how high can the lava go and how do eruptions work? That’s what eight-year-old Thomas from Leeds in the UK wanted to know. Thomas joined our host Eloise to put his question to volcanologist Martin Mangler from the University of […]
Citizenship education: primary school children are already able to think politically
New Africa/Shutterstock Rebuilding social cohesion and democratic trust has become a key concern in British politics, amid increasing political polarisation, misinformation and declining trust in public institutions. Schools are often seen as part of the solution, helping children learn how to participate in civic life and live alongside others. Yet children are rarely included in […]
Helping their friends to read can boost children’s attainment
Artit Wongpradu/Shutterstock In a primary school classroom, a nine-year old reads aloud to the person next to them. When they stumble over a word, their partner encourages them to try again. Together they discuss what might happen next. But the child isn’t reading to an adult – a teaching assistant or volunteer. Instead, they are […]
The mistakes that sealed Keir Starmer’s fate
On the gloriously sunny morning of July 5 2024, Keir Starmer walked into Downing Steet as prime minister for the first time, having won a stonking 174-strong majority in the general election the day before. On a similarly warm morning a little less than two years later, he has been forced to stand outside Number […]
House of the Dragon: four real historic women who inspired the show
Dragons may be fictional, but the struggle for the throne, influence and legitimacy in House of the Dragons has roots in conflicts that shaped real history. Long before the fictional Westeros, women across Europe and Asia faced rival claimants, political factions and systems designed to keep them from power. Like Rhaenys Targaryen, Alicent Hightower and […]
Summer’s silent killer: why the world’s heatwaves are a global health emergency
Studio Nut/Shutterstock Heat is no longer a future climate risk. It is already here. Across continents, high temperatures are being pushed higher by forces acting at once: human-caused warming, very warm oceans, dry soils, slow-moving high-pressure weather systems and El Niño conditions that have now developed in the tropical Pacific. El Niño is a natural […]
Andy Burnham: what to expect from the UK’s likely next prime minister
Resigning as UK prime minster and leader of the Labour party, Keir Starmer said he accepted, “with good grace”, that the party does not think he is best placed to lead them into the next general election. Following the election of Andy Burnham in Makerfield, it’s also clear who most Labour MPs want to replace […]
Ten years on from the Brexit vote, the UK is still a country of Leavers and Remainers
The labels Leave and Remain need little introduction to anyone with even a fleeting interest in British politics. The terms do not simply refer to someone’s position on UK-EU relations, they can also provide a shorthand for their broader beliefs and values. The terms emerged as group identities and, to the opposing sides, often as […]